2018 will be remembered as the year of the Haze Craze here in Australia with the explosion in popularity of the New England IPA (NEIPA). Brewers were pumping out new versions of the style weekly, with beer lovers lapping up the “juicy” style and brewers pushing the boundaries to make them juicier and hazier than the rest. But where did this all begin?
History of the style
Well you can trace the styles origin back to 2003 to an IPA called the Heady Topper, brewed by The Alchemist brewery in Vermont, a small state in the New England region of north-eastern United States, from which it draws it name.
Head brewer John Kimmich, experimented with an IPA recipe, deciding not to filter nor pasteurise the beer – both common methods used to extend a beer’s shelf life.
In this article published on Thrill List he is quoted as saying “I’ve always brewed beers to be the way I wanted them to taste. Haze is not the goal, it’s a by-product. You’d be amazed at how many years we had to defend those beers against people that would just trash us. For 10 years, we had to educate beer consumers that a hazy beer is not a bad thing. Of course now I feel like it’s totally been run in the opposite direction.”
The Haze Craze changed all of that and brewers indulged the haze to the point that you couldn’t see through some beers, but it wasn’t the haze that consumers were craving, it was the juiciness that came from some of the beers.
You see before the NEIPA came along, the trend in IPA’s was toward aggressive bitterness like those common in West Coast IPAs. It was a race to oblivion with brewers creating beers with an IBU of a 100 or more, which frankly didn’t leave anywhere to go with your palate. That’s why this new softer, fruiter style was allowed to emerge and grab it’s place as a new world IPA.
As this type of beer gained popularity, it begun to be identified by the geographical location from which it came, earning it the name New England IPA, which started to appear commonly in the US from about 2011. The name started to appear on brewers labelling, but despite its growing popularity, the main associations and bodies that control the Craft Beer industry had still not recognised it as a style.
In fact at this point, the NEIPA was still seen to be a variation of the American IPA, but the NEIPA deemphasized the hop bitterness, which was a key trait of the American version and the cloudiness or haze didn’t really sit well under the American IPA style either, so something had to give.
2018 – A Style is Born
In this article published on CraftBeer.com on March 20, 2018 called “A beerstyle is born” They announced that the official birth of the “style”
The Brewers Association, publishers of CraftBeer.com and the trade organization to protect and promote small brewers, has released its 2018 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines. The release includes a trio of beer styles identified in the guidelines and Brewers Association competitions as “Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale,” “Juicy or Hazy IPA” and “Juicy or Hazy Double IPA.” These styles represent what some beer geeks and brewers popularly refer to as New England IPAs or Hazy IPAs.”
Initially, the Style Guidelines Committee had not considered three separate styles when considering the new style.
What we discovered and verified was that there was a wide range of alcohol content for what was being perceived in the public as just one style,” explains style guide developer, Charlie Papazian. “After evaluating appearance, aroma, bitterness, hop characters, mouthfeel and overall balance these beers gave a consistent impression that helped frame the Brewers Association’s inaugural guidelines for three styles of Juicy or Hazy ales.”
New Styles Emerge – Hazy and Juicy
With the emergence of these new styles, the names Hazy or Juicy replaced the geographical name of the beer, with the styles now clearly defined. No longer a version of the American IPA, these new styles adopted the name of the key elements that defined the style, which was the Juicy Fruitiness and the Hazed colour. At last the style could be clearly identified.
The Style Guidelines
There are a number of bodies that represent the (Craft) Beer industry both in the US and here in Australia with the main ones being
1. (American) Brewers Association (BA)
2. Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
3. (Australian) Independent Brewers Association (IBA)
Below are a list of their guidelines for the styles and the date they were recognised
Brewers Association 2018 Beer Style Guidelines
February 28, 2018 – The Brewers Association is recognised at the peak body for American Brewers
You can see thee full style guidelines set here
Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale
Color: Straw to deep gold
Clarity: Low to very high degree of cloudiness is typical of these beers. Starch, yeast, hop, protein and/or other compounds contribute to a wide range of hazy appearance within this category.
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to low-medium malt aroma and flavor may be present
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Medium-high to very high hop aroma and flavor are present, with attributes typical of hops from any origin.
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium. Perceived impression of bitterness is soft and well-integrated into overall balance, and may differ significantly from measured or calculated IBU levels.
