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....

The Kernel India Pale Ale Chinook

Good morning all. Another post already, aren't you lucky? This beer was consumed on Friday and is from one of my favourite UK breweries, The Kernel. I've managed to have a few of their IPAs over the last year, and each one blows me away with its balance and the freshness of the hops being used. This particular offering has been brewed with Chinook hops, and naturally I have high expectations based on the prestige of the brewery and previous experiences, so let's get to it. Review after the pic....

India Pale Ale Chinook (7.1% ABV) pours a pale golden colour with a thick white head that settles to a patchy covering over the surface of the beer. There's a small amount of lacing during the first half of the beer, something I haven't seen for a while with all of the stouts I've been having! The aroma is fantastic, with resinous hops, flowers and a decent malty presence in the background. Plenty of fresh oily hop aromas that are well-balanced and not too imposing, typical Kernel brilliance. The taste is composed of light piney hops, grapefruit, citrus, malt and a slight sweetness in the background. The finish isn't overly bitter, and the hop flavours linger on, accompanied by a grape/apple aftertaste. The mouthfeel is well carbonated and quite thick, which supports and boosts the hop flavours and aromas very well. Overall, another stellar IPA from The Kernel- further proof that they are one of the finest breweries in this country right now. They produce a variety of fantastic beers, but the IPAs in particular are beyond belief. Highly recommended!

Until next time....