BJCP 21B · IPA
Specialty IPA
A category for IPAs that change the color, grain or yeast while keeping the hops up front: Belgian, Black, Brown, Red, Rye, White and Brut.
This is a specialty category, so it has no numbers of its own. Gravity, bitterness, color and alcohol are those of the base style you choose, plus whatever the special ingredient or process adds.
What Specialty IPA is like
It's not a specific style but an umbrella for IPA variants that depart from American IPA in some recognizable way: the color, a different grain or a yeast with character. In all of them the hops remain the star, and the beer should finish dry and drinkable.
Appearance
Depends on the variant: from almost white and pale in the Brut IPA and White IPA to black in the Black IPA.
Aroma
Prominent hops, IPA-style, together with each variant's signature trait: Belgian esters and phenols, gentle roast, caramel, spiciness from rye or Witbier spices.
Flavor
As in the aroma, hops and bitterness lead, and the specialty element adds a second layer. That element has to be noticeable without covering up the IPA character.
Mouthfeel
Varies with the variant, though in general the body is medium-light to medium and the carbonation medium or high.
Where Specialty IPA comes from
The variants appeared as American IPA grew popular and brewers started crossing it with other styles. The BJCP groups them here to avoid creating a new style for every trend, and in competitions you have to state which variant the beer belongs to.
Ingredients
You start from an American IPA base (pale malt, American or New World hops) and change whatever defines each variant: Belgian yeast, dehusked dark malts, caramel malts, rye, wheat and spices, or enzymes to dry it out completely.
Brew it yourself
How to brew Specialty IPA at home
First write a recipe for a good American IPA, then change a single element. The most common mistake is letting the special element cover the hops (too much roast, too much caramel, too many spices) so the beer no longer reads as an IPA. It's judged on how well the two are balanced.
Food pairing
Depends on the variant: spicy dishes for the pale ones, roast meats for the darker ones.
Glassware: tulip glass, it concentrates the aroma and holds the head.
Frequently asked questions
What food pairs well with Specialty IPA?
Depends on the variant: spicy dishes for the pale ones, roast meats for the darker ones.
Which styles are similar?
If you like it, also try American IPA, Double IPA and Hazy IPA.
If you like Specialty IPA, try these
Classification and statistics: official Specialty IPA guidelines from the BJCP, 2021 edition. Original text by Hacer Cerveza Casera.