Fermentation Characteristics: Low to medium fruity-estery aroma and flavor may be present, but are usually overwhelmed by hop fruitiness. Diacetyl should not be perceived.
Body: Medium-low to medium-high. Perceived silky or full mouthfeel may contribute to overall flavor profile.
Additional Notes: Grist may include a small amount of oat, wheat or other adjuncts to promote haziness. Descriptors such as “juicy” are often used to describe the taste and aroma hop-derived attributes present in these beers.
Original Gravity (°Plato)1.044-1.050 (11-12.4 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato)1.008-1.014 (2.1-3.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume)3.5%-4.3% (4.4%-5.4%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU)30-50; may differ from perceived bitterness • Color SRM (EBC)4-7 (8-14 EBC)
Juicy or Hazy India Pale Ale
Color: Straw to deep gold
Clarity: Low to very high degree of cloudiness is typical of these beers. Starch, yeast, hop, protein and/or other compounds contribute to a wide range of hazy appearance within this category.|
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to low-medium malt aroma and flavor may be present
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Medium-high to very high hop aroma and flavor are present, with attributes typical of hops from any origin
Perceived Bitterness: Medium-low to medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Low to medium fruity-estery aroma and flavor may be present, but are usually overwhelmed by hop fruitiness. Diacetyl should not be perceived.
Body: Medium-low to medium-high. Perceived silky or full mouthfeel may contribute to overall flavor profile.
Additional Notes: Grist may include a small amount of oat, wheat or other adjuncts to promote haziness. Descriptors such as “juicy” are often used to describe the taste and aroma hop-derived attributes present in these beers.
Original Gravity (°Plato)1.060-1.070 (14.7-17.1 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato)1.008-1.016 (2.0-4.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume)5.5%-8.5% (6.9%-10.6%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU)50-70 • Color SRM (EBC)4-7 (8-14 EBC)
Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)
The BCJP is recognised at the peak body for American Home Brewers and their guidelines are designed to oversee entries in sanctioned Home Brewing competitions. The last set of guidelines were released in 2015 Beer but on February 21, 2018 the BJCP announced.
The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) has identified and defined four new provisional styles. These provisional style definitions address additional styles that have emerged since the 2015 BJCP Style Guidelines were introduced.
Provisional styles are drafts created in between producing new sets of official style guidelines, but they may be used by competitions as official styles. Competitions should allow for these styles to be mentioned in the comment field and judges should reference the style definitions during judging.
One of the four provisional styles was announced as Style 21B – Speciality IPA: New England IPA. Interestingly BJCP still recoginse this as a sub style of the American IPA
Style 21B – Speciality IPA: New England IPA
Overall Impression
An American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, and smooth mouthfeel, and often opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop forward. This emphasis on late hopping, especially dry hopping, with hops with tropical fruit qualities lends the specific ‘juicy’ character for which this style is known.
Aroma
Intense hop aroma, typically with fruity qualities (stone fruit, tropical fruit, and citrus are most commonly present) reflective of newer American and New World hop varieties without being grassy or herbaceous. Clean, neutral malt in the background, potentially with a light bready sweetness without caramel or toast. Absence of any malt character is a fault. Neutral to fruity fermentation character that is well-integrated with the hops. A creamy, buttery, or acidic aroma is inappropriate. Any perceived alcohol character should be restrained and never hot.
Appearance
Color ranges from straw to yellow, sometimes with an orange hue. Hazy, often opaque, clarity; should not be cloudy or murky. The opacity can add a ‘shine’ to the beer and make the color seem darker. Any visible floating particulates (hop matter, yeast clumps, etc.) are a fault. Medium to rocky meringue white head with high to very high retention.
Flavor
The hop flavor is high to very high, and reflects the same characteristics as the aroma (emphasis on fruit, with ripe tropical fruit, stone fruit, and citrus being most common). The perceived bitterness can be somewhat low to medium-high, often being masked by the body and finish of the beer. The hop character in the aftertaste should not be sharp or harsh. Low to medium malt flavor, generally neutral, sometimes having a bready, grainy, lightly sweet flavor. Noticeable toast or caramel flavors are a flaw. Fermentation character is neutral to fruity, but as with the aroma, supportive of the hops. Off-dry to medium finish. Creamy, starchy, or sugary-sweet flavors are inappropriate, although a high ester level and lower bitterness may give the impression of up to moderate sweetness. A moderate, supportive alcohol character is acceptable but should never be hot or dominating.
