T|E|H – #LIBF 2025, the 13th Leeds International Beer Festival

Posted byJ.S HarrisonPosted inBeer Festivals / Brewery Open DaysTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello there my fellow beer lovers,

Welcome back! Once again the beers have been poured, and the music’s and chatter echo’d of the ruined walls and cloisters of Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds

This years Leeds International Beer Festival was a four-day epic celebrating both UK and international brewers alongside street food, and music.

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Set in the atmospheric ruins of the 12th-century abbey, Kirkstall Abbey provides a uniquely English backdrop for this well attended festival.

I was joined this year by Kayla, John, Sue, and Matthew on the excursion and of course, no beer festival would be complete without the obligatory queue selfie and a snap of our freshly acquired festival wristbands.

Once the admin was out of the way, we huddled over the beer list like kids with a treasure map, plotting our first pours and eyeing up the brewers.

Right, I think its time to start sampling those beers.

As I (Sam) am taking it easy today I’m going to let the others do most of the reviewing today, but I guess it would be rude if I didn’t kick off proceedings as normal!

Name: Zapa Tap ale, Krush Pale Ale (5.5% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Zapato
  2. Aroma : Full on Citrus & Orange with a slightly hoppy backing
  3. Appearance :A striking  opaque marmalade in colour with a tight white head when poured
  4. Body :  medium bodied, good level of carbonation with good head retention
  5. Taste : Wow, it has a lipsmacking dank fruity flavour to this one, quite hoppy at the back leaving you with a slightly dry finish.

This was the first pint I had, and the first pint they had pulled of the day, it was lively, luscious and morish! I definitely hit this festival at a run!

Our overall rating: 3.8/ 5.0

Name: Beaucoup Weisse, Berliner Weisse(3.0% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Zapato
  2. Aroma : Intensely fruity with lashings of raspberry’s and vanilla.
  3. Appearance : Opaque bright raspberry in colour with a thin closed white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Initially very astringent but mellows as you drink, smooth, medium to full bodied with poor head retention.
  5. Taste : This starts with a sour fruity sucker punch, which mellows with swathe’s of vanilla finishing with a slight malt.

This has a nice sour flavour, mild enough for you to raise your eyebrows and not enough to be painful. Also its very flavourful for a 3% beer, more of these please!

Our overall rating: 3.5/ 5.0

Name: Trip Switch (5.8% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Sheep in Wolfs Clothing (SIWC)
  2. Aroma : Strong scents of sour citrus and Lime.
  3. Appearance :Strong orange squash in colour, with an open white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium bodied with a good level of carbonation and head retention.
  5. Taste : Refreshingly Zingy with lashings of mango and lime that makes your mouth water.

This one is a sour, and… I like it? that cant be right can it? John even tried to take it from me as he didn’t think id like it! he was wrong.

This had a very satisfying zing to it, it was a little astringent but I think I needed that after a strong stout, id definitely have this one again.

Our overall rating: 3.8/ 5.0

Our Guest reviewer today is my brother Matthew, he has not done any reviewing before, but he was eager to give it a go and who am I to say no!

So here is Matthews first review of 3 in this post! Who knows maybe I can strong arm him into being a regular reviewer?..

Name: Lebkuchen Imperial Stout (9.7 % ABV)

  1. Brewery: Turning point brew Co X Marble
  2. Aroma : Milky way Crisp rolls with a mild ginger
  3. Appearance : Black as night with a slight mocha head when poured.
  4. Body :  Smooth, medium to full bodied, good level of carbonation but no head retention.
  5. Taste : Chocolate cherry, with a liquorice like finish.

This one didn’t taste like it smells. However, its a cracking sipping ale and at 9.7% its certainly not one to quaff. The flavours were balanced and excellent and I loved every bit of it.

Our overall rating: 4.5 / 5.0

Name: Call of the Wind, Soft IPA (5.3% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Lakes Brew Co
  2. Aroma : Tones of Marzipan and hop
  3. Appearance :  Very cloudy grapefruit colour with a tight white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium to full bodied and a good level of carbonation making it full in the mouth.
  5. Taste : lots of stone fruits with lashings of hop.

Initially this was very dry from the hops, but as you continued of the stone fruits brought out more flavour and made your mouth water, at first I was a little let down, but this one in the end didn’t leave me disappointed at all..

