This one was close, really close. In the end only 4 votes separated the top 2 beers…
1. Kernel India Export Porter 5.9% ABV
Boak and Bailey are currently running their own series of porter tastings here and they have kindly taken some time out to write these words about the winning beer… If we had to pick a single beer to represent what has happened to London’s beer scene in the last decade, The Kernel’s Export India Porter might be the one. First brewed in 2011, and much-imitated since, it is a playful acknowledgement of the fact that hoppy dark beers didn’t arrive with the recent invention of black IPA, but back in the 19th century when porter was shipped to supply British troops in India. Brewed at various strengths and with various hops over the years, KEIP can vary widely from batch to batch — for some, a key part of its appeal. It is a beer that perhaps does more to explain what ‘craft beer’ means in the UK than any amount of wordy philosophising — bold, raw-edged, boozy, bitter, and bursting with character, as fruity hops pile up against intense roasted malt flavours. Honestly, we’re not fans, but this poll shows that a LOT of people are, and no-one could ever call it bland.
