Double IPA versus Imperial IPA

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
B

Berock

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 18, 2009
Messages
140
Reaction score
1
Location
Wichita
I've heard several people recently discuss Imperial and Double IPA's as separate beers. Is this true? I always assumed the double (IIPA) meant the first "I" was for Imperial. Is this true? Or are they different styles? If so, what is different?
 
Its the same thing.

Whether IIPA means Imperial IPA or it means literally double IPA as in (double I)+PA since IIPA has two I's. I like the latter, though many abbreviate double IPA as DIPA, also valid.
 
joex444 said:
... or it means literally double IPA as in (double I)+PA since IIPA has two I's. I like the latter, though many abbreviate double IPA as DIPA, also valid.
Click to expand...

No, the "double" doesn't mean two "I's". The "dubbel" has been used since Belgian Westmalle began using it to indicate a stronger version of their ale.

In germany, "doppel" (double) is used to indicate the same stronger beer (i.e., doppelbock).

So, double simply means the same as imperial: a "stronger" version. Of course, the original "Imperials" were meant for the royalty of tsarist Russia, but that is another story.
 
Let me start by saying that I absolutely love the product that is put out by the brewery I'm about to speak of. In fact, my love of their product is actually the basis for this story. The product of topic is Northwest Brewery's Crazy ***** Double IPA, an amped-up version of their Hoppy ***** IPA. A year or so ago you could only acquire it within a very narrow window as they were running small, trial batches of it at the time. Since then, they've been keeping it on tap pretty consistently. The trial, apparently, was a success. Knowing this, just last night, I walked in there with an empty growler and a smile on may face and asked the person behind the counter if they "still have your imperial IPA on tap." Of course they did! It's some of the best hoppy beer in the hoppiest of beer regions in Beerdom!

"No."

Ummm, excuse me? She said "No, you can only get that at (such-and-such), and we only brew it for (such-and-such), but don't sell it here." Obviously, I'm paraphrasing, but the implication here was that, well, put simply -- I'm crazy. (...or buzzed, which is likely to have been the case.)

Desperately, I whipped my head around left and right for some indication that at least at one point they had supplied delicious pints of my beloved Crazy *****. There it was: a magnificent poster adorned in red and black. Crazy ***** Double IPA. There! There it was. Validation, at last.

"Or do you mean Crazy *****?" she inquired, sensing my desperation and thirst.

"Yes, yes that. My bad." NOT my bad! They're the same thing. Right? Imperial versus Double? That's how I happened upon this thread, see. I just HAD to know. You all have confirmed my suspicion, which is that they are in fact one and the same. UNLESS. That is, unless a particular brewery has chosen to brew one of the two for a third party, then brew one for themselves as well. AHA!!! Another case of "same thing only different.
 
They are the same thing. If anyone tries to debate this with you, they are dumb or trolling you.
 
As far as style is concerned they mean the same thing, but if a brewery makes a "Crazy ***** Double IPA" and also makes (enter name here) Imperial IPA then it makes sense that when you ask for the imperial they give you that one and when you ask for the double they give you that one.

I don't think she trolled you. She thought you were asking for their super special limited release seasonal IIPA.
 
I'm sure someone once tried to tell me a Double IPA was when a brewery takes their IPA recipe and just doubles the hops and malt bill :D
 
I've been told a double IPA is something like 7.5 to 8.5% and an imperial is something like 8.5+. (This is how a local brewery explained their classification to me. I'm sure it's not universal) I never worry too much about it either way, but if it's 10% I know I'll call it an imperial.
 
carton132 said:
I've been told a double IPA is something like 7.5 to 8.5% and an imperial is something like 8.5+. (This is how a local brewery explained their classification to me. I'm sure it's not universal) I never worry too much about it either way, but if it's 10% I know I'll call it an imperial.
Click to expand...

For reference:
BJCP Style guidelines = 14C. Imperial IPA
BA Style guidlines = Imperial or Double India Pale Ale
WBC Style guidelines = 88.Imperial India Pale Ale
GABF Style guidelines = 53.Imperial India Pale Ale

I for one agree with the statement that the style was originally coined as Imperial IPA or IIPA and the DIPA came from the ease of saying double I P A rather than I I P A.
 
carton132 said:
I've been told a double IPA is something like 7.5 to 8.5% and an imperial is something like 8.5+. (This is how a local brewery explained their classification to me. I'm sure it's not universal) I never worry too much about it either way, but if it's 10% I know I'll call it an imperial.
Click to expand...

In the 10% range a lot of breweries start calling it a "Triple IPA." It's all semantics. What one brewery calls a double, others call an imperial, and some others call a triple.
 
ktblunden said:
In the 10% range a lot of breweries start calling it a "Triple IPA." It's all semantics. What one brewery calls a double, others call an imperial, and some others call a triple.
Click to expand...

So can i get the Imperial Double India Pale Ale please???? no????
OK, what about the Double Imperial India Pale Ale????? no?????
ummmm.... the Imperial Imperial India Pale Ale... hold on, is that just the DIIPA... wait a minute am I ordeing a baby nappy now... What is wrong with the world:drunk:
 
ktblunden said:
In the 10% range a lot of breweries start calling it a "Triple IPA." It's all semantics. What one brewery calls a double, others call an imperial, and some others call a triple.
Click to expand...


Good point. I've seen a couple triples (Founders Devil Dancer is very nice), and I'm sure a quadruple IPA will be at my local beer store next summer. It'll be an arms race, like the way razor companies fight to fit the most blades into their disposables.
 
What about the random "Extra IPA"? I had assumed it was the same as well. Can someone confirm?
 
Of course it's not. Extra IPA is an intermediate between a regular IPA and an Imperial/Double. But really it's just Sierra Nevada marketing speak for their Torpedo.
 
The story sounds like Hale's Ales, which has multiple IPAs and IIPAs on tap at their beer bar.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew
 
mattd2 said:
So can i get the Imperial Double India Pale Ale please???? no????
OK, what about the Double Imperial India Pale Ale????? no?????
ummmm.... the Imperial Imperial India Pale Ale... hold on, is that just the DIIPA... wait a minute am I ordeing a baby nappy now... What is wrong with the world:drunk:
Click to expand...

Oh it gets better. Many of the so called "triple IPAs" actually conform to Amercian Barleywine guidelines better then IIPA guidelines.

Anyway, I'm off to brew my Double Imperial India Barleywine Pale Ale...

Edit: I see this has become a debate too. LOL..I'm OUT of here!
 

Similar threads

Clint Yeastwood
Beer Gas or CO2 for Imperial Stout?
Replies
29
Views
1K
camonick
camonick
P
Doubling batch size, losing hoppyness and ibus
Replies
22
Views
940
patty the pirate
P
K
single pitch for double batch?
Replies
0
Views
214
kennyconley0269
K
lnyswonger
A Purple Milkshake IPA Inspired by McDonald's Grimace
Replies
0
Views
378
lnyswonger
lnyswonger
duelerx
Imperial Yeast I10 Mangosteeni Yeast
Replies
8
Views
2K
PizzaPapa
P

Latest posts

Back
Top