I was first drawn to the world of "craft" beer by a stout from The Kernel Brewery on a trip to London a number of years back. I had tried a few interesting things from small breweries before that but this one was a real head turner, with a depth of wonderful flavour I hadn’t experienced in much outside of Belgium. One thing it did lack, though, was even the merest hint of a daft name. It was just called exactly what it was: The Kernel Stout.
Evil Twin Brett Yeast & Helles
£10.30/5.5%/660ml
The name on this one is so daft and shoehorned in that I’m pretty sure it must have existed before they decided what the beer was going to be, fittingly it’s a Helles lager, brewed with the wild Brettanomyces yeast strain. Initially this has that clean, crisp grassy lager note before the sort of yeast spice that you would expect in a wheat beer and a nice fruity depth from the Brett that will undoubtedly get more pronounced over time. The flavour adds zesty lemon and a floral note that lasts in the dry finish. One for the open-minded lager lover.
Yeastie Boys Royal Tanninbomb
£4.60/8.0%/330ml
A ramped up take on their Gunnamatta IPA with extra Earl Grey and a couple of more notches on the ABV. It’s rich and powerful with bergamot and zesty citrus, a pithy punch on the palate, great texture and solid tannic spice on the finish.
Tempest All The Leaves Are Brown
£4.30/10.0%/330ml
The first of a few darker selections that I found hard to resist with the nights drawing in (in fact there was one point earlier in the week that I don’t even recall having a day time), an imperial strength brown ale brewed with maple syrup. It’s a sweet treat, with plenty of that maple on the nose balanced with a hint of umami. It’s malty, rich and full-bodied on the palate and has a touch of bitter liquorice on the finish to prevent it from ever being cloying. I have no doubt this will age wonderfully, so buy one for now and stash one for the festive season.
Tiny Rebel Sugar Rush
£3.40/8.0%/330ml
A stout based on sweeties? It certainly sounds modern (and quite typical of Tiny Rebel), but it’s actually a lot more refined than the name or the packaging would have you believe. Sour cherry, dark chocolate and a nice warming hint of those malty Lotus biscuits on the finish.
Wiper & True/Left Handed Giant/Stillwater Artisanal Vital One
£4.50/10.0%/330ml
3 of my favourite breweries of the year collaborate on an imperial take on one of my favourite milk stouts? I’m almost tempted to tell you that this one is terrible so that there’s all the more for me, but I have to admit that it’s – unsurprisingly – a cracker, with plenty of chocolate and coffee, delicious malt character and great body. Vital indeed.
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