Comparison
Milkshake IPA vs New England IPA
What is the difference between Milkshake IPA and New England IPA?
The short answer
The main difference is yeast fruitiness (esters): New England IPA has noticeably more of it than Milkshake IPA. New England IPA also leads on malt intensity, alcohol warmth and berry.
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 body, carbonation, citrus, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Milkshake IPA | New England 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. | Commercial category | Established |
| Strength | 5.5–8% ABV | 6–7.5% 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. | 20–40 IBU | 25–60 IBU |
| Colour | Pale gold to orange — 4–10 SRM, 8–20 EBC | Pale straw to deep gold, often with an orange cast — 3–7 SRM, 6–14 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.060–1.080 | 1.060–1.075 |
| Final gravity | 1.016–1.026 | 1.011–1.018 |
| Serving temperature | 7–10°C | 7–10°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Teku glass, Tulip glass | Teku glass, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | opaque | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | Milkshake IPA | New England IPA |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Malt intensity | Not characteristic | Low |
| Alcohol warmth | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Berry | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Sweetness | High | Low–Moderate |
| Hop aroma | High | Very high |
Which should you choose?
- You want more yeast fruitiness (esters) → New England IPA
- You want something more restrained — less yeast fruitiness (esters) and malt intensity → Milkshake IPA
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.