Double IPA

More of everything, on purpose

Double IPA, also called imperial IPA, scales up the American IPA template across the board: higher original gravity, more hop additions at every stage of the process, and a noticeably higher ABV, typically 7.5 to 10.5% against 6 to 7.5% for a standard IPA.

The style grew out of American craft brewers pushing the IPA format further once the base style had established itself, treating scale itself as the creative move rather than a new ingredient or technique.

Sensory profile

Expect intense hop aroma, pine, citrus, tropical fruit or dank resin depending on the hop blend, backed by enough malt sweetness to keep the beer from tasting thin against that much alcohol. Bitterness runs high, 60 to 120 IBU, though perceived bitterness does not always track the number directly, since higher malt sweetness can soften how sharp that bitterness actually feels.

The alcohol itself is usually noticeable as a light warmth on the finish rather than hidden, which is part of the style's character rather than a flaw to disguise. A double IPA that hides its strength completely has usually been built with a lot of sugar and very little malt character to show for it.

A grain bill that has to carry real weight

A simple base of pale malt, sometimes boosted with a portion of simple sugar to raise ABV without adding excessive body, gives the fermentable strength this style needs while keeping the finish from becoming syrupy. Getting this balance wrong, too much body, is the most common reason a double IPA drinks heavier and more tiring than it should.

Sugar additions of 5 to 10 percent of the fermentables are common precisely because they raise gravity and ABV without adding the body a purely malt based recipe would, keeping the finish drier than the starting gravity alone would suggest.

Hopping harder without losing balance

Multiple hop additions, bittering, flavour, whirlpool and heavy dry hopping, are standard, often using large total hop quantities per litre compared to a standard IPA. The skill in this style is layering hop character across the process so the beer reads as intensely hoppy rather than simply bitter, which a single large late addition will not achieve on its own.

Some breweries also make a hazy double IPA, borrowing New England technique at this higher strength, which changes the mouthfeel considerably while keeping the elevated ABV that defines the category.

Fermentation care at higher gravity

Similar to imperial stout, the higher starting gravity here stresses yeast more than a standard ale would, so a larger pitch, good aeration and sometimes a slightly longer fermentation are needed to avoid hot, solventy alcohol notes creeping into a beer that is meant to taste clean and hop forward rather than boozy.

A stressed fermentation at this gravity tends to show up first as a harsh, peppery heat on the finish, well before the beer is technically finished fermenting, which is worth watching for as an early warning sign.

The balance problem this style is really about

A double IPA that just tastes strong and bitter has missed the point. The better examples still drink with the freshness and drinkability of a standard IPA, just scaled up, and achieving that takes more attention to yeast health and hop timing than simply doubling every ingredient in a smaller recipe.

This is why double IPA is generally considered a style to attempt once a brewer already has a solid, repeatable standard IPA recipe, rather than a first project on its own.

Serving and storage

Like other hop forward styles, freshness matters enormously, and the higher alcohol content here does not meaningfully slow hop aroma decay the way it slows other kinds of spoilage. Store it cold and drink it within a few weeks of packaging for the best experience. If the intensity here is more than you are after, our session IPA guide sits at the opposite end of the same hop-forward family.

A snifter or tulip glass, rather than a straight pint glass, helps concentrate the aroma on a beer this intense, and a smaller pour suits the strength better than a full session-sized glass, both in flavour terms and because of the ABV involved.

Common questions

How is double IPA different from a regular IPA?

It has a higher starting gravity, more hop additions across the brewing process, and noticeably higher alcohol, typically 7.5 to 10.5% ABV against 6 to 7.5% for a standard IPA.

Does double IPA taste sweet because of the higher alcohol?

It should not taste sweet. A well made example balances the extra malt gravity with enough bitterness and hop character that it still finishes relatively dry.

Why do some double IPAs taste boozy or hot?

Usually a fermentation problem: insufficient yeast pitch or poor temperature control at the higher starting gravity, producing fusel alcohols that read as harsh heat rather than clean strength.

Should double IPA be aged like an imperial stout?

No. Unlike imperial stout, double IPA depends on fresh hop aroma, which fades over weeks to months. Drink it young rather than laying it down.