The difference between Pale Ale and IPA

Yeah -- I don't care what anyone says, I'm not pouring a Pale Ale in my Becker.

 

Well IBUs are a bit confusing, there’s the listed IBUs then there’s the perceived bitterness, and they’re not the same. I find Session IPAs can be painful to drink because they’re unbalanced, it’s hop juice in some cases, and low malt, lots of hops in proportion , low abv, highly bitter. I generally don’t like them at all. As an example I can’t drink Founders All Day, it’s only 40 IBUs but it might as well be 100, it’s overbearingly bitter and it’s a chore to drink, can’t go All Day when one gives me palate fatigue.

 

Funny my other main hobby, mycology, also relies heavily on categorizing. Recently mycology went through a major overhaul of the naming system, which used to be confusing and contradictory. You know, like beer styles are now. The system for mycology now works wonderfully (except for us old dogs having to learn new names for everything)

This thread and so many others in the past make me wish to happen for the beer style naming convention what has happened to mycology. I still believe that revolution is coming for beer, and a system of naming styles is coming that will make sense, be easy for consumers to use, and is regular, logical, and complete.

As far as the question here, near as I can tell the difference between pale ale and IPA is what style name the brewer cares to give it. Wasn't Dale's Pale Ale named because it sounded better than Dale's IPA?

 

Well the Dales Pale does flow better.

 

"It's whatever the brewer calls it"

 

I’m gonna go with ABV. To me, it’s an ocjective measurement that makes sense.

 

There are well defined differences in the styles, at least based on Brewers Association style guidelines, including but not limited to Origial Gravity, ABV, and IBUs. Not sure where the idea of APAs lacking citrus or piney characters came from, at least by the definition of styles both would use similar American-varietal hops which tend to be high in citrus and piney notes. So you would expect the hop profiles to be relatively similar, albeit less pronounced in APAs; and of course lower bitterness also in the APAs.

That being said I’m sure many APAs would technically probably be more appropriately classed as IPAs, but I’m guessing a brewery can call their beer whatever they want.

 

Session IPAs are below 4% abv sometimes , so now what?

 

So here’s where things get tricky. I’m certainly no expert but I’m not sure all brewing associations even recognize session IPAs as a style. It seems those that do, the style parameters are so similar to APAs that the differences seem to be more subjective than anything (for example using verbiage such as hop profile should be “very assertive” for session IPA vs “assertive” for APAs; per North American Brewers Association and a very silly distinction if you ask me).

In my opinion Session IPAs arent really a thing and are just a marketing gimmick, but hey that’s just me.

 

And I am pretty sure (I am undoubtedly to be corrected on this board if I am mistaken) that, to make things even MORE confusing, some brews are listed as ALES that are, without question, IPA's.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid is classified as an ALE.
Sierra Nevada Celebration is classified as an ALE.
I am sure there are others.

No mention of IPA on the bottles/cans.

 

How ignorant do you think I am?

 

Well I’m not reading all the posts to see if any of them agree with my viewpoint. I don’t agree about ABV being the delineator, but I could be mistaken. Can’t you have a 5.5% IPA?

No, for me it’s about balance between malt and hops and IBUs. Anything under 50 IBUs is not an IPA as far as I’m concerned. This includes, possibly, many hazy/New England IPAs. I think many of those are APAs. You have to have a certain level of bitterness to get into IPA territory, and I think the term has just been bastardized because it’s popular.

And I hasten to add this isn’t the first time that has happened. I’d love to try a true English IPA from the 19th century to see how far we’ve stretched that term.

 

That was out of line. Go back and read what I was responding to.

 

You do know what the A in IPA stands for, right?

 

That was an honest question. I fully understand that there was no claim 2 hearted should have its own category but rather beers like it should. To be so pedantic is neasueating to others. Allow a little wiggle room would ya?

 

I’ve always liked how the BJCP describes the two styles. And they specifically have a category for New England IPAs, New England pale ales...etc. If you’re entering a session IPA, they tell you to enter it into the “Specialty IPA” category.

American IPA

Vital Statistics
IBU
40 - 70

SRM
6 - 14

OG
1.056 - 1.070

FG
1.008 - 1.014

ABV
5.5% - 7.5%


American Pale Ale

Vital Statistics
IBU
30 - 50

SRM
5 - 10

OG
1.045 - 1.060

FG
1.010 - 1.015

ABV
4.5% - 6.2%

 

Obviously you can in name, Session IPAs are under 5% some are under 4%. They’re all Pale Ales, it’s the word India that confuses everything. Ipa, Session, Double, Triple. PA.

And I’d be happy to send you a beer from an old recipe that’s sole purpose what to recreate that original ipa that was destined for the Far East. Comes from Zebulon, pm me your address I’ll shoot you one. I’ve never had it but I sent one to Ozzy Lizard in the BIF box.

 

Sorry I missed this originally, was quoting the glass suggestions verbatim and it slipped right by, but it's the Willi Becher glass, not Becker (he was half of Steely Dan, or Rockford's cop buddy).

Mods might want to check some of the glass listings.