Jaipur IPA, Thornbridge

Jaipur India Pale Ale 5.9 per cent

This is good news for beer lovers as one of the finest modern interpretations of IPA is now available for home consumption. It comes in a can holding 8.8 pints or 5 litres.

Thornbridge Brewery started life in 2005 when Jim Harrison, who had made his money from the steel industry in Sheffield, built a small 30-barrel kit in sheds in the grounds of Thornbridge Hall in Derbyshire.

The hall started life as a stately home and was taken over by the local authority as a teaching school until it was bought by Jim. With his business partner Simon Webster he developed a beer that became their leading brand that played a major role in rekindling interest in IPA.

Jaipur takes its name from a city in India. In colonial times, the Raj – the British ruling India for Queen Victoria – had asked for more refreshing beers than mild, porter and stout that were exported to the sub- continent. The result was India Pale Ale, most famously brewed in Burton-on-Trent with its mineral-rich water.

In common with IPA, Jaipur has gone on to conquer the world. It has won more than 100 awards world-wide and is exported to 35 countries. The beer was the springboard for a move to bigger premises in Bakewell in 2009.

The new plant stands alongside the River Derwent where Richard Arkwright invented the spinning jenny in the 18^th century and helped launch the Industrial Revolution. The brewery has been expanded several times to keep pace with the demand for the beers.

Jaipur IPA is brewed with low colour Maris Otter pale malt and has an impressive range of hops: Ahtanum, Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and Simcoe. The beer has a luscious tropical fruit and grapefruit aroma. Resinous hop notes on the palate are balanced by tangy fruit and juicy malt while the long finish has citrus fruit, sweet grain and bitter hops.

The beer can be bought from www.thornbridgebrewery.co.uk for £29.99. The beer contains live yeast and should be left to settle for 24 hours before serving. The beer should be consumed within two to three days.