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Great write-up. I've also heard nothing but good things about them and I think their simple labels really look class.

I really WANTED to get out there during GBBF week but it just wasn't possible.


Adam

So an update from another punter sampling The Kernal Brewery wares!

I was lucky to be able to visit Druid Street recently and grab a few of their brews. The selection changes as they deplete older stock and complete new ones which gives is a nice chance to try new things.

For me I am really divided between loving what they do and are able to achieve out of a what is a very basic setup - and on the other hand being quite underwhelmed by some of their basic beers.

First off, their [u:cq82dcc9][b:cq82dcc9]Citra IPA[/b:cq82dcc9][/u:cq82dcc9] (6.6%) is so completely overly hopped that it made me nauseous which was a bad start. It felt like eating a hop-porridge and even for the seasoned hop-heads, I felt it was way overboard and killed any flavour from the grain whatsoever. I would rate this beer 0/10 as it was wrong on so many levels

Sadly the most disappointing of all was their [u:cq82dcc9][b:cq82dcc9]Borefts Rye Ale[/b:cq82dcc9][/u:cq82dcc9] (7.5%) which was a special edition brewed for its namesake festival in Belgium which they attended this year. Again, hop-porridge muscled out any chance that the Rye had of making a welcome cameo appearance. I'm a big fan of Roggenbier and believe me, Rye is a bugger to brew with so hats off to the lads for trying it but thumbs down for the lack of Roggen geschmack! 2/10

After that things start to pick up greatly. The [u:cq82dcc9][b:cq82dcc9]Export Stout - London 1890[/b:cq82dcc9][/u:cq82dcc9] (7.1%) is their stamp on a revived Trumann Brewery (of Brick Lane fame) recipe. A wonderfully full flavoured stout packed with rich chocolatey caramel, soft dates and over-ripe melon. This excellent beer is well balanced on the hop front being both bitter and fruity while allowing the other complex flavours to shine through. If any criticism it may have been a little estery but all-in-all a must try - 9/10

[img:cq82dcc9]http://i.imgur.com/WxHDn.jpg[/img:cq82dcc9]

Keeping with the theme that dark seems to suit The Kernal best, their [b:cq82dcc9][u:cq82dcc9]Export India Porter[/u:cq82dcc9][/b:cq82dcc9] is a great all-rounder at 5.6%. It's easy drinking, bitter but light (in viscosity, not flavour!) and is definitely a beer which I would return for. 8/10

Lastly a bit of a shock to the system - their [b:cq82dcc9][u:cq82dcc9]2010 Centennial[/u:cq82dcc9][/b:cq82dcc9] is an amazing 9% concoction which is worth trying once, but be quick as it won't be around forever! Part barley wine, part tasty cough mixture this has flavours which are difficult to pin down. Kumquats, sherbert and caramel with a tingle on the tongue like a good Austrian Grüner-Veltliner - this is an amazingly complex beer for a single malt / single hop brew. Try it if you can - 9/10

So my overall verdict is mixed. Some things they are doing top of the league and punching way above their weight, stouts & porters for example ([url:cq82dcc9]http://www.insidebeer.com/articles/20110913[/url:cq82dcc9]). On the other hand they need to take more care and attention to the complex flavours that are being lost due to over-excitement with the new world hops. Evin, the owner and brewer could also be a bit less grumpy and a bit more engaging with those who come well out of their way to sample his fine products - but that’s just the impression that I got on my single visit!

Lastly - if anyone is ever in London on a Saturday morning, I strongly urge you to arrange your trip around visiting Maltby Street/Druid Street. It’s a hidden gem with zero tourists and the finest produce in London - I will definitely visit again whenever I can.

I discovered recently that Evins dad is a retired colleague of mine (I had heard his son worked in a brewery after his retirement but assumed it was a macro).
I was going to give him (dad) a ring and ask him to bring a couple of beers back for me next time he's over.

Re Michael John's visit. I think really if you are not a hophead, a lot of the Kernel beers will not be for you. I definitely wouldn't want them to tone down the hops at all, and I think most of their regular customers would agree. Evin is a serious hophead himself, and therefore that is what he is brewing, and it's selling very well, so definitely a market for very hoppy beers. I tried the Citra IPA on my first visit, and was a bit underwhelmed, but tried a bottle last night, and thought it was lovely, so it's all very subjective. Not sure if it has just aged a bit, or whether it was a different batch, but very nice. I wouldn't say Evin is grumpy, but maybe a bit reserved, and not a huge talker. I have had very good conversations with him, and he has given me some tips re some of the recipes.

Lugh mentions that he used to work with Evin's dad. I actually met him the first time I went to the brewery, as he was over visiting Evin and his grandchildren. He was making himself useful selling bottles, so had a good chat with him, and he seemed like a real gentleman. Could be tricky asking hime to bring bottles back, unless he drives over, or has checked in luggage.

The brother picked me up a 12 box of the black IPA, and a selection box of other bottles. He was supposed to ring me, to go through what was available, but he didn't, so the person selling the bottles on the day, did the selecting, and instead of getting one of everything, I got two of some, and propably more less hoppy beers that I would have liked, but never mind, as it will force me to try some that I would normally not bother with. Last night, we had a black IPA, a Citra IPA, a Nelson Sauvin IPA and the Export Stout. They were all excellent in my hop bias opinion, and really looking forward to sampling the rest over Christmas. Will be keeping the 2010 Centennial as probably the last one to drink, as it's a bit dangerous.

The brother said that it was even busier than the last few times, we were there, and that they are actually moving to larger premises just around the corner, so that they can keep up with demand. It's going to be another railway arch, so will still have the same character, so it will be interseting to see if they can keep up the same quality, and I think they will.

I'll try and post as I go through the beer, but not a great one for taking notes.

You are right on both counts Billy. Micheál is an absolute gent and I wouldn't ask him to bring me over a few beers because even if he was flying I have no doubt he would leave his clothes behind to carry them.
I have a plan B!