I feel like everyone’s had this beer but me.
I’m not sure why it’s taken so long to get hold of a bottle, but for the few people still to try it, you have to try it.
Red Rye Ale is a collaboration between Kernel, Redemption and Dark Star and pours a beautiful polished sideboard red brown with a light wispy head.
The smell is fruity and acidic, there’s a hint of fried bananas, spices and a big pinch of nutmeg.
The beer tastes very floral, lots of lavender and bedding plants, woody and earthy but with delicately pretty petals.
The rye brings a meaty brown richness that doesn’t flex its muscles so much as sit happily at the bottom of this beer to support and underpin everything else.
The hops here are bright and crisp, all penny sweet sherbet fizz, peppercorns popping and a citrus fruit tang.
Huge washes of kiwi and lime, grapefruit skins and cracked lemon pips provide astringency before a super long dry biscuit coated in honey hands you a beautiful bouquet to finish.
I may have got to the party late, but I’m very pleased I finally got in.