IPA Day @ Mr Foley’s, Leeds

Well, after months of waiting, IPA Day is here. Some would say it’s bad timing after the GBBF,  but I say it’s just another reason to celebrate beer; albeit one single style.

After spending the last few hours tasting IPA’s in Mr Foley’s, the one thing I would stress is this: IPA is a diverse style, and one that  – albeit popular – has more than enough variance to keep things interesting. I’m currently typing this from Mr Foley’s – so a live blog it is – and have some great, great beers in my belly.

So – what to go for? Well, Dean’s put together a great beer list this evening, showcasing some great IPA’s from the UK and the states. If I can direct your gaze to the fridges, you’ll find Maui’s Great Swell (6.2%abv); which is a really, really interesting beer – I expected a load of grapefruit but got a deep, earthy pineyness which almost makes the beer English in nature. It’s not too sweet, and not too heavy, despite the abv. I certainly recommend this US Import.

Another US import that demands your attention is Odell’s Mycernary (9.5%abv). Yes, it’s strong  – as a lot of IPA’s are – but the subtlety here is wonderful. A deep marmalade-orange note hits the nose, and that note carries through to the taste, which is sweet, rounded and gently warming; a fantastic beer ,and one you don’t want to miss.

Anyway, enough of beer from our US Cousins, we can do IPA here, too. Summerwine’s 7C’s of Rye is a nice twist on their recent 7’c’s – imagine the same fruity, grapefruity/lemony hop attack but with a good dollop of sweet,spicy Rye to balance things out. Available on Keg, it’s a great UK IPA. As is Kirkstall’s Dissolution, which tones things down a little with piney notes in the nose and a clean, drying bitterness. Two sides of the IPA coin, displayed really well side-by-side. Also, Rooster’s UnderDog has nice, undelying herbal note – can you guess what it is? I think I’ve figured it out, but can you? I’m not going to say – have a taste and see what you think…

RedWillow also have Peerless on Cask, and Ageless in bottle – the first being a solid, lemony-led IPA, with the bottled Ageless being a little thinner and more refreshing with Lemon/Lime hints running through it. Don’t miss out on tasting RedWillow’s wares – they are going to be around for a while, very local, and very tasty.

Buxton’s awesome Axe Edge is on cask, and Magic Rock’s Human Cannonball is one not to be missed either – a tropical fruit bomb, courtesy of Huddersfield’s finest. If you want a break from all-out hop attack, give Hardknott’s Code Black  (5.6%abv) a go – a surprisingly restrained, malty IPA with loads of red fruit and chocolate on the nose, finishing with a drying, coffee and black – chocolate note. Just another example of how much variance can be found in the IPA world.

Anyway, if you’re in Leeds and want to partake in IPA Day, get down to Foley’s. Now. IPA is not just about US-Style hop-bombs; there’s so much subtlety within the genre. foley’s will also be serving delicious (and I really, really mean this) Delicious food from Manjit’s Kitchen throughout the evening, so get down here!