Comparison
Double IPA vs Milkshake IPA
What is the difference between Double IPA and Milkshake IPA?
The short answer
The main difference is bitterness: Double IPA has far more of it than Milkshake IPA. Double IPA also leads on alcohol warmth, resin & pine and malt intensity.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable tropical fruit, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Double IPA | Milkshake IPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | IPA | IPA |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United States |
| Category status — One of these is a more settled category than the other, which is worth knowing before treating the comparison as exact. | Established | Commercial category |
| Strength | 7.5–10% ABV | 5.5–8% 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. | 60–100 IBU | 20–40 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Gold to amber — 5–12 SRM, 10–24 EBC | Pale gold to orange — 4–10 SRM, 8–20 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.065–1.085 | 1.060–1.080 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.018 | 1.016–1.026 |
| Serving temperature | 8–11°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Tulip glass, Teku glass, Snifter | Teku glass, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | Double IPA | Milkshake IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Bitterness | Very high | Trace |
| Alcohol warmth | Moderate–High | Not characteristic |
| Resin & pine | High | Not characteristic |
| Malt intensity | Low–Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Sweetness | Low | High |
| Dryness | Moderate–High | None–Trace |
| Stone fruit | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Body | Moderate | High |
| Hop aroma | Very high | High |
| Carbonation | Moderate | Low |
Which should you choose?
- You want more bitterness → Double IPA
- You want something more restrained — less bitterness and alcohol warmth → Milkshake IPA
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.