Our overall rating: 3.7/ 5.0

Name: Blood Moon (4.5% ABV)

  1. Brewery: DMC Brewery X Valhalla
  2. Aroma : Full on Ginger, with a slight hint of berries.
  3. Appearance : An opaque Burgundy, with a thin wite head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium bodied, well balanced, but spicy with good head retention.
  5. Taste : Spicy ginger up front which is soothed by juniper and sweet dark fruits bringing it a mellow warming finish.

This one was Richer than the other DMC beers I have had so far. The berries elevated this to a whole new level, giving it a fresh and zingy falvour.

Definitely the star of the show so far!

Our overall rating: 4.2/ 5.0

Name: Double Chocolate Orange Stout (8.4.% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Holy Goat X Sinister Brew
  2. Aroma : Hazlenut Chocolate and Orange nose
  3. Appearance : Very dark, thin mocha head when poured with a slight orange halo at the edge of the glass.
  4. Body :  Smooth with a medium body, a good level of carbonation but zero head retention
  5. Taste : Heaps of chocolate with a sight nutty undertone hits you hard before morphing into a strong orange twang.

Wowza! I’m awake!, this is a punch one not only in flavour but that 8.4% is certainly felt, but there is no harshness to it. Brilliant beer, full on flavour, no burn and very morish.

Our overall rating: 4.0/ 5.0

Name: True Falls, Cascade Ale (3.9% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Truth Hurts
  2. Aroma : Very malty scent
  3. Appearance : Amber Gold in colour, with a thick white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium bodied, well carbonated with good head retention.
  5. Taste : A little malt, but not really much more flavour

il admit I’m not super impressed with this one. I don’t know if its because it doesn’t have a strong flavour but it feels like its lacking something.

Our overall rating: 2.8/ 5.0

Name: Little Book of Calm, NZ Pale Ale (4.2% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Lost Cause Brewing Co
  2. Aroma : Citrus notes with a hoppy undertone
  3. Appearance : Cloudy off pale yellow, with a good white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Thin to medium bodied, quite light, good level of carbonation with good head retention.
  5. Taste : Very zesty and refreshing flavour and not dry to finish.

unfortunately they ran out so I only got a 1/3, this was the biggest disappointment of the festival as I wanted MORE! it was Zesty and citrusy in all the right places, and my god was it morish!

Our overall rating: 3.8 / 5.0

Name: Tony(4.8% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Anthology
  2. Aroma :  faintly Smokey / roasted malts
  3. Appearance : Black, it had an off white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium bodied, good level of carbonation for a stout with really good head retention.
  5. Taste : Roasted nuts and hops, with a little sweetness at the back.

This was very nice and very different to my previous choices I needed a break from the intense flavours, this was relaxing and id happily get this again, but i admit it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Our overall rating: 3.9/ 5.0

Name: Lully, Citra Pale Ale (4.0% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Lost Cause Brewing Co
  2. Aroma : Strong hoppy nose on this one.
  3. Appearance :  Very cloudy straw in colour with a coconut white head when poured.
  4. Body :  Medium to full bodied, good level of carbonation making it full in the mouth, and ok head retention.
  5. Taste : A Big Hoppy hit, with a slightly dry finish with a touch of stoned fruits.

This was exceptionally hoppy, it certainly needed the stones fruit influence in my book otherwise it would have been far too dry towards the end. But I would happily have this one again.

Our overall rating: 3.6/ 5.0

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Name: I cant believe its not Bitter (0.0% ABV)

  1. Brewery: Sheep in wolfs clothing
  2. Aroma : Roasted Barley & Hop with another distinctive smell… but I cant put my finger on it..
  3. Appearance : A golden ‘beer’ with an open white head
  4. Body :  Medium, good level of carbonation and good head retention.
  5. Taste : Nutty roast with a zing of citrus and watermelon towards the end that makes your mouth water.

Last but not least indeed, this is very different. I can honestly say I have never had a true 0.0% beer before. As Mat from SIWC said to me there is no yeast in this so its not really a true beer, but you know what… I don’t really care its great. I was a little unsure at first, but the more I drank the more I liked it.

In fact its the only ‘beer’ of the day that I had two of, and that’s saying something!

Our overall rating: 3.6 / 5.0

By 4 o’clock our session was up, the sun was still shining, and we reluctantly shuffled out of the Abbey grounds knowing the party was only just warming up for the evening crowd. While we didn’t make it into the night session this time, the first round of LIBF 2025 more than delivered good beer, good company, and a setting that never gets old.

Until next time, here’s to another year of the Leeds International Beer Festival

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