What Defines a Double IPA?

Drinking Hop Bullet DIPA from Sierra Nevada right now. 8% and one of the most balanced beers I've ever had at that level. To bad it is a seasonal. I'm not a big Sierra Navada fan nor West Coast style fan, but this beer is "Best in Show".
I prefer DIPAs at 9% but this one is in the zone. At $15 a half case at Kroger, it's a must have.

 

Yeah, for a seasonal Hop Bullet is a huge hit. Got a case a while back. As far as balanced goes, Sierra Nevada's Hop Hunter is even better, but perhaps less interesting/citrus intense.

 

Except SN Torpedo Extra IPA was first released in 2009
Sierra Nevada to bottle first new year-round release in over 28 years
- as noted in that article, Bill Manley explained the style naming:

Not sure when Sierra Nevada first started referring to Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale as an "IPA" but according to this 2014 AAB article, quoting SN's Tom Nielson:

Of course, there were scores of US-brewed IPA's that pre-dated SN Celebration Ale, so...

 

1 IPA + 1 IPA = DIPA

 

I guess I was confusing it with the older and no longer made SN IPA which I can find very little about but remember it with a green label. But it prob isn’t as old as Celebration, either.

Thanks

 

Yeah, early 2000s IIRC as a bottled product (and the early BA reviews seem to back that up - who know what the story is on those reviews from ~2010-2015 )

An old cardboard case in my basement (full of electrical wiring) labels it as the "Spring Seasonal". Reviews used to call it "English style" and promo material mentioned "English malt and hops".

 

They can call it whatever they like, but to me, I pay attention to the 8% mark as the dividing line between IPA and DIPA. Mostly to track how many or few I can drink in a setting.

 

Yeah, I believe that one was Goldings all the way- pretty nice beer, but it may have ultimately confused too many people.

And then there was the Anniversary Ale, which was American in style and got a lot more buzz.