Hoppy vs India (blank) Ale

So I get India Black Ale, I kinda get India Red Ale, but now I see India Brown Ale advertised. I'm no BJCP expert by any stretch, but aren't these really just hoppy versions of different styles of beer? What makes them an India ale?

Nothing really makes them India ales, aside from the fact that they share the heavy late addition hopping rates that most people associate with IPAs. You can't really call a super hoppy, jet black ale an India pale ale though.

Chuckbergman said:

So I get India Black Ale, I kinda get India Red Ale, but now I see India Brown Ale advertised. I'm no BJCP expert by any stretch, but aren't these really just hoppy versions of different styles of beer? What makes them an India ale?

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Dang just now? Dogfish released their IBA in 1999.

drainbamage said:

You can't really call a super hoppy, jet black ale an India pale ale though.

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Oh I think you CAN call them that or Black IPA, and I do. This debate is so tired, because people in the Pacific Northwest just have to be children about it and have to have the last word on the issue. Who cares! It's delicious beer, let it be what it wants to be! You call it Cross Dressing Amateur, I call it Black IPA, get over it!
Oxymorons exist everywhere in society.

Personally I think we should stop calling then India Pale Ales anyway...most of the time they're not pale, and second of all, they have nothing to do with India any longer.
American Pale Ale suits me just fine to replace India Pale Ale.

Yes, you can call it whatever you want, but when trying to identify or place something into a style you generally need to have accurate descriptions. This is where the problem lies. Calling something that is black or not pale a "pale ale" tends to be a bit confusing. Brewers tend to make variations to recipes that throw them out of the conventional style of the recipe, and then you really don't have a very accurate way to describe the beer. My first "pale ale" I made wasn't very pale at all, even though I still called it that because I didn't know what else it could be. I'm also not sure that turning an IPA black with little to no flavor differences warrants an entirely new style description, either. India would've been Pale if I didn't add roasted malt Ale just doesn't sound very good. Then there's the fact that it's actually supposed to be called Cascadian Dark Ale, but people say Black IPA instead of CDA because IPA is a popular style and acronym.

I don't even know what I'm saying now.

maybe the name should just be IPA instead of an acronym for India Pale Ale, much like KFC is no longer Kentucky Fried Chicken.

then widen the acceptable color range for the style

GrogNerd said:

maybe the name should just be IPA instead of an acronym for India Pale Ale

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I'm not sure that would work. I can't tell you how many times people have asked me what IPA stands for. If there is no explanation, they will remain confused.

GrogNerd said:

maybe the name should just be IPA instead of an acronym for India Pale Ale . . .

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It's nice to remember the historic nature of the name, but the India and Pale part have evolved out of the style and have no value. Heck, I've even seen IPA's made with lager yeast. I agree with GrogNerd. I see nothing wrong with calling any high gravity, cleanly fermented, hoppy beer an "IPA" with some descriptor added to the front to help define it better.

rajun50 said:

I can't tell you how many times people have asked me what IPA stands for. If there is no explanation, they will remain confused.

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They won't remain confused if you explain the history and evolution of the style.