Amber Ale - Amarillo Kohatu

17th September 2011
Cloudy amber beer, good sized off white head. A lot of floaters in this one - which on closer inspection are revealed to be hop leaf fragments. Palate is semi crisp and semi dry. Minerals. Fresh orange hops, subtle sherbet tangerine. Trace of peach. Some fresh hop sting in here as well. Dry finish. Nice - if a tad dry.

Bottle from brewery hand labelled by Nate. What a great guy. Hazy deep amber colour lasting off white head. Flowery tropical fruit aroma. Its another stunning aroma from The Kernel. Its pretty good in the mouth with some toffee flavours. Maybe too much going on with the mix of hop flavours. There certainly is a lot to get your flavour senses around. For a simple chappy like me maybe I got lost somewhere between the aroma and swallow. Some dryness on end. Some sweet toffee in the middle. I am just not sure. Tasty though

Bottle at the Kernel Brewery. It pours hazy orange-amber, with a decent white head. The nose is mango, orange squash, marmalade, orange sherbet, melon, kiwi and cheddar. The taste is orange pith, tangy marmalade, light spice, pepper, resin, leather, wood and rye bread, with a long dry finish. Medium body, fine carbonation and sticky mouth-feel. Decent, but I would rather reach for a pale ale instead.

Bottle at home in London with Lyoli. Pours cloudy, golden-brown with a filmy, white head. Earthy hops on the nose, some toasty bread, light zesty citrus. Flavor is light to medium sweet, notes of burned grass, toast, faint melon and grapefruit. Medium bodied with fine carbonation. Dirty, earthy bitterness in the finish, mild sweetness, some crackers and toast. Pretty good.