Kuhnhenn Nine - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

goodbyeohio

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks northertimber for a growler.. aged in syrah barrels.. is this normal or a one off? either way, its barely detectable. served in my last remaining rapscallion chalice.

pours the color of grade a vermont tree juice, moves slow and bears a darker tan head that spews significance and strength. lacing left in hawaiian dots all around the glass and continental haze swirls on the surface. keen look for a belgian, what i'm looking for when i decant something as dark and sweet.

great nose, absolutely wonderful. treated leather meets an old port wine.. all the while, carried through with sophisticated air of booziness and belgian malt sweetness. perfect. raisiny with slight clove/lavender accents, this belgian strives for accuracy and presents really nice aromas. nothing off here to speak of.

smooth and silky, with adequate carbonation, this beer starts off with some banana. i question that, but at least it fits in line with belgian flavor territory. woody and vinous without being tart, heavy and slow-drinking without being overly sweet. impressive in its tameness yet still a big beer with unique character. banana begins, but brighter red fruits emerge on a bed of candied dates and figs. vanilla comes from the oak and really becomes noticeable in the finish. surprisingly no bretty funk overall. this beer picks up wood without the critters. nice.

drinkable? probably not. i wouldn't recommend this in 85 degree heat, like im drinking it in. still, im enjoying the hell out of it. so it must be good. avoid kuhnhenn bottles, drink fresh.

Serving type: growler

07-10-2006 23:11:15 | More by goodbyeohio

DMarlinJ

Michigan

3.49/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2011 Winter Solstice vintage.

Was afraid this would be dead, finding on store shelf today, but it still had life.
Nice looking foamy 1 finger head that stayed for a good while. I poured it a bit too cold into a tulip glass and let it warm. It had ample lace too. Totally black no light would shine through when held up to it. I think it looked pretty good for a dark ale, what else could I expect?

The smells lasted to the very end. Very pungent. Malts and fruitiness. Belgian.

Nice carbonation and for as sweet as it was not too sticky on the mouth
.
This tasted a lot like their double bock. Dark fruit plum, raisin figs. Malty and a bit sour. Got the alcohol too but not bad. This is a sipper or it gets overbearing for me. It took a long time to finish. I did not really enjoy it overall but it was worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2013 02:24:19 | More by DMarlinJ

SportsandJorts

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 2012

Appearance: a deep brown color. Completely opaque. A finger or two of a creamy tan head. Leaves a complete lacing.

Smell: strong scent. A mixture of dark fruit sweetness and more caramel sweetness

Taste: a short taste of dark fruits and caramel followed by a wallop of alcohol. Ends slightly sweet but mostly alcoholic.

Mouthfeel: starts off kinda creamy but leaves an alcoholic stickiness behind.

Overall: for the price kuhnhenns charges I expect a lot. This was well short. It is just okay. Alcohol taste is off putting and there is almost no complexity to it

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 22:35:58 | More by SportsandJorts

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

2012 Vintage poured in to tulip.

A - Dark brown; completely opaque. Half a finger of light brown head.

S - Dark fruit, Belgian yeast, clove, dark caramel and raisins.

T - Clove and Belgian yeast flavours up front. Dark fruit, dark caramel, raisin and a touch of cocoa also present.

M - Medium body. Somewhat thick at times and watery at other times, which was odd. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 01:48:41 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Mavigo

Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'm a sucker for belgian ale's so I had to try this when I was at Kuhnhenn's last night. Served in a tulip.

A: Is a cloudy, basically opaque dark brown, almost black color with minimal head, limited to a thick tan ring holding on to the rim of the glass followed by some lacing.

S: Smells phenomenal, dark fruits, bananas in particular, plums, brown sugars, yeast, barley, malts

T: Tastes phenomenal as well, flavors well balanced with the ABV, smooth flavor, very sweet, brown sugars, fruity, banana being the most discernible to me, belgian yeast, malts, warmth of the alcohol as well

M: Very smooth, rich beer right here, carbonation is on the lower side, great for me, very wholesome beer, good balance of flavors

O: Overall, this was a great beer, good representation of the style, though I have had better, this was still top notch and a reasonable price too, I was very pleased and would of course have this again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 17:37:14 | More by Mavigo

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served at the Kuhnhenn Winter Solstice 2012 from a 9L Salmanazar into some plastic tasting glasses then had later on in a tulip.

