The Double IPA should be, in this humble homebrewer’s opinion, a celebration of the hop plant, not a competition in which brewers see how bitter they can make the beer. In order to tolerate high bitterness, it must also be accompanied by high alcohol, in order to preserve some attempt at balance. Not high in the 6-7-8 range, but in the 9-10-11 range, and this is detrimental for two reasons. It detracts from the focus on the hop flavor and aroma, for one. And also, beers of this magnitude require tremendous aging, and as we all know, this significantly detracts from the magnificent citrusy, piney, flavor and aroma that, I believe should be the IIPA’s focus.
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