There are more than 115 varieties of hops commercially available today, with new hybrid strains being introduced every year, and each imparts its own distinctive flavor profile. Brewers from all parts of the country now brew ales of each style, making these terms somewhat of an anachronism, but knowing this distinction helps accurately describe what you’re drinking. The West Coast style tends to favor more floral, piney hops with less malt and a higher overall bitterness, while IPAs in the East Coast style place a larger emphasis on the underlying malt base and tend to use juicy, fruity hops. Know your hopsĪpart from IBU, the single most important factor in determining characteristics of both Single and Double IPAs is the type of hop(s) used. Single IPAs at a lower IBU can taste significantly more bitter than even 100+ IBU DIPAs. The resulting hoppy bitterness found in most Single IPAs is rather polarizing and turns some drinkers away from IPAs in general, not realizing that they might actually love a well-crafted DIPA. The difference between Single IPAs and Double IPAs is a perfect example: Single IPAs are generally brewed with very little malt, while Double IPAs typically exhibit a hearty malt backbone to counterbalance the increased hop intensity. Here’s a quick reference of some styles and their typical IBU range: StyleĪs you can see, hops play a pivotal role in all styles of beer, even those which don’t taste particularly bitter. For example, Stone’s Imperial Russian Stout weighs in at 55 IBUs, yet it tastes far less bitter than their Pale Ale (41 IBUs) due to the tremendous amount of malt present in the stout. A higher number doesn’t always indicate a greater perceived bitterness, however, since the amount of malted grain used to balance out this bitterness contributes equally to the overall flavor profile. The IBU system dates to 1968, when American and European brewers joined forces to define a scale running from 1 to 100, with the intensity of a beer’s bitterness content increasing as the numbers rise. The total amount of alpha acids assimilated into the liquid directly correlates to its final bitterness, which is measured on the International Bittering Unit (IBU) scale. Adding fresh hops during the fermentation stage, a process known as “dry hopping,” increases the hoppy intensity across the board and is quite popular today. This contributes a pungent, hoppy aroma to the brew. Aroma hops are deliberately added towards the end of the boil to ensure some of the flower’s oils remain intact. Bitterness is controlled by the boil time (a longer boil yields more bitterness) and the concentration of alpha acids in each selected hop. Boiling breaks down the hop’s alpha acids (which are directly responsible for imparting bitterness) and allows them to be absorbed into the beer. The result is called “wort,” and hops are added to it in two stages: flavoring hops first, and aroma hops at the end. All beer is brewed with hops of some sort, though the style and desired final flavor profile dictate the quantity and variety used.ĭuring the brewing process, the liquid solution of water and malted grain is brought to a boil. Although typically added as a flavoring agent today, hops also served as a preservative for many centuries.

The hops used in today’s beers are the female flowers of the Humulus lupulus species. But what exactly are hops, why are they used, and why do beer drinkers who generally dislike bitterness still owe them respect? The popularity of the IPA (India Pale Ale) style exploded in the late 2000s as brewers uncovered a nearly insatiable demand from self-proclaimed “hop heads” for more varieties and blends of hops. LOVE THEM or hate them, hoppy beers are all the rage these days.

Ithaca beer company enigmo hop scale