When it comes to West Coast IPAs, there are a variety of different hops that are typically used. The most common hops used in West Coast IPAs are Cascade, Columbus, Centennial, Amarillo, Northern Brewer, Magnum, Simcoe, and Chinook.
These hops have become a staple of the West Coast IPA style and provide a signature balance of floral and citrus aromas and flavors. Cascade hops are known for their characteristic floral, fruity, and spicy aroma, including prominent notes of grapefruit and citrus.
Columbus hops are known for their intense aroma and flavor, primarily of spicy and dank hops, plus a slight citrus character. Centennial hops provide a balanced bittering character with a pleasant floral aroma, and are often used for dry hopping.
Amarillo hops are known for their strong citrus and floral aroma, with notes of orange and grapefruit. Northern Brewer hops offer unique aromas and flavors, such as pine and herbal. Magnum hops are known for their powerfully, intense bitterness and slight floral aroma.
Simcoe hops provide an intense aroma and flavor with notes of lemon, pine and grapefruit, while Chinook hops offer an intense bittering element and aroma, including herbal and citrus aromas. All of these hops blend together to create the complex and bold hop profile of a West Coast IPA.
What’s the difference between West Coast or East Coast IPAs?
The simplest answer is that West Coast IPAs are more bitter, while East Coast IPAs are sweeter. But there are more nuanced differences between the two styles.
West Coast IPAs tend to be more aggressively hopped, with a strong bitterness that lingers on the palate. East Coast IPAs, on the other hand, are typically brewed with less hops, which results in a less bitter beer.
There is also a greater variety of hops used in East Coast IPAs, which can give the beer a more complex flavor.
Another difference between the two styles is the alcohol content. West Coast IPAs are typically higher in alcohol, while East Coast IPAs are lower in alcohol. This is due in part to the fact that West Coast IPAs use more malt, which results in a higher alcohol content.
So, in summary, the main differences between West Coast and East Coast IPAs are the bitterness, hops, and alcohol content.
What makes a beer a West Coast?
The term “West Coast” when used to describe beer is used to describe beers that have predominant hop character, usually from North American varieties like Centennial and Cascade. These types of beers usually have a strong hop aroma and flavor, as well as a medium to high bitterness level.
Most common examples of a West Coast-style beer are IPAs, pale ales, and imperial IPAs, but there are other styles that are considered to have West Coast characteristics. For instance, some West Coast barleywines will have an intense hop character, or India brown ales that have a blend of hop and malt character.
West Coast beers are also known for having a clean, crisp finish due to the dry hopping technique used, which imparts a unique hop aroma and flavor. Other factors that contribute to the West Coast-style are a pleasant light malt backboner and moderate ABV (alcohol by volume).
In general, West Coast beers focus on the hop character above all else, and tend to lack the malt character that beers from other regions have.
Is Hazy IPA East Coast or West Coast?
The debate over which coast primarily originated the hazy IPA beer style is ongoing. Some say the style started on the West Coast while others claim the East Coast is responsible. The West Coast is widely considered to be the home of the IPA, with pioneering breweries like Sierra Nevada and Russian River Brewing Co.
releasing popular versions of the style. It’s true that the hazy IPA didn’t gain widespread popularity until fairly recently, but some West Coast breweries were already brewing hazy IPAs in the early 2000s.
On the other hand, the East Coast also has a strong hops-forward beer tradition, dating back to breweries like Ballantine Brewery and Catamount Brewery in the 1800s. In the past few years, a number of East Coast breweries have become known for their hazy IPAs, including The Alchemist, Tree House Brewing Co.
, and Trillium Brewing Company. So, while the origins of the hazy IPA are still up for debate, it’s clear that both the East and West Coasts have played a role in shaping this popular beer style.
Is hazy IPAs same as New England IPAs?
No, hazy IPAs and New England IPAs are not the same. Hazy IPAs, also known as Juicy or Hazy IPAs, have a full body as a result of increased levels of wheat, oats, and other adjuncts into the mash. This gives the beer a soft, smooth mouthfeel and creates a hazy appearance.
New England IPAs, also known as NEIPAs, tend to be lighter in body and appear more clear than hazy IPAs. They are brewed with a higher amount of hops than hazy IPAs, which leads to a juicy, fruity flavor profile.
Other differences include a higher ABV for hazy IPAs and more hop bitterness for New England IPAs.
Are all East Coast IPAs hazy?
No, not all East Coast IPAs are hazy. The hazy, or New England-style, IPA is a style that has emerged out of the Northeast region of the United States, and while popular in the area, it is not a style that has completely taken over the East Coast IPAs.
