Export India Porter – The Kernel Brewery

Historic. Hoppy. Unexpectedly Bright.

Beer Overview

Export India Porter from The Kernel Brewery is a modern interpretation of the strong porters once brewed in London for export to British servicemen in India during the 19th century. Drawing inspiration from historic recipes from Barclay Perkins (1855) and Whitbread (1856), as well as research from the Durden Park Beer Circle’s Old British Beers and How To Make Them, this beer brings brewing history to life with a contemporary Kernel twist.

Rich and dark yet surprisingly vibrant, Export India Porter combines classic roasted malt depth with expressive hop character. Coffee and cocoa notes form the foundation, while bright hops add lift and freshness. With lively carbonation and a balanced body, it’s a porter that feels both historic and refreshingly modern.

Flavour Profile

Taste: Coffee, cocoa and toasted malt with subtle caramel sweetness and bursts of bright hop fruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a fuller texture and lively carbonation.
Finish: Roasty yet refreshing, with a balanced bitterness and subtle hop brightness.

Aroma

Roasted coffee, dark chocolate and toasted grain lead, followed by hints of fruit and herbal hop character.

Brewing Process & Uniqueness

The Kernel based this recipe on historic Export India Porter recipes brewed in London in the mid-1800s, when stronger porters were exported across the British Empire. While inspired by these historic beers, the brewery has refined the recipe to suit modern ingredients and tastes.

The malt bill features Maris Otter, brown malt, chocolate malt, crystal malt and a touch of black malt, creating layers of roasted flavour while avoiding the harsh acrid notes that can come from excessive black malt. Crystal malts add sweetness and body, giving the beer a fuller texture and rounded mouthfeel.

The biggest modern influence comes from the hopping approach. Rather than the traditional porter hopping schedule, The Kernel treats this beer more like one of their pale ales or IPAs — using generous late hop additions and dry hopping to bring aroma and brightness. American hops are often used for their bold fruit character, though varieties like Bramling Cross can add a more classic British note.

The result is a porter that delivers the depth of a historic London dark beer while offering unexpected freshness, fruit and drinkability.

Serving & Food Pairing

Serve at: 8–10°C in a nonic pint or tulip.

Perfect with:

• Roast beef or braised meats

• Smoked BBQ dishes

• Mature cheddar or blue cheese

• Chocolate desserts

• Sticky toffee pudding

We based our recipe on some of the old porters from Barclay Perkins (1855) and Whitbread (1856) that were sent out to British servicemen in India, and inspired by the Durden Park Beer Circle pamphlet ‘Old British Beers and How To Make Them’.

The ingredients and equipment they used then have of course changed, as have our tastes, and so we have made some modifications. We’ve tempered the roast character of the original with chocolate and crystal malts in place of some of the black: too much black malt can produce overly acrid, burnt and astringent flavours. Crystal malts bring a sweetness and fullness to the beer, and a bigger texture/mouthfeel. The main difference though is that our EIP is hopped in the way we would hop our pale ales and IPAs: lots of late addition hops for flavour, and we then dry hop when the beer is in tank.

We mostly use American hops for their intensity and fruity characteristics, but we like to experiment with the different flavours that arise when they’re combined with darker malts. Bramling Cross is our favourite for a more traditional British character, whereas Columbus works very well for a brasher, new world flavour.

The result is a dark brown beer that promises coffee and cocoa, but then the hops bring lightness, brightness and fruit, and the relatively high carbonation – unusual for a porter – make it surprisingly refreshing.

Malt: Maris Otter, brown, black, chocolate, crystal Hops: varies batch to batch Yeast: American ale yeast.

The Kernel Brewery is one of the most influential breweries in the UK craft beer movement. Founded in 2009 by Evin O’Riordain in Bermondsey, London, the brewery quickly established itself as a pioneer of modern British craft brewing through its focus on quality, balance and traditional brewing techniques.

Inspired by classic European and American brewing traditions, The Kernel became known for producing precise, flavour-driven beers that highlight both high-quality ingredients and careful brewing processes. Their hop-forward pale ales and IPAs helped redefine the style in the UK, often showcasing single hop varieties or carefully selected hop combinations to explore the unique character of each hop.

Alongside their celebrated pale ales, The Kernel has earned widespread recognition for its London-style porters and stouts, which pay homage to the capital’s historic brewing heritage. These darker beers combine rich roasted malt character with exceptional balance and drinkability, earning them a loyal following among craft beer enthusiasts.

The brewery operates from its home in Bermondsey, part of London’s famous Bermondsey Beer Mile, where it played a central role in shaping the area into one of the UK’s most important craft beer destinations.

Known for its distinctive minimalist labels and no-nonsense approach to brewing, The Kernel remains committed to producing small-batch beers that prioritise clarity of flavour, precision and quality above all else. Today, it continues to stand as one of the UK’s most respected independent breweries.

All beer from Indie Beer Fridge is individually selected from the finest breweries, we work closely with the breweries to bring you beer and brewing knowledge, be sure to check out our YouTube channel for exclusive content about many of the breweries we select.

All beer is cold stored to ensure you get the best quality beer delivered to you and so you get to enjoy the beer as the brewer intended.