Best English IPAs
The English IPA is the style's ancestor, and a living style in its own right. Where American IPAs shout, the English IPA converses: earthy, floral hops, a real biscuit-and-toffee malt presence, and a bitterness that supports rather than dominates. The picks below honor that restraint.
Do not measure these against a West Coast IPA. They aim for balance, not intensity. Per How These Were Selected, each is judged against what the English style sets out to do.
#The picks
| Beer | Brewery | Location | ABV | Why it's notable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaipur | Thornbridge | Bakewell, England | ~5.9% | Modern classic; bridges English balance and American aroma |
| Worthington's White Shield | Molson Coors (Burton) | Burton-on-Trent, England | ~5.6% | Direct descendant of Victorian Burton pale ale |
| Meantime India Pale Ale | Meantime | London, England | ~7.4% | A studied revival of the strong historical IPA |
| India Pale Ale | Fuller's | London, England | ~5.3% | Honeyed, marmalade-tinged traditional English IPA |
| Punk IPA | BrewDog | Ellon, Scotland | ~5.4% | The beer that brought modern hop-forward IPA to UK shelves |
| IPA | Greene King | Bury St Edmunds, England | ~3.6% | A true cask "ordinary bitter"-strength IPA; living history |
White Shield traces a continuous line back to the great pale ales of Burton-on-Trent. Greene King IPA, at 3.6%, shows how far the name drifted in Britain after the Decline of IPA in Britain: a low-strength bitter that kept the historic label.
#What links these beers
English IPAs are built on English ingredients and English water. Expect Noble and English Hops (Fuggle, East Kent Goldings, Challenger) giving earthy, floral, marmalade notes; richer crystal malt character; and the famously sulfate-rich Burton water that gives a crisp, dry "Burton snatch." Their lineage runs through Hodgson and the East India Trade and IPA in the British Empire.
Many English IPAs are at their best as cask ale: gently carbonated and cellar-cool. See Draft vs Can vs Bottle and Regional Drinking Cultures.
#Honorable mentions
Marston's Old Empire, Wye Valley HPA, and various Burton-brewed pale ales keep the tradition alive. Modern UK breweries increasingly blur the line with American IPA hopping; see Modern IPA Diversification.
#Continue Reading
- English IPA: the full style profile
- Burton-on-Trent and Burton Pale Ale: the historic home
- History of IPAs: where it all began
- Best IPAs by Region - Europe: the wider European picture