So I’ve tried a couple of commercial IPAs recently that has me asking a question. Some IPAs have a very focused or narrow or clear sort of bitterness. Others are broad, muddled, imprecise.
What is this a function of? Hop variety? Too many hop varieties in one beer? Yeast? fermentation?
I’d guess hop choice and water profile.
I like to bitter an IPA with Chinook or Warrior, depending on mood. Chinook has a very coarse, rough, more assertive bitterness than, say, Warrior, which in otherwise the same recipe, would give you a very clean, smoother bitterness. Also, the amount of gypsum you add definitely brings bitterness, as well as hop flavor, more to the forefront.
can also be attenuation - a drier beer can sometimes give the perception of more ‘hop bite’, all other things equal.