NEIPA or Imperial IPA?

Help Discussion in 'BeerAdvocate Talk' started by defunksta, Apr 28, 2024.

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  1. defunksta

    defunksta Grand Pooh-Bah (4,164) Jan 18, 2019 Wisconsin
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    This has probably been discussed before, but there is a huge grey area between NEIPAs and Imperial IPAs. If a NEIPA is 8.0%+ is it a NEIPA or an Imperial IPA?
    I have seen so many double NEIPAs somewhere in that 7.8%-9.0% range listed on BeerAdvocate under either. The mixture confuses the style and rankings of these beers. For me, I would classify it as an imperial only if 9% or further. I wish there was standard cut-off so there was no confusion. I think there are a lot of fantastic NEIPAs currently listed under imperials that perhaps should not be, and visa versa. Let me know your thoughts and maybe we can come to a consensus.
     
    #1 defunksta, Apr 28, 2024
    Last edited: Apr 28, 2024
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  2. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    NEIIPA
    NEI²PA
     
    #2 Resistance88, Apr 28, 2024
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  3. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I’m not voting, but I think the answer lies in whether a beer’s “New England” character (hazy, relatively low bitterness, etc.) or its “imperial” character (higher ABV, malt bill, etc.) is more relevant to the overall character of the beer. So many gray areas and getting a consensus is going to be next to impossible. Another reason why dividing and subdividing what once was the “American IPA” into styles and substyles is such a slippery slope.
     
    #3 Orca, Apr 28, 2024
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  4. HorseheadsHophead

    HorseheadsHophead Grand Pooh-Bah (3,732) Sep 15, 2014 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    It can be both. I like the style classifications on this site for the most part so I can't complain too much, but NEIPA and IIPA are not mutually exclusive. The former refers to what kind of beer it is, and the latter is abv level.
     
    #4 HorseheadsHophead, Apr 28, 2024
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  5. cryptichead

    cryptichead Grand Pooh-Bah (4,857) Jul 3, 2014 Illinois
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    It should just be an Imperial NEIPA with an ABV over 7 or 8%
     
    #5 cryptichead, Apr 28, 2024
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  6. mactrail

    mactrail Grand High Pooh-Bah (8,999) Mar 24, 2009 Washington
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Purely from the BA technical point of view--- I understand that "some day" there will be a category for Imperial NEIPAs. In the meantime the high-alcohol hazies should be placed in the New England category. That will make it easier to pull the beers above a certain ABV out of general NEIPAs and into the new category.
     
    #6 mactrail, Apr 28, 2024
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  7. Todd

    Todd Founder (13,518) Aug 23, 1996 Finland
    STAFF Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah

    First, I removed the poll. It's not required as we already have an ABV threshold for "Imperial" styles, which is 7.0% or higher.

    For New England IPAs, we currently don't have an Imperial New England IPA category. All beers that are essentially NEIPAs should be tagged as such and regardless of the ABV.

    If/when we add Imperial NEIPA, we can easily move them over then as @mactrail pointed out.

    In the meantime, please submit a report if you run into a NEIPA that's in the Imperial IPA category.

    Thanks.
     
    #7 Todd, Apr 28, 2024
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