Hazy IPA and West Coast IPA are two BJCP American IPA families. The board word “IPA” is not enough. Open the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines for the parameters; do not treat this page as a tasting note.
What BJCP separates
Category 21A American IPA is the West Coast-leaning hop-forward pale ale: clear to light haze is allowed, bitterness is part of the style. Category 21C Hazy IPA is a later family: opaque or heavily hazy, hop aroma over hop bitterness, softer mouthfeel. Those are judging parameters, not a patio ranking.
How to use it on a board
If the room printed “West Coast IPA” or “Hazy IPA,” believe the room’s word, then use BJCP if you need the family definition. If the room only printed “IPA,” stop there. Ten10’s brews page (retrieved 2026-08-31) lists First Flight as IPA at 5.5% ABV. that is a style word plus ABV, not a BJCP scoresheet.
Sources
- BJCP Style Guidelines. 2021 beer styles, including 21A American IPA and 21C Hazy IPA.
- Ten10 Brews. Name / Style / ABV format, retrieved 2026-08-31.