It all started with one hop and some inspiration from one beer. As more hop varieties became available the style began to flourish. Now IPAs are recognized by their abundance of hop flavor and aroma but the beauty of the style is that there are many variations on the market, from balanced to completely hop-crazy.
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First, don’t be fooled by the darker tones of these styles. These are still hop forward beers with the appropriate amount of the bitterness you commonly associate with most IPAs. At first glance, it might be easy to confuse either of these styles with an Amber Ale, a Stout or a Porter but once you smell and taste them, it is clear that they belong to IPA Category 21.
In the summer I brew a lot of Belgian beers. One of my favorite Belgian styles to brew is the saison. It also happens to be one of our featured styles this month, which is BJCP Category 25: Strong Belgian Ale. I’m not so sure if the original brewers of the style would agree that it belongs in that category. The original beers were low in alcohol, brewed to satisfy thirst after a hard day’s work.
We chose these categories because we felt that many of these beers are best enjoyed in the heat of summer, and since its July there's no better time. Throughout the month we will focus on these styles through our content; we want to help you fully realize the potential of these two wonderful Belgian styles.