Comparison
English IPA vs American IPA
What is the difference between English and American IPA?
The short answer
The hops, and everything that follows from them. English IPA uses earthy, floral, honeyed English varieties over a biscuity malt base with a mineral, dry finish. American IPA uses high-oil American varieties for citrus, tropical fruit and pine, over a deliberately lean malt bill so nothing competes with the aroma.
The popular story that IPA was invented to survive the voyage to India does not survive contact with the record — heavily hopped keeping beers predate the India trade, and the name appears in print only decades after it began.
Where they overlap
They share comparable bitterness, sweetness, body, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| English IPA | American IPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | IPA | IPA |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | United States |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 5–7.5% ABV | 5.5–7.5% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 40–60 IBU | 40–70 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Gold to deep copper — 6–14 SRM, 12–28 EBC | Gold to light amber — 6–14 SRM, 12–28 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.050–1.075 | 1.056–1.070 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.018 | 1.008–1.014 |
| Serving temperature | 9–12°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Tulip glass | Tulip glass, Teku glass, Nonic pint |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | English IPA | American IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Citrus | Not characteristic | High |
| Tropical fruit | Not characteristic | Moderate–High |
| Resin & pine | Not characteristic | Moderate–High |
| Herbal | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Stone fruit | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Hop aroma | Moderate | High–Very high |
| Malt intensity | Moderate | Low |
| Carbonation | Low | Moderate |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Trace |
| Berry | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
Which should you choose?
- You want malt still in the conversation, with restrained earthy hops → English IPA
- You want the hop aroma to arrive before the glass does → American IPA
An editor’s judgement about who each suits.