Breakfast Beer Tasting: Kernel Summit

This morning’s little treat is yet another of the Kernel single-hop IPAs. Summit is an interesting hop. It’s got lots of technical characteristics that endear it to hop enthusiasts and I believe it was the first dwarf variety produced in the USA. It’s noted not only for its bittering qualities, but also for its aromatic prowess.

So, if anyone should be able to produce an excellent single-hop IPA from it, who else but hop experts Kernel?

It came in the usual bottle-conditioned Kernel size and is 7.5% by volume. It poured the usual hazy amber with a small off-white head. True to form, it was very pungent. Strong grapefruit and orange notes with some pine resin thrown in there as well.

The taste is interesting and very powerful. Citrus in nature, yes, but completely different to the previous Kernel tried. This isn’t exotically mixed tropical flavours but rather a direct punch of bitter grapefruit and (Valencia?) orange. The bitterness really comes through; leading to a mouth-puckering, dry finish.

This is superb, but it’s probably not for everyone. However, if you want to see what a single-hop IPA can deliver and fancy putting your taste buds in the ring with the Klitschko brothers, then this is for you.