🗺️Styles
IPA Style Comparison Table
This note places every major IPA style side by side. Numbers are typical commercial ranges drawn from BJCP and Style Guidelines and contemporary brewing practice — individual beers routinely stray outside them.
How to use these ranges
ABV is alcohol by volume; IBU is International Bitterness Units; SRM measures color (low = pale, high = dark). "Haze" and "mouthfeel" are sensory judgments, not lab values.
#Master Comparison
| Style | ABV % | IBU | SRM (color) | Haze | Key Hops | Malt Character | Mouthfeel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English IPA | 5.0–7.5 | 40–60 | 8–14 amber-gold | Clear | English (EKG, Fuggle) | Biscuity, toasty | Medium, balanced |
| American IPA | 5.5–7.5 | 40–70 | 6–14 gold-amber | Clear–light | Cascade, Centennial, Citra | Light, supportive | Medium, dryish |
| West Coast IPA | 6.0–7.5 | 60–100 | 5–10 pale gold | Brilliant | Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade | Very lean, dry | Light, crisp, bitter |
| New England IPA | 6.0–7.5 | 25–60 (low perceived) | 4–8 pale | Heavy, opaque | Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy | Soft, oat/wheat | Pillowy, full |
| Double IPA | 8.0–10.0 | 60–120 | 6–14 | Varies | High-oil American | Modest but present | Medium-full, warming |
| Triple IPA | 10.0–13.0+ | 70–120+ | 6–14 | Varies | Heavy late/dry hop | Restrained, sweet edge | Full, hot, viscous |
| Session IPA | 3.0–5.0 | 30–55 | 3–8 pale | Varies | Aroma-forward American | Minimal | Light, thin-crisp |
| Black IPA | 5.5–9.0 | 50–90 | 25–40 dark | Clear | Citrus-pine American | Dehusked dark malt | Medium, smooth |
| White IPA | 5.5–7.0 | 40–70 | 4–7 pale | Hazy | Citrus American | Wheat, coriander/orange | Light, spritzy |
| Belgian IPA | 6.2–9.5 | 50–100 | 5–14 | Varies | American or noble | Light | Effervescent, dry |
| Rye IPA | 5.5–8.0 | 50–90 | 7–14 | Clear–light | American | Rye spice, dry grain | Medium, slick |
| Red IPA | 6.0–8.5 | 50–90 | 11–19 amber-red | Clear | Citrus-pine American | Caramel, crystal | Medium-full |
| Brut IPA | 6.0–7.5 | 20–35 | 2–5 very pale | Clear–light | Aroma-forward | None perceptible | Bone-dry, effervescent |
| Milkshake IPA | 6.0–8.0 | 20–50 | 4–10 | Heavy, opaque | Tropical American | Lactose sweetness | Thick, creamy |
| Cold IPA | 6.0–7.5 | 55–80 | 3–6 pale | Brilliant | Simcoe, Citra | Lean, corn/rice adjunct | Crisp, snappy |
| Brett IPA | 5.5–8.0 | 40–70 | 5–12 | Varies | American | Light | Dry, sometimes spritzy |
| Sour IPA | 5.0–7.5 | 10–40 | 4–9 | Often hazy | Tropical American | Light | Tart, crisp |
| India Pale Lager | 5.5–7.5 | 50–80 | 4–9 pale | Clear | American | Clean, lean | Crisp, lager-smooth |
#Reading the Patterns
What the table reveals
- Bitterness is diverging. Once an IPA's defining trait, IBU now ranges from ~10 (Sour IPA) to 120+ (Triple IPA).
- Haze is a style axis of its own. Compare the brilliant West Coast IPA with the opaque New England IPA — see Hop Haze and Colloidal Stability.
- Strength spans a triple range, from 3% sessionable to 13% extreme.
#Continue Reading
- IPA Styles — the navigational hub
- BJCP and Style Guidelines — official vital-stats ranges
- IBU and Perceived Bitterness — why measured IBU misleads
- Style Index — alphabetical reference