The Kernel India Pale Ale Double Citra

Good afternoon all. It's been a fun day today, with any potential progress on my project effectively ground to a halt indefinitely due to radiators leaking all over the analytical instruments, so I'm fairly confident I'll be having something strong tonight to quell the anger. Now that I've aired that grievance, it's time to review the beer I had last night. It's another hoppy beast from the masters at The Kernel, this time with a double injection of Citra, which might be why they chose to call it India Pale Ale Double Citra. Review after the pic....

India Pale Ale Double Citra (9.8% ABV) pours an amber colour with a bubbly white head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. The aroma is amazing, with lots of tropical fruits, some pine/resin, a caramelised sweetness and a slightly boozy quality in the background supporting everything. In typical Kernel fashion the hops smell incredibly fresh and oily, which is always a delight to encounter. The taste is just as fruity, with piney hop flavours, citrus and caramel. There's a slight bitterness in the finish but  surprisingly this isn't excessive, despite the increased hop content. The mouthfeel is quite thick with moderate carbonation. Overall, yet another brilliant IPA from The Kernel that demonstrates the extreme fruitiness of Citra, but also shows how it can be used on its own to create a perfectly proportioned IPA that packs lots of fruit and pine and a noticeable yet very pleasing bitterness. Makes me want to visit the brewery again to pick up another bottle of this stuff- highly recommended!

Until next time....

Mikkeller Citra Single Hop IPA

Good evening all. Apologies for the fairly lackluster review this evening- it's been a less than ideal week so I'm not completely committed to hop-related prose at the moment. The show must go on though, so let's delve into the cellar and pick something interesting. It seems it's time for another single hop IPA from the gypsy brewing supremo Mikkeller- in particular, an offering centered on a hop type that garnered a lot of attention for its tropical fruit flavours and dual-purpose nature when it was released in 2008. The hop in question is Citra, and you can expect the review after the pic....

Citra Single Hop IPA (6.9% ABV) pours an amber colour with a white head that retains itself well during drinking. The aroma is resinous and piney, with some floral character and a background sweetness. These are all quite subtle though, and don't become pronounced as the beer warms up. The taste is composed of citrus fruits, malt, flowers, caramelised sugar and a grassy character, with a subdued bitterness in the finish and a candy floss aftertaste. The mouthfeel is quite thick and well carbonated. Overall, a solid single hop IPA that demonstrates the versatility of Citra very well. It can impart a surprising amount of citrus/tropical fruits with a pleasing yet noticeable bitterness, and produces a very decent IPA on its own. I wouldn't get this beer again but it is worth trying once, even if the only purpose is to increase your understanding of what different hop types can contribute to a beer.

Until next time....