Fuller's, Vintage Ale 2013

Fuller's were one of those breweries that I didn't really pay attention to when I started taking beer seriously. To make an analogy to how I discovered new music (that's what you do in beer writing right? make an analogy between beer and music?) when I was a teenager: if it was band that everyone had heard of, you wouldn't bother checking them out, rather focusing on more obscure, newer bands. (This was why I never listened to Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Sabbath etc until into my 20s.) So when I began drinking flavoursome ales, I thought - why bother with Fuller's? There's a new Kernel/Partizan/Magic Rock/etc just out.

That was until I read somewhere {{citation needed}} that Fuller's ESB was an inspiration to a bunch of US brewers who thought it was the bees knees. Well, if the kings of hops and modern beer styles in the States thought that, then I bloody well ought to try it then eh? Obviously it's amazing, along with their London Porter and the bottle of their Imperial Stout I had last year.

I bought their Vintage Ale for a very reasonable £4 (I think) from Waitrose. Dates and raisins on the nose. Thick mouth texture, big hit of honey/treacle. Then it's orange shred marmalade and this massive wave of English hops, must be hopped like an IPA, but with English damp grass, leafy, straw-like Admiral and Sovereign. A heavy pint, a good heavy. Also boozy, but likewise, a good boozy.

Fuller's is good London beer and in lieu of an overtly beer focussed pub, I'll always choose a Fuller's one.

Ska, Modus Hoperandi

Cans, cans, cans. You know this one: this Colorado veteran is hard to beat. US IPA as it was meant to be drunk (i.e. canned and as fresh as possible from a trans-atlantic voyage). Used to be on the menu at Byron, had it once there I think. Currently a load around at the moment (Whole Foods for £3/can and in my local too). Deep red copper colour, nose is weetabix and caramel + freshly cut grass and sticky pine sap, citrus floating at the edges. Taste follows plus a savage bitterness. Brilliantly pungent drink this. It's very satisfying - absolutely love it.

Fourpure, Session IPA

Faint aroma on this (but potentially I drank this a bit too cold) - that sort of 'stale hop' thing (I went to the Kernel once and the brewery stank of this exact smell). Flavour is light, white bread and pine, high carbonation, respectable mouthfeel and body. Bitterness is long with very little dryness. Obviously sessionable, but possibly not the head of it's class. In absence of DPC cans (where the hell are they??), you'd go to this one I imagine. 4 photos this time 'cos I got some brilliant light.

Sixpoint, Bengali Tiger

Very solid US IPA from Sixpoint. Widely available in Wetherspoons (doing their craft bit to get young people back into their pubs? I don't know what it's like 'round your way, but when the 'old man' pubs in my neighbourhood got bought out and turned in to gastropubs for middle class gentrifiers, all the old geezers migrated into the Wetherspoons, presumably for a pint of something wet and cold that didn't cost a fiver).

I've had this a few times now - £1.99 for a 6.4% very decent IPA is possibly one of the best deals out there at the moment. I had one duff can the other day - tasted of dirty nappies and rotting vegetables. Otherwise, they've all been top notch (maybe a little thin if I was being uncharitable).

The Kernel Brewery, 2013

I try to keep the beer bottles I drink for photographing. They're rinsed and then they sit in a Sainsbury's bag under the sink until I get an opportunity to photograph them in a way in which I've planned out in my head. I shot a previous run of posts where there was a common theme and I'd hoped to continue it with this second batch of Kernel bottles. However, my mind is in clear-out mode at the moment, so I plumped for something quick and simple instead this time.

Kernel beers are very possibly the best in London, if not Europe. Quality control is obviously very high and it's rare to have a bad, even an average beer from them. (Going through these images for this blog has got me salivating for them at 8 in the morning. That's not good is it....) I know that it's largely redundant reviewing Kernels but sod it: I'm a completist so indulge me.

Imperial Brown Stout

Version photographed is obviously not the 1856 version (I suppose they're not too dissimilar from one another). Smell of raisins, oil and booze in the gob, barely carbonated and heavy coffee flavours. I find that when this is chilled, I get more of the grassy/freshness element of the hops which I really like. Drunk at a warm room temperature, this is a very imposing drink which really oughtn't to be drunk after a night out.

I've got a stash of bottles of the 1856 version which were bottled in Jan 2103 - they're more or less perfect for me: very smooth (unctuous) in the mouth and highly drinkable. There was a batch which was bottled over half a year later in October 2013 and I remember them being quite harsh by contrast. Not unpleasant by any means, but there was certainly a sort of mild 'stripping' effect on the palate and throat whilst drinking. Anyway, left to condition for a year or more, this impy is rivalled only by the De Struise Black Albert. I've got a weird (and slightly sad) OCD thing that I can't not know that I have at least 2 bottles of this in the flat at all times.

Simcoe IPA

I went a bit silly with this one and bought quite a few. Ultimately, I think I preferred the Mosaic version, but I came into a bit more dosh around the time this came out so I indulged. Archetypal cat piss IPA this one, with stupid tropicalness and stratospheric drinkability.

Mosaic IPA

As above but better.

CREAM IPA

There's this cool game that you can play with the Kernel brews - "Guess The Acronym". Actually, it's not that cool (Chinook, Riwaka, Ella, Ahatanum, Moteuka). Anyway, this Wu-Tang inspired IPA was actually not so much to my tastes. Which is annoying as it makes me feel that I'm one of those lupulin idiots who's only impressed by hop IEDs. Anyway, in some (very probably) psycho somatic way, this IPA tasted like cream soda with a little tangerine on the edges. Hoppy obviously, but quite a mild drink in terms of overt flavours, much like their subtle Ella pale ale that came out around the same time iirc.

Double 4C

4C? Chinook, Columbus, Centennial and ummm....hang on...err...is it...maybe...Cascade? DIPAs (or imperial IPAs or whatever) from Kernel are rare. This was one of only 2 (I think) from 2013, the other being their Double Citra which was bloody brilliant and won the CAMRGB best of 2013 award. the Double 4C wasn't as good. Thick mouth feel, foam sweets etc but it was a bit flat and lacked something, not sure what though. I'd love it if the Kernel did more DIPAs. Maybe a DBIPA would be nice....(please..?)

Barrel Aged Stout

Noteless for this one. I imagine it was a bit like this one. In a world of almost parodical beer label blurbs, this one makes me laugh.

Imperial Brown Stout, London 1856 B.A. Glen Spey

Sensational BA impy. Heavy whisky nose and taste with a viscous booze at the end of each sip. £6/bottle is about right, I bought a few and I've got one left. Good until 2020 apparently.

Mikkeller, Imperial IPA Nelson

Very pleasurable DIPA (legit IIPA with two 'I's this time at 8.9% abv). Orange and cloudy, grass, grapefruit, orange and passion fruit (what do I know?). Almost zero booze. Bloody hell, this was good. This Mikkeller, the London Fields IPA and the Siren are all cloudy (possibly unfined and/or unfiltered). I like this in my beer.

London Fields, Bottlegger Double IPA

This was a top draw US style IPA (single 'I' for me) from London Fields. Bought from Oddbins in Balham. Bootlegger series is 2 for 2 for me (really enjoyed their porter).

Siren, 10 Finger Discount

I think this was my first Siren? Collab with To Øl. Fabulous beer. Brown and cloudy = tick. Citra heavy aroma (not so much cat piss) off the bottle neck = tick. Pineapple etc = tick. According to the blurb on the label: white pepper (yes) and tobacco (just about). Strong mouthfeel. Not dissimilar to Great Eastern IPA. Bought a couple of these.

Redemption, Big Chief IPA

North London IPA from Redemption. Hazy and dark orange, medium to high tropical nose + cat piss/basil. Hoppy flavour, mostly grass I think. Malt = Organix Ginger Bread Men? Not dissimilar to the 500ml Kernels, maybe lacking a touch of their body, but not by much. Medium bitter after, dry and gum coating. A little ethyl acetate (?) towards the end of the bottle. Most of the yeast stuck to the bottom so was happy to be able to drink almost all of the 500ml without pouring in any yeast. If I ever see this on cask I'll get it.