What do you look for in a Double IPA?

I used to love extremely high IBU DIPAs but now I appreciate the more balanced ones. The malts can't be too sweet and the alcohol should be covered up nicely. I like my hops resinous and fruity in DIPAs.

Don't remind me... The hype surrounding that beer is the most undeserving of any I've ever had.

 

I found Hopslam too boozy. SN Hopitmum was basically Hopslam to me without that aftertaste. I prefer it.

 

Big hop flavor with an ABV that requires a designated driver.

 

In terms of hop profile, I prefer citrus (grapefruit, lemon, and orange pulp and rind), tropical (mango, pineapple, papaya, guava), and pine sap. Gassiness is okay, but herbal hops do not do it for me. Prefer the malt bill to be clean and not intrusive on the hops. Some carmel or butterscotch is okay, but really do prefer just some sugary sweetness from the malt. The sugariness adds a nice juicy profile to the hop flavors. In other words: a complex, juicy IPA!

 

Hoptimum is for sure better. It's really not that hard to find a better DIPA than Hopslam these days.

 

Big flavors, complexity, and well hidden alcohol.

 

This pretty much sums it up. I dig.

 

What I look for is a born on date on the bottle. Never want to grab a 4month old bottle.
Wish more local breweries would bottle date.

 

High ABV deliciousness!

 

PINE PINE and some more pine followed by weed and maybe some cat pee.

 

I have realized recently that I see DIPAs two different ways. There is the really sweet malt bomb and then there is the dry, hop explosion. I find that I can appreciate both. My go-to is usually the big sweet dipa, something like hoptimum or double trouble. On the other hand, if i really want a beer that purely showcases hops, I would swing for something like heady, ghost in the machine, or enjoy by. I am fine with either but it really depends on what I feel like at that time. I just think the most important aspect is knowing what you are drinking.

 

Something that reminds me of the Wisconsin Northwoods. AKA: PINE.

 

I can appreciate the incredible drinkability of Hop Stoopid and Hopslam, but I can also appreciate an abrasive Ruination or Palate Wrecker. Just depends on my mood at the time.

 

Less citrus. More dankiness.

 

mmmmm cat pee

 

Drinkability and balance. Nothing beats the smell of a well crafted IPA!

 

To me, a DIPA will have a higher ABV than a standard IPA, and to get that extra alcohol there has to be more malt added to the mix. Then, to balance the extra malt, more hops have to be added. More hops can be double quantity (I'm using 'double' just for the explanation, because triple might be needed too) of a typical one. two or three hop varieties, or additional varieties can be added to help balance that malt. The successful brewer will use a hop combo that melds together very well to provide a crisp hop character. Too often when too many hop varieties are thrown in, the flavors become so muddled that there is no character to the beer. It becomes a hop mess.

 

The perfect DIPA has a huge tropical fruit and huge citrus nose and flavor with malts to balance without overtaking the hops. Cant be boozey either. Drinkable yes please. Has to have medium carbonation levels and creamy mouthfeel as well. The best that I have drank that matches this criteria is Lawsons Double sunshine.

 

I want to agree with and give props to those who say it has to be good, regardless of the particular interpretation of the style. At one point I had grown completely tired of the big syrupy boozy dipas with huge maltiness. Then I didn't drink anything but stuff like heady, HF, Lawson's, NEBCO, alpine, treehouse etc. those brewers are geniuses at extracting maximum hop flavor while mitigating bitterness and keeping things dry and light and completely drinkable. One day lo and behold - I had some more old school takes on the style and really enjoyed them! Done right the bigger malt component can result in a really tasty and balanced beer. At this point I'm not dogmatic and just want something good and in keeping with my mood.

I know it's sacrilege but after a trip to Hill Farmstead and drinking nothing but growler after growler of Abner, Susan, society and solitude, etc, for a week - absolutely fantastic beers - I am ready for a change of pace and don't mind a maltier,more heavy handed beer.

Finally as a guy who is an avowed barleywine fanatic I would respectfully suggest that those "cellaring" dipa to turn them into BW instead go down the list of top English and American BW and get to know the style a bit, please.

 

I've never had a DIPA I didn't like, so I mainly look for one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.