Mouthfeel
Medium to medium-full body with a smooth character. No harsh, hop-derived astringency. Alcohol warmth may be present in stronger versions, but should never be hot. Medium carbonation is standard. The beer should not have a creamy or viscous mouthfeel, an acidic twang, or a raw starch texture.
Comments
The style is still evolving, but this style is essentially a smoother, hazier, juicier American IPA. In this context, ‘juicy’ refers to a mental impression of fruit juice or eating fresh, fully ripe fruit. Heavy examples suggestive of milkshakes, creamsicles, or fruit smoothies are beyond this range; IPAs should always be drinkable. Haziness comes from the dry hopping regime, not suspended yeast, starch haze, set pectins, or other techniques; a hazy shine is desirable, not a cloudy, murky mess.
History
A modern craft beer style originating in the New England region of the United States. Alchemist Heady Topper is believed to be the original example and inspiration for many other interpretations that grew in popularity in the early to mid-2010s. Brewers are continuing to innovate and evolve the style, with the style trending towards a less bitter presentation to the point of making a mockery of the term “IPA”.
Characteristic Ingredients
Similar to many newer American IPAs but often with more oats or wheat in the grist, and less caramel or specialty malts. Restricted hop choice to American or New World varieties with a tropical fruit, stone fruit, or citrus character. Neutral to estery yeast strain. Water ranges from balanced between sulfate and chloride to using more chlorides. Heavily dry-hopped, partly during active fermentation, using a variety of hopping doses and temperatures to emphasis hop depth of aroma and flavor over bitterness. Biotransformation of hop oils during fermentation may add to the fruit character.
Style Comparison
Compared to American IPA, New England IPA has a fuller, softer mouthfeel, a more fruit-forward late hop expression, a more restrained perceived bitterness balance, and a hazier appearance. Many modern American IPAs are fruity and somewhat hazy; if they have a dry, crisp finish, at most medium body, and high perceived bitterness, these examples should be entered as American IPAs. Noticeable additions of fruit, lactose, or other materials to increase the fruity, smooth character should be entered in another category defined by the additive (e.g., Fruit Beer, Specialty Beer).
Vital Statistics
IBU 25 – 60
SRM 3 – 7
OG 1.060 – 1.085
FG 1.010 – 1.015
ABV 6% – 9%
Commercial Examples
Hill Farmstead Susan, Other Half Green Diamonds Double IPA, Tired Hands Alien Church, Tree House Julius, Trillium Congress Street, WeldWerks Juicy Bits
(Australian) Independent Brewers Association (IBA)
Meanwhile in Australia, in March 2, 2018 Brews News announced in this article
__________________________________________________________
The New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) has been introduced to the style guidelines for AIBA 2018
The Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) has introduced a New England India Pale Ale (NEIPA) subclass to this year’s style guidelines. http://brewcon.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/5970-IBA-2018-BREW-CON-Style-Guidelines-v5-060418.pdf
But AIBA is still ahead of the curve in creating style guidelines for a beer that has its origins in the United States, but has not yet found its way into the Brewers Association’s guidelines.
How other Platforms treat the style
Rate Beer is the worlds biggest beer rating site. The site lumps all of the names together, simply categorising them as IPA/Hazy/New England
Untapped which is the biggest beer rating app in the world still shows it as New England IPA but also has a category called Milkshake IPA’s which is an even newer version of the style. Milkshake IPAs are described as those brewed with lactose — are becoming distinct from versions brewed with oats, or versions that achieve their appearance through extravagant levels of dry-hopping.
Wikipedia has failed to keep up with the craze and doesn’t refer to the style at all, although it does refer to sub categories of IPA’s
Summary
So in summary, whilst there is evidence that this type of beer dates back to 2003, the name New England IPA was just a name that identified where it’s origin was from, and it wasn’t until early 2018 that the “style” was actually born. Given that the (American) Brewers Association are the most respected world wide body when it comes to beer styles, their recognition of the style and their guidelines are the ones which are most commonly accepted. Going forward that means the styles will now be known as
- Hazy or Juicy Pale Ales
- Hazy or Juicy IPA’s of
- Hazy or Juicy Double or Imperial IPA’
The (Australian ) Independent Brewers Association (IBA) have already accepted and included these guidelines in their documentation, and it appears the BJCP are still the only body that recognises the NEIPA as a subcategory of the American IPA. I expect that might change before the next set of guidelines are updated.
