Following on from My Guide to Beer, here is another installment of my beginners help guides. This time I'm going to cover Pale Ales in all their styles. When thinking of pale beers you need to imagine a scale. At one end you have the lower A.B.V session pale ales, on the other end is the aggressively-hopped double/Imperial IPA's. There is a lot of variation within this spectrum and an exception to every rule of course, but you can follow this thought process as a general rule of thumb.
Styles
• Pale Ales - So called because they are brewed with more lightly roasted "pale" malts, pale ales typically have a more equal malt-to-hop balance. The hops are definitely present, but fairly moderate.
Beers to Try: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Beavertown Neck Oil, Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company, and Anchor Liberty Pale Ale
• English India Pale Ales (IPAs) - IPA's were originally brewed as an extra-hopped beer for the long sea voyages from England to places like America and India. Taking full advantage of the special preservative properties of hops to keep the beer fresh. These IPA's were - and still are - brewed with English hops and tended toward earthy, woodsy, and spicy flavours.
Beers to Try: 400 Pound Monkey from Left Hand Brewing Company and Brooklyn East India Pale Ale from Brooklyn Brewery
• American India Pale Ales (IPAs) - Whilst the English style of IPA's is still brewed today, American brewers have put their own spin on it. US IPA's tend to be even more aggressively hopped, with the balance of hops-and-malts definitely tipping in favour of the hops. American IPA's typically feature resinous pine and bitter grapefruit flavours.
Beers to Try: 60 Minute IPA from Dogfish Head Brewery, Stone Pale and Centennial IPA from Founders Brewing Company
• Double IPA's or "Imperial" IPA's- this uniquely American style takes the craving for hops and runs with it. These usually use double or even triple the typical amount of hops, but also adds more malt to the mix. The resulting beer has huge hoppy highs and deep malty depths with a high ABV to match.
Beers to Try: Stone Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing Co. and Omnipollo Nebuchadnezzar (one of my all time favourites)
So I hope this helps you, when you next want to pick a pale ale. Personally if I'm out for the night, then session pale all the way. the lighter mix of ingredients will help keep you interested and the lower abv will help with hang overs. But if I plan on only having one or two in the evening then sign me up to a 10% tastebud killing monster.
Well until next time, keep drinking.