The following article gives a brief history of the origins of both the India Pale Ale (IPA) and the Double India Pale Ale (DIPA). DIPA history provides a nice complementary background for this website, which focuses primarily on “everything DIPA”. So, relax and enjoy the following read. (ref. wikipedia)
INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)
The story of India pale ale (IPA) is one of the most romantic in the history of beer. At the height of its empire, Britain had emigrants, sailors, and troops all around the world—with India being one of its most important outposts. All demanded beer, but India itself was too warm for brewing. To meet that need, London brewers who supplied ale learned through experience that the trip to India could be tough on perishable beers.
George Hodgson, a London brewer in the late 1700s, used his connections to the East India Co. to dominate the export market to the colony. Among other beers, Hodgson exported a strong pale ale. It was probably brewed with extra additions of hops and at higher alcohol levels, both of which act as preservatives. The long trip transformed the beer into a wonderful drink.
But Hodgson overreached, and that opened the door to the brewers of Burton-on-
Trent, in the English Midlands. The pale ale coming from the Trent valley tasted far better than London varieties, because its hard water produced a brighter ale—one with a pleasant and refreshing hop character.
Burton brewmeister Samuel Alsop succeeded in brewing one of exceptional quality. It displaced the London beers to become the preferred export to the English colonies. This came to be called India pale ale, or IPA.
Sailing across the Atlantic
Throughout the latter half of the 19th century, fashionable continental pale lagers chipped away at pale ale’s rightful place in English pubs. This phenomenon was even more pronounced abroad. Britain exported ales to the United States, following the original wave of immigrants. But, as in Europe, lagers took over, and ale production dwindled. Then Prohibition essentially eliminated ale brewing in the United States.
According to DIPA history, IPAs were about to enter their second life. As microbreweries cropped up in the 1970s, long-forgotten ale styles began to reappear. The use of American ingredients, especially hops, were a revelation to those who tasted these beers for the first time.
New Albion Brewing in Sonoma, CA, was one of the first to venture into this arena.
Though they lasted only a few years, they helped sow the seeds of the American craft brewing revolution.
San Francisco’s Anchor Brewery was rescued from closure in the 1960s. In 1975, it released what is now known as Liberty Ale, originally calling it “Our Special Ale.” An instant success, it was made with American ingredients and qualifies as the first modern American IPA.
Over the next decade or so, IPAs grew in popularity until they became the best-selling craft style. Nearly every brewery made one. After years of drinking bland lagers, it seemed that American beer lovers could not get enough hops. The enthusiasm for aromatic, strong IPAs rolled uncontrolled through the 1980s and into the ‘90s.
Over time, as palates acclimated, and brewers looked for something new, a natural progression happened. Brewers started demonstrating their skill with larger and larger beers, fortified with enormous doses of hops. There was little reason to hold back, as America had lost its brewing personality 50 years earlier and was essentially reinventing itself. There were no guidelines to follow and no traditionalists to answer to. The brewers themselves were making (and breaking) the rules, restrained only by the limits of their own imagination.
IPA was a natural target for that take-no-prisoners attitude. Soon enough, hops won
the battle for supremacy. The United States, primarily in the Pacific Northwest, grows a greater variety of hops than anywhere else. American hops run the gamut from soft and citrusy, to rough and resin and even fruity. In proper combination, they can brew an IPA with an unimaginable hop profile.
Eventually, the biggest of these new IPAs grew so strong and hoppy that there were questions about whether they were IPAs at all. And so, a new beer style was born: the double or imperial IPA. This brash new style symbolizes the rambunctious, independent nature of American microbrewers. It’s even spawned a movement of its own, with the “imperializing” of other styles becoming more common. As traditional as it is, the world of beer never stands still.
DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE (DIPA)
The forerunner to both the American IPA and its descendant the double IPA was the British pale ale. Starting in the 1780’s — and possible before — this beer was exported to India and other places.
Over time a new sort of beer emerged, one with higher hops and enough of a tie to the British India colonies to support the name India Pale Ale around 1835. This ancestor was America’s genesis spark that spawned a line of brewing creativity finding new expression even today.
One of those expressions has been the Double IPA. Also called DIPA, Imperial IPA
and IIPA, this beer style is a higher alcohol, hop-infused version of the American IPA.
DIPA history is short, stretching back only 22 years, but it was the first major innovation in America’s “great IPA experiment;” a trial which has gone on to methodically redefine how an IPA can be built.
According to DIPA history, the first double IPA seems to have been brewed by Vinnie Cilurzo back in June of 1994 for the now closed Blind Pig Brewery of Temecula, California. This was followed two years later buy Rogue releasing I2PA in 1996 and Stone followed two years later with their 2nd Anniversary IPA in 1998. It first appeared under its own classification at the Great American Beer Festival in 2003.
Today a brewery really isn’t considered hop-head worthy if it hasn’t at least brewed a special release Double IPA and many commercial breweries have an example of the flair seasonally, if not year-round.
Style Profile & Characteristics
The rules for the Double IPA beer style are set by the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Committee. The below details are a summary of what a Double IPA should represent.
The BJCP classifies the Double IPA beer style under category number 22, “Strong American Beer” and it can be found in the rules as sub-category (22A). Other beer styles under this category include: American Strong Ale (22B), American Barley wine (22C), and Wheat wine (22D).
Appearance
A pale beer ranging from straw gold to a more bronzy orange. Clarity will depend on whether, and to what extent, dry hopping was done. Many are very clear, others having gone through dry hopping and minimal, if any, filtration will be hazy. A white to off-white head will form with moderately good retention.
Aroma
Hop aromas typically have the qualities American and New World hops are known for; floral, citrus, stone fruit, pine/resin, tropical fruit, berry, and melon. These aromas can be quite intense. If the beer is dry hopped, which many are, further gassy/resin-like qualities can be prominent. Malt will be an afterthought but can come through as a slightly sweet character. Some may appear fruitier due to added fruit esters piggybacking on the hops, but generally the fermentation will minimize these esters. A slight alcohol nose is often identifiable but should remain low.
Mouthfeel
Medium to Med-high carbonation pushing a med-light to medium body. Consistency should be smooth with no harsh astringency coming from the hops. Some alcohol warming is okay but should remain minimal.
Flavor
Presents a strong and varied hop flavor with likely qualities being that of American and New World hops; i.e. floral, citrus, stone fruit, spicy, pine/resin, tropical fruit, berry, and melon. Hop bitterness can be extremely high. Malts, if noticeable, will be restrained and will be of a clean grainy character with possible signs of caramel or toasty flavors possible. Some fruitiness, like low to medium, is acceptable. Dry to medium dry finish with bitterness riding long into the finish, though not coming through as harsh even in the aftertaste. Some light clean alcohol flavors are acceptable but should not run hot. May also be slightly sulfur, though it’s not common. Oaky flavors do not have a place in this style.