The kernel

[Padraic]

An interesting interview...

http://www.theeveningbrews.co.uk/brewmaster-series-evin-oriordain-kernel/

[Dunkel]

"With a serious lack of good beers back in Blighty". In 2007? This author either has a very short memory, or hasn't been drinking that long. There have been some excellent beers produced in Britain certainly since the mid 70s, when I started my interest in beer. 

[Shane Phelan]

"With a serious lack of good beers back in Blighty". In 2007? This author either has a very short memory, or hasn't been drinking that long. There have been some excellent beers produced in Britain certainly since the mid 70s, when I started my interest in beer. 

This sentence is key:

We'd go to the Market Porter and they'd have 15 different pale ales on. It didn't matter what we drank, because they were all tasting the same'. In New York it was different. Here he found a range of delicious hoppy beer, as well as people who treated beer in the same way he treated cheese.

I'm of the same opinion, I think all English ale pretty much tastes the same and for the most part is pretty bland. I have been told several times that this opinion is bollox and that there are fantastic English ales/milds but so far I remain unconvinced. I wish I thought differently as I see people reviewing English beers and going on about how amazing they are but I just don't see (taste) it. It seems this guy has a similar train of thought.

We could also learn a few things from the format of their beer tastings:

he joined the London Amateur Brewers as one of their first ever members. Here he met a group of dedicated home brewers. 'You go there to get your ass kicked. It was quite amazing. People would bring in beers and we'd go around the whole group and everybody would give some feedback, and there was no option of saying "oh, that's nice". Everyone was told to be as harsh as possible, while still being fair. We learnt what a fault tastes like, what the causes of it are and how you can go about avoiding it in the future'.

Some of the best feedback I have had at tastings is when the person beside me is giving out stink about the beer they are tasting and haven't realised its mine.

[Dunkel]

"We'd go to the Market Porter and they'd have 15 different pale ales on. It didn't matter what we drank, because they were all tasting the same'."
I have to disagree with you Shane. As this is of such fundamental importance to the NHC, I propose that the two of us go over to this Market Porter pub in London to discuss whether all English ales taste the same. Of course, the NHC will completely fund this trip (four star hotel ok?). I'll contact Mr. Dempsey for the readies.

But I do agree with you about the tastings. All criticism, as long as it is fair, can only be beneficial, and shouldn't be taken personally.

[Shane Phelan]

I'm a scientist by trade so if someone can 'prove' to me that my opinion is incorrect I will gladly change it. I'm willing to accompany you on the NHC fact finding mission to analyse the English ales and co author a research paper on the subject. 

My main issue with honest feedback at the tastings is that you don't want to be an asshole and destroy someone's confidence. You want them to be a friendly and welcoming environment, so its hard to know what to do really?

[Padraic]

I'm a big fan of the honest feedback and I think we are getting better at it every time we meet up, and we're getting more used to spotting the flaws and getting a better idea of what's causing them!

I think we are all learning!

Re: Shiny v Dunkel
You are both right! That's the best thing about tasting and the thing that will be my catch phrase during the BJCP course!
I think that our education Budget won't stretch far enough for you to under take the thesis this year, maybe next year!

[delzep]

I was in London last month and the best beer I had was London Pride (in the touristy Ye Olde Mitre it was particularly good) and that includes beers I had in the Euston Tap and The Southampton Arms. No Kernal on in either at the time though 

Has Pride ever made it here on cask?

[Will_D]

I'm a scientist by trade so if someone can 'prove' to me that my opinion is incorrect I will gladly change it. I'm willing to accompany you on the NHC fact finding mission to analyse the English ales and co author a research paper on the subject. 

My main issue with honest feedback at the tastings is that you don't want to be an asshole and destroy someone's confidence. You want them to be a friendly and welcoming environment, so its hard to know what to do really?

Shane, Simples really:

If a newbie/less than 10 beers brewed comes in with his first kit or his first AG (after 10 good kits) and there's an obvious problem then we be discrete.

If its an old multi-medalled, Welsh Chemistry geek thats brewed up a "Sinker[new term for duff beer]" then we PULL NO PUNCHES! I can take it!