Comparison
English IPA vs Milkshake IPA
What is the difference between English IPA and Milkshake IPA?
The short answer
The main difference is bitterness: English IPA has far more of it than Milkshake IPA. English IPA also leads on malt intensity and dryness; Milkshake IPA on tropical fruit.
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 carbonation, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| English IPA | Milkshake IPA | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | IPA | IPA |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | 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 | 5–7.5% 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. | 40–60 IBU | 20–40 IBU |
| Colour | Gold to deep copper — 6–14 SRM, 12–28 EBC | Pale gold to orange — 4–10 SRM, 8–20 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.050–1.075 | 1.060–1.080 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.018 | 1.016–1.026 |
| Serving temperature | 9–12°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Tulip glass | Teku glass, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | English IPA | Milkshake IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Bitterness | High | Trace |
| Malt intensity | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Dryness | High | None–Trace |
| Tropical fruit | Not characteristic | High |
| Sweetness | Low | High |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Low–Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Bread & biscuit | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Citrus | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Not characteristic |
| Alcohol warmth | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
Which should you choose?
- You want more bitterness → English IPA
- You want something more restrained — less bitterness and malt intensity → Milkshake IPA
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.