Based on a recipe from Whitbread’s Brewery, dated 1896, that we gleaned from ‘Old Biritsh Beers and How to Make Them’. The archives just have this down as ‘Porter’, nothing more.

We call it A London Porter to differentiate it from its sibling, the racier Export India Porter, where export levels of hops give a fruitier, more flighty beer. In a London Porter things are warm and dark and rich. The feel and texture are nourishing. Dried fruit - raisins, prunes and dates - and chocolate. Then a balanced espresso finish. Hints of leather, tar, tobacco. Lots of coffee and cocoa.

The recipe itself is typical of London, in its use of a large proportion of brown malt, which gives the beer a hint of spice along with some smoke, leather and tar in the flavour, and a dry finish. Also a portion of black malt was added to the boil, which apparently was something only done in London, which increased the roast/coffee character. East Kent Goldings were the hops of choice for the best beers at that time.

We brewed the first version of this beer in Feb 2010 (it was our 10th batch of beer).

In 2007, Evin O'Riordain was sent to New York on business and what he tasted in the bars and pubs was, not only to change his life forever, but to prove a pivotal point in the UK beer scene's revival. He spent the next 2 years homebrewing and honing his skills, making big flavoured and challenging beers. In 2009, The Kernel Brewery was born and word slowly spread about this man making fantastic beers under a railway arch in South East London. A move to bigger premises saw them finally be able to meet demand and they are now named in the top 50 Breweries in the world by Rate Beer.

See more from from The Kernel Brewery...