Dark brown body with some deep red hues, no head and no lacing to mention. Nose has dark fruits, bread, candi sugar and some liqueur candies. Taste has candied dark fruits, licorice, liqueur, a bit bready and quite sweet all around. Medium full feel, alcohol is evident. Sticky on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 20:00:00 | More by liamt07

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle courtesy of Drake. Served in a mini snifter. Pours a medium brown with a short off-white head. Nose has some dark fruits, bread, and banana. Light carame-toffee in the background. Flavor is malty with some dark fruits and moderate sweetness. Medium body and light carbonation. Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2012 19:01:54 | More by Thorpe429

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2011 vintage. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a AleSmith Horny Devil snifter.

A- pours a dark brown with a 1 finger thick tan head. Big trails and fingers of lacing on the glass.

A- sweet toffee and caramel, prunes, chocolate.

T- semi-sweet prune, raisins, toffee, chocolate, and slight roast.

M- full body and medium carbonation. Big chewy, creamy feel.

O- good beer with nice raisin/prunes flavors with not too sweet toffee and some chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 03:43:36 | More by kawilliams81

n2185

North Carolina

3.03/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a near-black with very little khaki head that remains as a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Tart and sour cherry aromas dominate at first followed by sweet breads, candy sugar, and subtle roasted malt notes.

T: Tart fruit up front here followed by some roasted malt and slight acetic flavors. The finish is a bit roasted and tart.

M: Medium body with low carbonation, the tartness saves it from being too watery.

O: Perhaps this was an infected bottle with the acetic and sour notes, though it was not over-carbonated like most infected beers. It tastes more like a sour stout than any sort of Belgian style. Not bad, though not particularly enjoyable, either.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 04:10:24 | More by n2185

webmanspidey

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a chalice. The bottle overflows upon opening. This is black in color and very fizzy. Smell is sweet with lots of dark fruits and semisweet chocolate. Taste is moderately sweet with some earthy/woody-flavors. Not overly complex, but this is surprisingly easy to drink. Mouthfeel is slightly creamy.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2012 00:20:10 | More by webmanspidey

Gmann

New York

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep chestnut brown color with a rather short dense head that settles into a light ring. Not all that impressive for a Belgian style.

The aroma is fruity and spicy. There is a noticable coriander presence to go along with a raisin sweetness. The coriander brings out a bit of a vegetal note. Perhaps some earthy tobacco but it is hard to get past the coriander.

The taste is of prune or raisin with some earthy carob. Big coriander presence which kind of ruins it for me. But looking past that, the beer has a nice bright dark candi sugar flavor and some earthy notes. The malt seems to have some subtle chocolate notes. I think I might detect some grassy bitterness as well.

The feel is light to moderate with very fizzy carbonation. Good balance between sweet and earthy/bitter flavors. ABV fairly well hidden though does pop its head out once in a while.

A solid BSDA but way too strong on the coriander. It is not a boozy mess which is a plus

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 02:00:22 | More by Gmann

superspak

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into tulip glass, winter 2011 bottling. Pours hazy dark brown color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense dark khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Some spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big banana, raisin, molasses, plum, caramel, bread, dark candi sugar, clove, light chocolate, and yeast spices. Nice, well balanced, and fairly complex aromas; with decent strength. Taste of banana, raisin, plum, caramel, toasted grain, dark candi sugar, light chocolate, molasses, and yeast spices. Lingering notes of caramel, dark fruit, molasses, and yeast spices on the finish for a bit. Much more sweetness over the yeast spices; but is not cloying at all. Nice flavor balance. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a creamy and slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden for 10% with hardly any warming after the finish noticed. Overall this is a very nice and enjoyable Belgian strong dark ale. Nice balance and complexity; and very smooth for a 10% beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 06:00:58 | More by superspak

BigPlay1824

New York

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed in a snifter

A: pours a black that is non transparent, pours with two fingers of fluffy mocha brown head that dissipates very rapidly, leaves a tiny amount of lacing 3.5
S: nice woody notes with a slight whiskey character 3.5
T: interesting taste, has a distinct sweetness on the forefront then kicks over to a nice maltiness, not chocolate but distinctly sweet, not sure what it is and just can't put my finger on it but nice 4
M: slight carbonation tingle, smooth and syrupy thick as is common with these high abv brews 4
O: a decent enough brew, not much really jumps out at you though, alcohol is nicely masked, happy enough with it 3.5

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2012 01:32:40 | More by BigPlay1824

cosmicevan

New York

3.4/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks to bierenutz for sending this my way. 2011 vintage poured into la trappe chalice.

a - poured a brownish purple with a somewhat thin creamy head that was gone quick. catches somewhat the BSDA look.

s - whoa that's interesting. figs and bakers chocolate with strong cranberry.

t - tastes just like it smells. figs and cranberries and some coconut and banana. not really a fan at first sip, but as i got adjusted to the flavoring i found myself enjoying it more and more. a belgian strong dark or dubbel...perhaps, but not in the traditional sense. some coffee flavors also. an interesting mix of flavors. the heat is there. pretty good beer, but not really anything to write home about.

m - fizzy as opposed to creamy, but not as bad as most american breweries. i can feel the booziness quick.

o - overall, not your classic american miss on a belgian, but far from the classic flavoring and feel. glad i tried it. i have another one of these that i think i'll tuck away and forget about for a year or two and then see what its like.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:46:23 | More by cosmicevan

fvernon

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2011 as a nice extra from camil1mj - thanks much! Poured at 50 degrees into a Deschutes snifter.

