Franconian Beer Message Board

BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste)
Posted by Nick B. on 2016-09-29 01:22:08
 I suppose that it could be argued that you could produce a fairly long list of styles for British beers (maybe someone has done this?).

But of course. Behold:

11 BRITISH BITTER
11 A Ordinary Bitter
11 B Best Bitter
11 C Strong Bitter

12 PALE COMMONWEALTH BEER
12 A British Golden Ale  
12 B Australian Sparkling Ale  
12 C English IPA

13 BROWN BRITISH BEER
13 A Dark Mild
13 B British Brown Ale
13 C English Porter

14 SCOTTISH ALE
14 A Scottish Light
14 B Scottish Heavy
14 C Scottish Export

15 IRISH BEER
15 A Irish Red Ale
15 B Irish Stout
15 C Irish Extra Stout

16 DARK BRITISH BEER
16 A Sweet Stout
16 B Oatmeal Stout
16 C Tropical Stout
16 D Foreign Extra Stout

17 STRONG BRITISH ALE
17 A British Strong Ale
17 B Old Ale
17 C Wee Heavy  
17 D English Barleywine

And get this, a second IPA section:

21 IPA
21 A American IPA
21 B Specialty IPA
   Specialty IPA: Belgian IPA
   Specialty IPA: Black IPA
   Specialty IPA: Brown IPA
   Specialty IPA: Red IPA
   Specialty IPA: Rye IPA  
   Specialty IPA: White IPA 

Here's their section on English IPA, since you're probably wondering what they say about that (no further comment from me other than, isn't Jaipur fairly "American" to be included here?):

Overall Impression: A hoppy, moderately-strong, very well-
attenuated pale British ale with a dry finish and a hoppy aroma
and flavor. Classic British ingredients provide the best flavor
profile.

Aroma: A moderate to moderately-high hop aroma of floral,
spicy-peppery or citrus-orange in nature is typical. A slightly
grassy dry-hop aroma is acceptable, but not required. A
moderately-low caramel-like or toasty malt presence is
optional. Low to moderate fruitiness is acceptable. Some
versions may have a sulfury note, although this character is not
mandatory.

Appearance: Color ranges from golden to deep amber, but
most are fairly pale. Should be clear, although unfiltered dry-
hopped versions may be a bit hazy. Moderate-sized, persistent
head stand with off-white color.

Flavor: Hop flavor is medium to high, with a moderate to
assertive hop bitterness. The hop flavor should be similar to the
aroma (floral, spicy-peppery, citrus-orange, and/or slightly
grassy). Malt flavor should be medium-low to medium, and be
somewhat bready, optionally with light to medium-light
biscuit-like, toasty, toffee-like and/or caramelly aspects.
Medium-low to medium fruitiness. Finish is medium-dry to
very dry, and the bitterness may linger into the aftertaste but
should not be harsh. The balance is toward the hops, but the
malt should still be noticeable in support. If high sulfate water
is used, a distinctively minerally, dry finish, some sulfur flavor,
and a lingering bitterness are usually present. Some clean
alcohol flavor can be noted in stronger versions. Oak is
inappropriate in this style.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium-light to medium-bodied
mouthfeel without hop-derived astringency, although
moderate to medium-high carbonation can combine to render
an overall dry sensation despite a supportive malt presence. A
low, smooth alcohol warming can and should be sensed in
stronger (but not all) versions.

Comments: The attributes of IPA that were important to its
arrival in good condition in India were that it was very well
attenuated, and heavily hopped. Simply because this is how
IPA was shipped, doesn’t mean that other beers such as Porter
weren’t also sent to India, that IPA was invented to be sent to
India, that IPA was more heavily hopped than other keeping
beers, or that the alcohol level was unusual for the time. Many
modern examples labeled IPA are quite weak in strength.
According to CAMRA, “so-called IPAs with strengths of around
3.5% are not true to style.” English beer historian Martyn
Cornell has commented that beers like this are “not really
distinguishable from an ordinary bitter.” So we choose to agree
with these sources for our guidelines rather than what some
modern British breweries are calling an IPA; just be aware of
these two main types of IPAs in the British market today.

History: Accounts of its origins vary, but most agree that what
became later known as IPA was pale ale prepared for shipment
to India in the late 1700s and early 1800s. George Hodgson of
the Bow Brewery became well-known as an exporter of IPA
during the early 1800s, and is the first name frequently
mentioned with its popularity. As with all English beers with a
long history, the popularity and formulation of the product
changed over time. Burton breweries with their high-sulfate
water were able to successfully brew IPA and began their
domination of this market by the 1830s, around the time the
name India Pale Ale was first used. Strength and popularity
declined over time, and the style virtually disappeared in the
second half of the 20th century. The name was often used to
describe pale ales and bitters, not anything special (a trend that
continues in some modern British examples). The style
underwent a craft beer rediscovery in the 1980s, and is what is
described in these guidelines. Modern examples are inspired by
classic versions, but shouldn’t be assumed to have an unbroken
lineage with the exact same profile. White Shield is probably
the example with the longest lineage, tracing to the strong
Burton IPAs of old and first brewed in 1829.

Characteristic Ingredients: Pale ale malt. English hops are
traditional, particularly as finishing hops. Attenuative British
ale yeast. Refined sugar may be used in some versions. Some
versions may show a sulfate character from Burton-type water,
but this is not essential to the style.

Style Comparison: Generally will have more finish hops and
less fruitiness and/or caramel than British pale ales and bitters.
Has less hop intensity and a more pronounced malt flavor than
typical American versions.

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.050 – 1.075
IBUs: 40 – 60 FG: 1.010 – 1.018
SRM: 6 – 14 ABV: 5.0 – 7.5%

Commercial Examples: Freeminer Trafalgar IPA, Fuller's
Bengal Lancer IPA, Meantime India Pale Ale, Ridgeway IPA,
Summit True Brit IPA, Thornbridge Jaipur, Worthington
White Shield
 
Followups:
                 BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Barry on  2016-09-29 04:21:35
                   BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Nick B. on  2016-09-29 05:57:22
                 BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Barry on  2016-09-29 06:14:07
                     BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Barry on  2016-09-29 06:14:57
                 BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Andy H on  2016-09-29 12:47:12
                   CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Nick B. on  2016-09-30 00:46:17
                     CAMRA on Styles by Nick B. on  2016-09-30 00:51:36
                   BJCP on British Beer & IPA (long copy & paste) by Barry on  2016-09-30 04:54:52
                     CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Barry on  2016-09-30 04:55:38
                       CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Nick B. on  2016-10-01 01:31:14
                         CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Nick B. on  2016-10-01 01:33:17
                           CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Barry on  2016-10-01 06:09:25
                             CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Gunnar H on  2016-10-01 08:36:32
                               CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Nick B. on  2016-10-01 09:06:30
                               CAMRA on Porter & Stout by Barry on  2016-10-01 09:28:27