Comparison
English IPA vs White IPA
What is the difference between English IPA and White IPA?
The short answer
The main difference is malt intensity: English IPA has far more of it than White IPA. English IPA also leads on bread & biscuit; White IPA on citrus and phenolic spice.
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 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 | White 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 | 5–7% 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 | Gold to deep copper — 6–14 SRM, 12–28 EBC | Pale straw to gold — 3–6 SRM, 6–12 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.050–1.075 | 1.050–1.065 |
| 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 |
| Clarity | clear | hazy |
How they taste different
| Character | English IPA | White IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Malt intensity | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Citrus | Not characteristic | High |
| Phenolic spice | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Bread & biscuit | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Tropical fruit | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Carbonation | Low | High |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Not characteristic |
| Alcohol warmth | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Floral | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Herbal | Moderate | Not characteristic |
Which should you choose?
- You want more malt intensity → English IPA
- You want more citrus → White IPA
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.