Beer is a popular drink worldwide. The term IPA may sound unfamiliar to teetotalers, but those beer lovers can easily understand the difference.IPA is a type of solvent commonly used in the bear manufacturing process. Beer brewed on the Western coast of the USA is known as the West Coast IPA, while those processed on the East coast are called East coast IPA. The battle between Western coast IPA and Eastern coast IPA has come a long way. However, a brewery has nothing to do with the origin of the beer. The history of the IPA determines the difference in the brewing process and flavour.
Difference in Flavour
Every beer variety differs in flavour. This difference mainly arises from the ingredients using which they are made. The four ingredients most commonly used are:
- Water
- Malt
- Yeast
- Hops
In both IPA types, ale yeast strains are the common fermenting agent used in warmer temperatures. The bitterness agent hops are also the same with both types of IPA.
However, one difference with the hops is that with the Western style, it is added at the time of boiling, which leads to the amount of bitterness. While with the Easter style, they are added at any time of the processing of the beer, much like the English style IPA. It creates a lot of disparity in terms of flavour.
Hazy IPA
The famous New England style hazy IPA comes to the scene here, with the Eastern coast style as a significant contributor. These hops are added during the later stage of processing to enhance the flavour of hops without adding bitterness to the taste.
Origin of West Coast Style IPA
It was created in the year 1965, and it immediately became a sensation in the beer industry. It became prevalent in the early 2000s. After that, the focus shifted towards the East coast style or the New England style and hazy IPA because of the introduction of the soft bitter, fruity hops that make the drink more enjoyable in the mouth.
Western Style IPA Emphasises Bitterness
The West coast IPA focuses on bitterness, while the Eastern coast IPA focuses on balancing bitterness and malty sweetness. The first one believes in dry hopping, and the East IPA is a combination of sweetness and bitterness because of its distinct hops character. However, this hazy IPA is different from the East-style IPA hops. They are different.
Beginners Prefer East Coast IPA
Those newly introduced to the beer world may find starting with the Eastern coast IPA, the New England style, more accessible. They can later graduate to the Western coast. Often it is seen that people always end up craving the Western-style IPA with solid bitterness.
West Coast Style IPA Is Refreshing
Bitterness leaves a very refreshing feeling, boosting your energy and taking you to a wild state. The brewing style of both types of beer is due to the geographical difference and nothing else. The Western-style IPA shares geographical proximity with the hop farms in the United States.
The Western coast IPA likes to experiment with bitterness. However, in the Pacific NorthWest states in the US, like Washington and Oregon, there is an exception to this taste. It is more of a combination of both East coast and West coast styles. They create a very aromatic and intense flavour, a favourite of most beer drinkers.
What Is a Double West Coast Style IPA?
You might encounter the term double IPA with Western-style coast IPA. It means double the amount of bitterness and hoppiness associated with it. Also, they have double the amount of alcohol compared to the typical Western coast IPA. They are measured based on bitterness compounds, IBU, or international bitterness units, higher with the double West coast style IPA.
Some West coast IPAs contain citrus and other tropical flavours like grapefruit, pineapple, etc. The fruity flavours and aromas of West coast IPAs are not as strong as the East coast IPAs. The West coast IPAs are filtered fine-quality beer.
Conclusion
At first, you may not find it easy to digest the bitterness of West coast IPA, but slowly you will become accustomed to it. Though they are bitter, they are delicious. Some beer lovers now indulge more in the Eastern coast IPA than the West coast IPA. It is unfair to compare them. Some people lean towards a juicer, sweeter flavour than a bitter flavour. Beer is a personal taste, a type of enjoyment. While some people like a sweeter flavour, some favour a bitter taste while drinking beer. So, the best bait here is to keep stock of both types of IPA to fulfil your taste buds.
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