Bring forth the bitter
Double IPA
Though India
pale ales (IPAs) are still enjoying a multi-year residency atop the craft beer
throne — placement unlikely to be usurped anytime soon — they weren’t always
the darlings of the beer drinker’s portfolio. Originally developed by English
brewers in the 18th century, IPAs didn’t catch on until the 1840s, when the
British Raj was all the rage, and some marketing genius decided to start slapping
the words “India pale ale” on their hoppy beers.
Jump forward another century, to 1975 to be exact, and we
find San Francisco ’s
Anchor Brewing launching Liberty Ale. Though loaded with Cascade hops — an
American-IPA staple — Liberty Ale bears little resemblance to the IPAs you’ll
find today.
Enter the Double IPA (aka DIPA, IIPA and Imperial IPA),
ostensibly created by Vinnie Cilurzo in 1994 by accident when Cilurzo leaned on
bitterness to mask any off flavors. Like penicillin and the Reese’s Peanut Butter
Cup, the accident gave way to discovery, and a bigger, bolder, bitterer style
of IPA was born. In 2003, the Great American Beer Festival officially added the
category to their competition.
Typically high in alcohol (7.75-10 percent ABV), the hallmark
of the DIPA is full-bodied, hoppy flavor and a good deal of perceivable
bitterness. The benchmark still belongs to Cilurzo, with his Pliny the Elder
from Russian River Brewing Company. It’s hoppy, it’s bitter, and it’s
unbelievably balanced. And though most writings and descriptions of DIPA tend
to focus on hops and bitterness, it’s the malt balance that makes or breaks the
beer. Not enough, and the beer becomes an astringent bitter bomb; too much, and
you end up with treacle reminiscent of cough syrup.
Take Gravity Brewing’s Acceleration: deep gold in the glass,
practically copper, with strong lacing, a soft nose and an open and inviting
flavor. If served too cold, the brew holds back its secrets. Allow it to warm,
and you’ll find a perfect balance of sweet and lively, malty and hoppy.
Heading over to the Front Range Brewing Company in Lafayette , their DIPA,
Hogback, features 100 International Bittering Units. That might put some off,
but Hogback has a surprisingly smooth mouthfeel and fruit-forward characteristics
that make it an ideal beer for the warming months.
Both Acceleration and Hogback lean on bitterness for
stylistic expression, but that isn’t the only way to approach DIPA. Ska
Brewing’s BHC DIPA is big and juicy; Outer Range Brewing Co.’s Two Pound Tent —
with its bright orange citrus and creamy mouthfeel — might be one of the best
hazy DIPAs in the state; and Rails End takes their already grapefruit and
tangerine-y DIPA and infuses it with blood oranges to make a Blood Orange
Double IPA — an ideal beer for brunch, and an even better beer to encourage the
mid-morning nap.
Few beers are as versatile as the IPA, and when you expand
the canvas to the double, there are many discoveries to be found. Sure, they’ll
bite, but you might like it.
by Michael J. Casey
Original Article
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