The Kernel - Amarillo Cascade & Centennial 100

Excellent branding too!

Everyone loves The Kernel. It's undeniable that they are producing some of the best, most exciting and most talked-about brews in the industry today, and their reputation has been built on nothing but great beer - no clever marketing or gimmicks, just awesome products and word of mouth. So tonight I thought I'd try a couple of new additions to our Kernel range at Beer Ritz (and new to me, too) - Amarillo Cascade 50cl, and the brewery's 100th beer, Centennial 100 33cl.

Appetizing...

First up was the Amarillo Cascade. It poured a lovely clear golden/orange with a large white head that dissipated quickly. A hoppy aroma of apricot, melon, orange and citrus hints worked up my appetite for this beer. On first thoughts, it was much lighter on the palate than expected. With a soft carbonation, subtle lemon and grapefruit flavours presented themselves with a dry bitterness on the tongue. To my disappointment, the swallow didn't leave much presence in the throat, with a crisp bitterness remaining. While lovely and refreshing, this beer wasn't as full-on as I had hoped, but at the relatively low (for cutting-edge brews these days) abv of 5.8% this was forgivable. It reminded me of the Mallinsons Hopped, albeit a far, far superior version. It was interesting to note that the aftertaste was more fruity and lingered for longer as the beer warmed up (I had initially put it in the fridge for a short while before drinking) - further proof that in my personal opinion, ales should not be refrigerated!

Milestone 100th brew

Next up, the big boy beer in a baby bottle. Coming in at 10.1%, the Centennial 100 promised to be a much bigger animal. A coppery orange pour with a medium head which was thicker than that of the first beer. The aroma, unsurprisingly, had a lot more hop and malt presence. Fruity, but more 'green' fruits as I call them - grapefruit, melon, also caramel and a woody grassiness. There was almost a sourness to the aroma, reminiscent of a Belgian style. On the tongue, it's very smooth and quite floral. Soft to medium carbonation works well for this beer, reserving some of its aggression. There is earthiness and notable pine flavour. A big alcohol bite on the swallow resolves in a dry bittersweet finish with a lingering boozy aftertaste. This is good stuff! As the beer develops and warms up a bit, there is a noticeable syrup/caramel quality coming through.

Overall, another resounding success story for The Kernel to put on their CV. I was expecting a little more from the Amarillo Cascade, but that's not to say it wasn't a good beer - I'd happily buy another were it not for the fact that I need to progress through their range before they disappear again! The Centennial 100 was a great way to mark the milestone of one hundred brews, and although very different to my expectations of it, was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Well done, Kernel! Keep up the good work.