So get ready to enjoy your Hazy or Juicy Beers !
Cheers
Update January 2022.
On 29 December 2021 the BJCP released their updated guidelines for 2021.
The new guidelines recognises the style as Hazy IPA and notes it is “Also known as New England IPA or NEIPA“
21C. Hazy IPA
Overall Impression: An American IPA with intense fruit flavors and aromas, a soft body, smooth mouthfeel, and often
opaque with substantial haze. Less perceived bitterness than traditional IPAs but always massively hop-forward.
Aroma: Intense hop aroma, with stone fruit, tropical fruit, citrus, or other fruity qualities; not grassy or herbal. Clean,
neutral, grainy, or lightly bready malt in the background; no caramel or toast. Absence of any malt character is a fault.
Neutral to fruity fermentation character. Esters from yeast and hops should not clash. A creamy, buttery, or acidic aroma is inappropriate. Light alcohol aroma optional.
Appearance: Color ranging from straw to very light amber, sometimes with an orange hue. Hazy, often opaque, clarity;
should not be cloudy or murky. The opacity can add a ‘shine’ to the beer and make the color seem darker. Any visible floating hop matter, yeast clumps, or other particulates is a fault. Medium to rocky, meringue-like white head with high to very high retention.
Flavor: High to very high fruity hop flavor, same descriptors as aroma. Low to medium malt flavor, same descriptors as
aroma. Low to medium-high perceived bitterness, often masked by the fuller body and soft, off-dry to medium finish.
The hop character in the aftertaste should not be sharp or harsh. Neutral to fruity fermentation profile, supportive of the hops. Should not be sweet, although high ester levels and lower bitterness may sometimes give that impression. Background alcohol flavor optional.
Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Smooth. No harshness. Light warmth optional.
The beer should not have a creamy or viscous mouthfeel, an acidic twang, or a raw starch texture.
Comments: Also known as New England IPA or NEIPA. An emphasis on late hopping, especially dry-hopping, with hops with tropical fruit qualities lends the ‘juicy’ character for which this style is known. Heavy examples suggestive of milkshakes, creamsicles, or fruit smoothies are outside this style; IPAs should always be drinkable. Haziness comes from dry-hopping, not suspended yeast, starch haze, or other techniques; a hazy shine is desirable, not a cloudy, murky mess.
History: A modern craft beer style originating in the New England region of the United States as an American IPA
variant. Alchemist Heady Topper is believed to be the original inspiration as the style grew in popularity during the 2010s. The style continues to evolve, including a trend towards lower bitterness and using the style as the base for other additions.
Characteristic Ingredients: Grist like an American IPA, but with more flaked grains and less caramel or specialty malts.
American or New World hops with fruity characteristics. Neutral to estery yeast. Balanced to chloride-rich water.
Heavily dry-hopped, partly during active fermentation, using a variety of hopping doses and temperatures to emphasis depth of hop aroma and flavor over bitterness. Biotransformation of hop oils during fermentation adds to the depth and fruit complexity.
Style Comparison: Has a fuller, softer mouthfeel, a more fruit-forward late hop expression, a more restrained perceived
bitterness balance, and a hazier appearance than American IPA. Many modern American IPAs are fruity and somewhat
hazy; examples with a dry, crisp finish, at most medium body, and high perceived bitterness should be entered as 21A
American IPA. Noticeable additions of fruit, lactose, vanilla, etc. to increase the fruity, smooth character should be entered in a specialty category defined by the additives (e.g., 29A Fruit Beer, 29C Specialty Fruit Beer, 30D Specialty Spice Beer).
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.060 – 1.085
IBUs: 25 – 60 FG: 1.010 – 1.015
SRM: 3 – 7 ABV: 6.0 – 9.0%
Commercial Examples: Belching Beaver Hazers Gonna Haze, Hill Farmstead Susan, Other Half Green Diamonds
Double IPA, Pinthouse Electric Jellyfish, Tree House Julius, Trillium Congress Street, WeldWerks Juicy Bits
Update BA Guidelines January 2022
There are now 4 different categories for this style
- Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale – 4.4%-5.4% ABV
- Juicy or Hazy Strong Pale Ale – 5.6% – 7% ABV
- Juicy or Hazy Indian Pale Ale – 6.3%-7.5% ABV
- Juicy or Hazy Imperial or Double India Pale Ale 7.6-10.6 ABV