The Kernel India Pale Ale Citra

Brewed by The Kernel
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
London, England

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Just pours perfectly, creamy white persistent head. Nose is lemon fresh, its the smell air fesheners aspire to. Palate is quite extrodinary really, has this oily viscous quality that really coats the tongue (in a good way). Flavour is wonderfully balanced between sweet citrus & sweet biscuit, great beer.

330ml bottle at 6.5%. Pours a hazy orange with a medium head. Aroma is bitter grapefruit with some bready malt underneath. Taste has some grapefruit balanced with some malt. Some grapefruit in a medium bitter finish.

UPDATED: SEP 19, 2012 Bottle @ The Kernel Brewery & from Beermerchants.com (6.5%) & Great Grog (7.3%). Latest bottle from Great Grog review applies to. Very cloudy amber, orange brown colour, reasonable head, lot of sediment. Strong sweet carame; hop aroma & flavour. Latest edition is one of the best tasting IPAs ever but the large amount of sediment means it does not look very good.

Bottle from brewery. Pours a pale orange. Slightly hazy. White head that doesn’t persist. Pungent grapefruit aroma, which is enticing. Strong citrussy flavours - grapefruit, pineapple, lemon and a ingering hoppy finish. A little one-dimensional as a result of the hop profile, but a pleasing IPA.

Bottle from the brewery in Bermondsey. A hazy orange coloured pour with a medium white head on top. Interesting musty type aroma of oranges and other tropical fruit. Tastes of oranges, peaches, pineapple, mangoes, hoppy, slight sweetness. Really easy to drink and very enjoyable. Good stuff yet again from the Kernel.

Bottle 330ml. @ home.

[ As my UK rating # 4000 on ratebeer ]. Clear medium orange colour with a average, frothy, good lacing, mostly lasting, off-white to white head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, caramel, light heavy hoppy, grass, citrus, orange - citrus. Flavour is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft. [20110507]

Bottle at BrewDog Edinburgh. Murky orange pour with a small messy head. Aroma is classic citra, tropical fruits and some floral notes. Mostly dry palate, some pine, some more fruits. Finish is definite citra, but remarkably rounded and not at all aggressive. Very nice, but not my favourite kernel.

A Mes rate. Tap at the Dean Swift.Firstly thanks to Max for letting me try this before it was officially available. Secondly, and excuse the language here, this is fucking amazing. Really phenominal. I’m struggling to deal with the awesomeness I have in front of me. Stunning, just stunning lychee and fresh citric fruit. Lemongrass, ganja, earth, bright and exciting and my god it’s just fucking perfect. The length is beyond description. Each sip leaves me wanting to down my whole glass but I know if I wait, the flavour development is just an epic journey. The balance of dry and jucy is without doubt the best I have experienced in an IPA. And I know that’s saying something. I can’t do this justice in my notes and it’s very rare that happens. A beer of exceptional quality. If ever a Kernel beer should be a regular nae permanent in production, this is it. Utterly blown away. Flavour and aroma are through the roof. Drinkability is outstanding. I can’t believe I’m saying this but this is the best UK beer I have had. Fuck, it’s one of the best beers I’ve had full stop.

UPDATED: SEP 6, 2011 Re-rate after consuming numerous bottles on numerous occasions. It pours light hazy orange, with a thin foamy white head. The nose is orange, mango, pineapple, tangy marmalade, cheesy hop and plasticine. The taste is orange, mango, pineapple, grapefruit, marmalade, grass, hay, honey, resin, cheese and some banana, with a long bitter finish. Medium body and moderate carbonation. Utterly drinkable.

Cask (handpump) at Mason & Taylor Hip Hop festival on 22 April 2011. Noted at 6.5%. Gold colour with a slight haze. Big grassy and tropical fruit (mango?) hop presence. Very nettley aroma. Sweet tangerine flavours, leading into a juicy, tangy, moderately bitter finish. Very tasty and enjoyable.