The difference between Pale Ale and IPA

lol, exactly!

 

@Amendm Don't forget that styles change over time with consumer preferences and expectations. Brewer's aren't brewing beer for centuries from a set of unchanging laws. In a relatively recent past IPAs were not as popular as today and brewers weren't bending over backwards to slap an IPA label on their beer for increased sales. In fact, there was a time (80s into 00s) when customers who only knew little about craft beer knew they didn't like bitter and IPA = bitter, so brewers may have even avoided the IPA label. FFF Alpha King and Oscar Blues Dale's Pale Ale are examples of old school American pale ales that could just as easily been labeled IPAs, and probably would be if released today.

And in a more extreme example there's Alexander Keith's IPA from the 1800's at 5% ABV.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/6994/264/

So, I guess you're going to go back in time to 1820 to tell Alexander Keith he mislabeled his IPA, right.

What about the EPAs "extra pale ales" out there? e.g. Summit and Sweetwater? This just gets more confusing!



Anyway beer styles are always in flux, and particularly for older beers one should consider the time period they come from and the brewer's intent. Everyone is free to like or dislike the taste of any beer of course, but it shouldn't be based on conforming to a different set of rules than when they were created. That horse has left the barn. Besides, the more rigid one tries to make style lines, the more you'll find beers breaking the rules, which renders the effort of making rigid style lines a waste.

 

Just like in geography.

Half way between the east coast and west coast.

(East coast being the old east coast IPA, not the murk juice with hop burn).

 

ISO *Murk Juice.*

 

I hate Hop Burn, luckily the local Brewers like Resident Culture and Heist seem to steer clear of this phenomenon.

 

Shortened to "FLY-P-A"

 

ABV? Uhm, "Session IPA" ! Hello!

Bottom line is IDK the difference either.

APA, imo, uses American malts I'd of thought.

 

See posts 26, 27. We're going to be famous like the WC and NE.

 

Why not read it from this very website, in the "beer styles" section?

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/97/

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/styles/116/

You are welcome

 

Naw, we're radicals and don't like to concede to authority.

Midwest IPA forever!

 

Give me an example.

 

Per some people who will go unnamed because I don't know who they are, Two Hearted, but I'm not going to look up the thread(s) that mentioned that. I'm just passing along 'reliable' internet information.

 

If my eyes rolled any harder when I read that they would be on the floor........ not at you but the idea 2hearted deserves it's own category.

 

No one said it deserved its own category. It was given as an answer to your request: "give me an example."

 

Kinda kills the separation by abv argument.

 

They are all pale ales. Parcing the modern array of pale ales to more closely define styles within the type may be fun, but variety is the spice of the life of the beer lover. I'm good with a shit ton of pale ales that have different faces.

 

I don't sample every local IPA, so I'm far from an encyclopedia of knowledge on the topic, but Summt Sága is another example, IMO.

I'm not suggesting a separate style (and I don't think anyone else is, either); it is just a way to discuss nuances within the AIPA style. The "Midwest" IPA is less bitter and maltier than the WCIPA. Maltier.

Here's a hint: if there is always a discussion / controversy as to whether it is truly a WCIPA, it may be an Midwest IPA. That fits Two Hearted.

 

I agree with that but unlike you think SNPA is a perfect example of balance. I 1st drank SNPA about 10 years before you did. The only IPA around was Ballantine and it was nothing like SNPA.

 

So IBU and Glasswear determines it from now on for me