When is an APA an IPA?

[greenxpaddy]

According to BJCP style guidelines its just a matter of strength.

And on another note I thought APA was an abbreviation for American IPA. Now it looks to me like APA could refer to American Pale Ale. Am I splitting hairs?

Could you win in the American Pale Ale category by producing a lower alcohol hop bomb or would it be too bitter for style?

Has anyone won a category without sticking to the IBU/EBC/ABV guide?

[jat147]

Isn't an APA, a IPA made with US hops?

[Aleman]

According to BJCP style guidelines its just a matter of strength

Probably according to the BJCP guides. Personally as IPA is a historical beer style which can clearly be defined from brewery ledgers of the time then I will say that an APA will NEVER become an IPA. An IPA uses just Pale malt to 1.070 ish and traditional English hops, and is stored for a long time, and APA uses US Hops, and crystal/pale malts to about 1.060, and is drunk fresh. (From what I remember of the style guidelines)

I thought APA was an abbreviation for American IPA. Now it looks to me like APA could refer to American Pale Ale. Am I splitting hairs?

No, American Pale Ale (APA), is a separate category to American IPA, or indeed an IIPA (Imperial IPA)

Could you win in the American Pale Ale category by producing a lower alcohol hop bomb or would it be too bitter for style?

Out of style . . . however consider my next point . . . Interestingly although we might consider English Export IPA to be highly hopped, the domestic IPA's could in fact have a higher hopping rate as well

Has anyone won a category without sticking to the IBU/EBC/ABV guide?

I know a lot of winning brewers that state that you don't win in a category if you are within the style guidelines. . . Indeed in Daniels book his analysis shows that the majority of the AHA NHC winners were at the top end or just above the style guidelines.

Of course it is all subjective, and it matters not a jot what style guidelines you use (BJCP, SIBA, NGWBJ or your own style guidelines) . . .they are only guidelines anyway, that form an artificial classification scheme to allow you to compare Beer A with Beer B on an equal (more or less) footing

[greenxpaddy]

Thanks Aleman. That kind of clears that up....

[alix101]

If you want to make an american hop bomb you should put it into 14 B american ipa, or an imperial version into 14c, or an american ale like sierra nevada into 10A american pale ales ....yes its confusing but they are all styles in there own right. When is an APA an IPA?... never!