Oh I say .. More IPAs!

Following on from the last Wales Ales column where we looked at the history and various types of IPAs, we’re going to look at a few other varients of this style.  So how have you got on?  How many different styles of IPA have you ticked off?  We looked at Traditional to Black, Double and New England styles, but there’s still plenty more to try, how do you fancy something tropical, or maybe something from the West Coast, maybe even a milkshake or brut, read on we’ll explain what it all means:-      

Tropical IPA:  The flavours and inspiration for Tropical IPAs came from the new hop varieties of Australia and New Zealand like Galaxy, Motueka, Nelson Sauvin, Waimea, and Pacifica that take fruity to a new level with notes of grapefruit, mango, pineapple, and citrus.  Here at Wales Ales we wanted to create a fruity and sessionable IPA, something very summery, thirst quenching and not heavy going.  So we teamed up with our friends from Dog’s Window to produce a collaboration beer called ‘Good Boy‘.  Sharp grapefruit flavours shine through from the generous addition of American and New Zealand hops.  Whilst we can’t be guaranteed a sunny summer, a tropical IPA can give you a sunny feeling.

West Coast IPA: We’re not talking Pembrokeshire, rather the West Coast in America.  It was in the Pacific Northwest where craft’s flagship beer evolved when innovative home brewers used locally-grown hops to make beer. They also discovered that hops grown in the region (where most of US hops are grown) were especially suitable in an IPA.  West Coast IPAs are known for the huge hop aroma bursting with notes of citrus and tropical fruits. Their malt character is understated, and they finish dry to let the layered hop flavours and aromas take centre stage.  If you’re looking for a good Welsh take on this style then look no further than Cardiff based craft brewers Rival Brewing Co.  At least one half of Rival thinks it is the king of styles, and the perfect gateway beer for those curious about something other than mass produced beer.  Their take on this style is called Instant Replay, a 5.5% abv delicious hoppy West Coast style IPA, nicely balanced bitterness, very pale in colour but strong in flavour, slightly honeyed.

Milkshake IPA: Milkshakes have been in the news a lot lately, however you wouldn’t want to waste one of these on any politician!   One of the newer entries into the IPA family of beers is the Milkshake IPA, which is brewed with lactose, pectin, or oats for a full, chewy body. Fruit, vanilla, or other non-fermentable sugars tend to be the key flavouring ingredients, giving the beers a sweet profile. The first-ever version is attributed to Swedish brewery Omnipollo, but it has since been adapted by dozens of breweries, including our own Tiny Rebel with their Mango Milkshake IPA.  Tiny Rebel brewed this in collaboration with La Brassiere du Mont Saleve, and the best way to describe it would be ‘Mango Milkshake with a bucket load of hops.’

Brut IPA:  So we finish our round-up of IPA styles fittingly with literally the champagne of IPAs.  The brut IPA borrows its name from the wine world; in champagne, brut means very dry. So too with the brut IPA. The trend has only been in existence for about a year or so, so only a few British brewers have given this style a go. It’s pale, it’s bone dry, it’s highly effervescent. In short, it’s as close to champagne as an IPA can get.