The Kernel like to keep things simple with their beers, from the names to the ingredients. Simplicity just can't be beat, and this is an example of that.
There are more than 20 variants of Kernel pale ale, with combination or solitary hop brews to keep things interesting. All of them average around the same on Untappd at between 3.7 and 4, which shows a fair bit of consistency from their end.
This one is straight nelson sauvin, with all of the tropical goodness that comes from this popular New Zealand hop. A purists beer, it doesn't mix with other hops and allows the character of the hop to really shine.
There's quite a hoppy aroma with a grassiness to it which tempers the fruitiness normally associated with the hops. The rich orange colour and thick, foamy head are pleasant to drink through and help to add texture.
The grassiness is there but works against most of the fruitiness, reducing it to a hint of citrus sweetness rather than the juiciness I would expect from a single hopped beer with nelson sauvin.
The back of the flavour profile and into the aftertaste is where the fruitiness makes itself more known, with a sweet, citrus tang accompanying the slight bitterness of the aftertaste.
As with all Kernel beers, the bottles don't give us much to work with as beer writers. The brown paper label with simple black print has become synonymous with Kernel. Always displaying the brewery and the name of the beer - conveniently combining the two with an actual beer profile
The brown bottles add to some subconscious sense of authenticity and heritage, while the plain silver bottle cap adds more industrial flavour to the branding, if you could even call it branding.
We got this from our local bottle shop so check at yours first, but you can get the 330ml version online at Honest Brew for just £2.95 for members.