Typically, an East Coast IPA is defined as having a firm hop bitterness, and an overall hop aroma and flavor of citrus, pine, and/or resin. This hop presence can give it a perceived haze, but it is usually less cloudy than the New England-style IPAs.
Outside of the hop character, East Coast IPAs are typically noted for having a relatively clean or crisp malt presence, and may often lean towards the higher end of ABV. A West Coast IPA, on the other hand, typically has a more pronounced malt presence (caramel, toast, or biscuit) and a more assertive hop character, often featuring pine, earth, and/or tropical fruit.
Where did West Coast IPA come from?
West Coast IPA is a style of India Pale Ale (IPA) that originated in the United States, along the West Coast, in the 1990s. West Coast IPAs are known for their intense hop flavors, slightly drier body, and bitter character.
They are usually light to medium-bodied with a pale yellow to golden color and have a moderate to high ABV. They often contain a blend of American hops, which provide a citrusy and piney flavor. They also commonly use a variety of malts, such as two-row pale malt, Pilsner malt, and Munich malt.
West Coast IPAs became popularized in the craft beer industry in the mid- to late-1990s, as brewers started to experiment with hops and malt combinations. Deschutes Brewery in Oregon is widely credited as being the first craft brewer to make an IPA using the West Coast style.
The name “West Coast IPA” has been widely adopted to describe this classic hop-forward style of beer.
Today, West Coast IPAs are widely available throughout the United States and the world. The style has evolved over the years, but its distinct hop flavor, bitter character, and moderately high ABV have remained constant.
West Coast IPAs have become a craft beer mainstay and have spawned a variety of related styles, such as pale ales, session IPAs, and imperial IPAs.
Does an IPA have to be dry hopped?
No, an IPA does not have to be dry-hopped. Generally, IPAs are brewed with a lot of hops, usually in the form of late-addition hops and dry hopping, which is why most IPAs have a strong hop aroma and flavor.
Dry hopping is just an additional step of adding even more hops to the beer, usually at the end of the fermentation process, that can contribute even more hop character to the beer. While this is a common thing for IPAs, it is not mandatory, and brewers can still produce a very high-quality IPA without dry hopping if they wish.
What does IPA mean in beer?
IPA stands for India Pale Ale. It is a type of beer that was originally brewed in England in the 19th century. At that time, English brewers were exporting beer to India, which presented a challenge due to its long travel distance.
To tackle this, brewers added extra hops and a higher ABV (alcohol by volume) to their beer, creating an intense and robust beer that we now know today as IPA. It is characterized by a strong hop aroma and a bold, hoppy flavour that is often accompanied by citrus, tropical, or herbal notes.
Generally, IPAs are more bitter than other types of beers, but there are now variations that feature less bitterness and more focus on hop aroma. IPA has become one of the most popular beer styles around the world, and remains an undisputed favourite amongst craft beer drinkers.
What is a Hazy IPA vs IPA?
A Hazy IPA, sometimes referred to as a New England IPA, is a style of IPA that is light in color and has a wonderful, incredibly juicy hop character. This hop character can come from a variety of newer hop varieties including mosaic, simcoe, citra, and mosaic just to name a few.
Hazy IPAs don’t have the bitter bite or hop resins found in traditional India Pale Ale’s which makes them different in flavor and texture. The lack of bitterness also allows for more of the juicy hop flavor to become prominent.
On top of the flavor, Hazy IPAs also generally have a lower perceived IBU level.
Hazy IPAs are typically brewed with oats and wheat. These adjuncts in combination with the new hop varieties provide the Hazy IPA its signature hazy and juicy characteristics. The haze can come from a variety of proteins and yeast that create a suspended cloud-like appearance in the beer.
The haze of the beer adds to the mouthfeel as it adds a silky level of creaminess not seen in traditional IPAs.
In comparison, traditional IPAs are characterized by a bitter hop flavor, a bright straw color, and range from 58-70 on the International Bitterness Unit scale. Salty, spicy, and herbal notes can be present in traditional IPAs due to the hop variety used during brewing.
Aromas of grapefruit, pine and citrus are also common. Traditional IPAs have a medium to full body with medium to high levels of carbonation.
Overall, the biggest difference between a Hazy IPA and a traditional IPA is that Hazy IPAs have a much lower bitterness and higher level of hop character. They also have a unique mouthfeel and cloudy haze from the added oats and wheat as well as a variety of proteins and yeast that impart their own flavors.
