Double IPA
An intensified IPA, stronger and more heavily hopped than the standard, kept dangerously drinkable by a dry finish.
About the Double IPA style
The double or imperial IPA scaled the American IPA up in both strength and hop load. It is usually credited to West Coast brewers around the turn of the millennium, with Russian River's Pliny the Elder becoming its defining example.
The trick of the style is to carry a high alcohol content and a heavy hop charge while staying drinkable. Brewers use simple sugar and a dry mash to keep the body lean so the beer finishes crisp rather than sweet and cloying.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: A large pale-malt base with just enough character malt for colour, and often simple sugar to lift strength while keeping the body dry.
Hop character: Very high hopping rates throughout the boil and in dry hop, layering citrus, pine and resin without harsh, lingering bitterness.
Yeast and fermentation: A clean, alcohol-tolerant American ale yeast that ferments the big gravity out to a dry finish.
A typical Double IPA runs 7.5 to 10% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 60 to 100 IBU and a colour of 6 to 14 SRM. It is traditionally served in a tulip or snifter. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Yeast and fermentation notes
Pitch a large, healthy dose of a clean and alcohol-tolerant American ale yeast, because the high gravity is stressful. Oxygenate the wort well before pitching, ferment in the high teens Celsius, and mash cool so the yeast can attenuate the big wort to the dry finish the style needs.
Serving in brief
Serve a double IPA a little warmer than a session beer, around 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, so the alcohol and hop aroma open up. Pour modest measures: the strength sneaks up. On a kegging setup it benefits from a short cold conditioning to round the alcohol before serving fresh.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Russian River Pliny the Elder, Bell's Hopslam and Ballast Point Dorado. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | United States |
| Strength (ABV) | 7.5 to 10% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 60 to 100 |
| Colour (SRM) | 6 to 14 |
| Traditional glass | Tulip or snifter |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Pick the yeast for a Double IPA
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines