Kernel, Bière de Saison, Barrel aged and blended with London Sour.

Not sure if Ninkasi is barrel aged or not. If not, then I think this one from the Kernel was my first barrel aged saison. Very nice too, drank just under a year since bottling date. Vinegar nose (the London Sour influence?), saison taste and fizz. Wineous. Super drying on the finish (tannins from the oak barrel or the grapes?). Not had this style before. (Since - I had a similar drink by Anspach and Hobday, a galaxy saison aged in Chardonnay barrels.) An understandably expensive style, but one I will go back to (wallet permitting).

Kernel, Imperial Brown Stout - Tormore and Port Dundas BA

Is this a blend? I'm assuming Tormore (single malt) and Port Dundas (now owned by Diageo apparently) are separate entities...

Served cold. Whiskey nose, big whiskey taste: scotch (banana) and some wood. Surprisingly sweet for a Kernel stout. Finish is a massive whiskey dryness well mixed with hop bitterness (signature Kernel impy).

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.

Kernel Brewery, Bière de Table

I had a Partizan saison a while back and I didn't like it particularly. I think I wrote some naive guff about the hops seeming out of place and that i didn't think saisons were my thing. Then, in the summer, I had a De Koninck on tap at the Greenwich Union, and it reminded me of holidays in France as a teenager. This nostalgia prompted me to get a 750ml bottle of Dupont which them promptly sat in the wine rack for a few months. One night, Vicky suggested I crack it, so we shared it over Silver Linings Playbook (average). I wasn't immediately blown away, but the more I drank of my glass, the more I was taken back to France, to Pelforth and fresh Kronenbourg, sunflowers, vineyards and sunshine.

This Kernel really hit the spot. I know it doesn't do too well on Ratebeer but for me it was soaringly refreshing, just a delight. I'd spent the day thinking about trying to get hold of a belgian beer for the evening, and I'd read that the Kernel was a 'farmhouse' ale so I thought: sod it - I'd give it a go. And I'm so glad I did. It really ignited a drive to sample more beers from Belgium, in particular their saisons. I've tried Kernel's hersbrücker saison which is obviously quite different but nonetheless equally satisfying. I can't wait for next summer - I'm going to drink these by the bucket load I tell thee.

Kernel Brewery, Glen Garioch Barrel Aged Stout

The back of this bottle says: "A blend of Imperial Brown Stout and Export Stout. Aged in a Glen Garioch whisky cask. Second Fill." I like the way the Kernel give you full info on their drinks. Bought direct form the brewery this one at a relatively hefty price (not as expensive as the full Impy version though....), this one smelt of tar, T-Gel, london smoke and the occasional sharp vapour of Glen Garioch whisky. Very mildly carbonated and an opaque black with brown tinges. Poured slowly so no head. Alcohol at the edges of the tastes, coffee and maybe the occasional blackberry or sour cherry? (Am I being influenced by the Magic Rock description here? Possibly....) Definite whisky aftertaste - scotch plus that sort of palette cleansing, stripping down effect.

Massively satisfying, small sips only required. Took me just over 1hr to drink the whole bottle so worth every penny. Really rather looking forward to the Imperial version of this drink!

Kernel Brewery, Black IPA

Reappearance of Kernel's black IPA. Nice enough. I've put one down for Christmas, by when I suspect the malts will have almost certainly taken over. Not so much in the way of hops here. There was a metallic mouth feel at the end of the aftertaste. I preferred the collab with Brodies.

Kernel Brewery, Chinook IPA

A sweet IPA from Kernel - we had a home made (paste included) Thai Curry (which was excellent by the way...!) which more or less annihilated my palette, but maybe lemon and grapefruit in this? Massively bitter aftertaste. Chinook is primarily a bittering hop if I understand it correctly, which might explain apparent lack of discernible fruit/resin in favour of almost overwhelming bitterness.

Kernel Brewery, Galaxy + HBC 291 IPA

I'll add the glass/bottle picture when I buy another bottle of this - I seem to have misplaced it on my hard drive (*deleted it accidentally*). Brewed with the Aussie Galaxy and the catchily named new hop HBC 291 from the US. Like Dead Pony Club but 750% better - fuller, stronger, bitterer. (An unfair comparison? Dead Pony Club is actually quite good I think....) Drank 3 weeks fresh, bought direct from the brewery. Palette = roast vegetables and hummus.

Kernel Brewery, SANS IPA

I hadn't had a Kernel for a while (a month or two) up to this one which I drank just before going on holiday this month. It reminded me just how good drinks from the Kernel Brewery can actually be - this one properly made me sit back and go 'cor'. I'm hesitating to call this an American style IPA - have the Kernel established their own distinct type of IPA now?

Kernel Brewery, Double Citra

My first DIPA experience I think? Set the bar really quite high this one from Kernel. Very hazy pour, much deeper in colour than the pale ale version (being drunk next to me by my wife). Obviously a fat and healthy body to it. Intense tropical flavours. Pursing the lips after swallowing seemed to trap the alcohol around the gums - you could certainly get a feeling for the 9.7% alcohol this way. I liked this drink quite a bit - I felt it deserved the Tarkovsky background.

Kernel Brewery, Export Stout London 1890

Possibly my favourite stout from The Kernel. I don't have any notes for this, but I don't suppose you really need them: if you love stout and you haven't tried this one then you're an idiot.

Kernel Brewery, Mosaic IPA

Some slightly gushing notes on this IPA from Kernel - zero head, but a tight carbonation, pours a deep orange, intense tropical nose. First taste is like Lilt then deep hop resin flavours rise above. A drink of 2 halves then? Brewdate on this one was 12th March - I drank it a month after that.

Kernel Brewery, Cascade Pale Ale

My first beer write-up for a while - I have a bunch of bottles under the sink that have been sitting around waiting to be photographed and for one reason or another, I simply haven't got around to it. Anyway, I thought I'd make a series of sorts out of a bunch of Kernels. Their cascade pale ale is from back in April I think. I suppose you'd sort of know what to expect from this, a standard affair really - a typically amazing pale ale.

The Kernel Brewery + Brodie's Fabulous Beers: A Scanner Darkly

First had a swift half of this at The Old Red Cow after a job at Fabric. Such a delicious collaborative black IPA from Brodie's and Kernel. Large tropical nose, chewy malts after the juicy glug and lovely lacing down the glass. So, so satisfying. I've had a few of this modern type of ale - Magic 8 Ball (also on keg at the Old Red Cow), Black Rocks, Black Marble, Brewdog's Libertine and Black Betty. Who does it best? The Brits? (I don't think I've had an American BIPA?) I had this after a bag of chips. I love this drink alot - I went back to Oddbins in London Bridge and snapped up a load more.

The Kernel Brewery, Citra IPA

One of the latest Kernel IPAs, singly hopped with Citra. Very strong sherbet nose + caramel orange in colour and hazy. It tasted like Um Bungo/Tropical Squash/Lilt. I recently had a half of the Stone IPA at the Holborn Whippet and this London IPA reminded me a little of that. The bitterness was relatively mild and the alcohol more or less undetectable (as per with Kernel). I drank this after hopped Saison from Partizan so maybe there was an after-effect from the sweetness of the spices in that drink. Never thought I'd say it, but maybe there's too much tropicality in this? Is there more balance needed? More malt? Or is the point of brewing with Citra to go for that über-fruitiness? (There are increasingly too many question marks in my wrote-ups these days ....)

I had another bottle subsequently, and it made a great deal more sense the second time around.

The Kernel Brewery, IPA: Citra, Ahtanum, Galaxy

My tasting notes are pretty sparse for this recent Kernel IPA. Obviously hoppy and fruity thanks to the Ahtanum from Washington, the Aussie Galaxy and Citra hops. As with Kernel's recent Amarillo Pale Ale, I think I noticed the malts a bit more. The same couldn't be said for the 7.3% abv, which was utterly indiscernable. A gentle lacing down the glass and each finish probably had some of that grapefruity bitterness to it (although I've got a feeling I'm making that up to sound more knowledgable).

The Kernel Brewery, Pale Ale: Amarillo

Typically amazing pale ale from Kernel. Brewed with the Amarillo hop. Sweets on the nose, light in texture and very smooth and drinkable. I think I got the sweetness of the malts through on a couple of swigs too. The colour was a "Kernel Yellow" and there was decent lacing down the glass. Not a bitter smasher, but a gentle and mild bitter linger in the finish. Top stuff as per.

The Kernel Brewery, India Brown Ale

Not my cup of tea this one from Kernel. (I had a similar issue with their Export India Porter.) I think it's one of their more permanent beers? Quite clearly an excellent beer, full of strong flavours, but the mix just didn't do it for in the same way that their BIPA did. I took bottle/glass photo in a room with mixed light sources so apologies for the weird colour.

The Kernel Brewery, IPA: Centennial, Topaz, Stella

I think the Kernel made this brew at the end of last year and it's their current IPA. Slightly more amber then Moor's Empire Strikes Back, but still very pale in colour. Typically huge fruity nose although not much of a lingering bitterness. Not too much carbonation, but of course it's extremely hoppy - the bitterness it does produce is the kind that gets the roof of your mouth. I hope I'm not building a tolerance or something to the Kernel IPAs, but this didn't seem to impress quite like previous ones. Nonetheless, this is still a very beautiful and immensely satisfying drink.

The Kernel Brewery, London Brewer's Alliance Collaboration Stout

Had this Kernel Stout just after the Porter. Clearly a lot more viscous, opaque and rich. Velvety on the nose and a bit of spice in it? This was recommended to me by the kind lady at the brewery itself. I think next time, I'll try and get my head around a few more of their porters, as the stout is pretty heady. I drank it slow too, which is pretty rare for me. Even though I definitely enjoyed every sip of it, I couldn't help but feel a bit like I did when I used a cheat code on an old Megadrive game to get past a level that I couldn't beat, just so that I could get to the end boss. More practise with the darker brews is needed!