Pours a currant purple-black with a generous tan head that takes quite a while to settle down but leaves very little lacing. A nice galaxy of thin bubbles remains in the center of the otherwise dark purple/black universe after about five minutes. While still cold and coated the aroma is of caramel, toffee, and raisins, but as it warms and the beer begins to breathe a bit of fig, a strong dose of belgian sugar and yeast, and a slight astringent burn comes through. Over time the astringent quality becomes more dominant.

The taste is heavy on currants, cranberry, and green apple - that is, a sort of sweet-and-sour unripe tartness - and is more muted than I was expecting in terms of sweet malt. There is a slight juniper flavor in the background, and as I get into it there is more of a woody flavor... not oak, but more like paper. Dare I say this tastes a bit watery? There isn't a lot of body (at least for the style), and feels a bit unbalanced, although to be fair I'm still sipping away with a smile.

My end thought: it's nice and enjoyable, but feels like a shot at a belgian ale from someplace whose strengths are in other styles.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 00:48:15 | More by fvernon

travMI13

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 Winter Solstice vintage. 12 oz. bottle, poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter.

A: Deep, murky, chocolate brown with a very slight tan head. Head recedes very quickly. Moderate lacing.

S: Currant, plum, fig, raisin, and yeasty bread. This smells very true to the style. Nice.

T: Bread, candied sugar, plum, raisin, and Belgian yeast again. Again, very true to style. Very smooth. Not really detecting any kind of heat.

M: Slick and smooth with medium carbonation. Some sweetness, but I think it's just enough. Not cloying at all.

O: A nice example of a Belgian Strong Dark Ale. Is it the best Kuhnhenn beer I have had? No. But it is a very good example of the style, and I am enjoying this very much. Will definitely need to try it out again, possibly with some age on it.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2012 03:20:17 | More by travMI13

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2011 bottle

Pours chestnut brown with nice head and retention. Lacing is good as well.

The aroma is full of caramel and dark malts. Dark fruit as well.

The taste matches the smell minus a bit of intensity. Very balanced and tastefully done. Less extreme than I'd expect from kuhnhenns but still quite nice.

The body is medium full and medium light in weight. The finish is moderately dry and slightly sticky.

Overall, a decent beer. Tremendously drinkable and well balanced. I just didn't think it stood out as much as it could.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2011 04:46:56 | More by BBP

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: Black color. Two fingers of creamy tan head. Retention is good given the ABV and a short ring of lacing is left.

3.0 S: Metallic with coca-cola and caramel. Underneath there is plum, currant, and raisin fruitiness with hints of Christmas spices.

3.0 T: Like the nose. Lots of metal, coke, and caramel. Fruits in the form of plum, currant, cherry, and raisin. There's a fairly strong tartness in the taste. I'm not sure if this is infected or if there is actual fruit additions in this. Either way, it isn't bad, but isn't good either.

3.0 M: Medium body. Carbonation is a bit light for the style and not spritzy enough. Reasonably creamy though.

3.0 D: I do enjoy me some Kuhnhenn, but this was a bit of a disappointment.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 03:42:25 | More by DavoleBomb

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.05/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a dark raisin color with a creamy tan edging around my snifter

S: Aroma is metallic and slightly ashy clashing with a tartness that is hard to describe mixing with an earthy musty scent.

T: Taste did not surprise. I definitely pick up some belgian spicey esters, but they clash with dark roasted slightly ashy malt and a cherry tartness. Nearly none of the flavors go together well. It reminds me of sweet and sour sauce where it is interesting enough tasting that you want to keep sipping on it but neither refreshing nor that fulfilling, just more of a curiosity.

M: Medium mouthfeel, medium carbonation

O: I do think this is oxidized due to the mettalic finish mixing with roasty malts. It really is a different beer and I can applaud that, but nearly a train wreck that most people would love to watch.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 01:00:21 | More by alpinebryant

MasterSki

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased in the brewery in summer 2011.

A - A thin tan foam settles to a partial collar and a few wisps. Opaque cappuccino-colored body. Minimal lace.

S - Chocolate, cola nut, raisins, some slightly musky and overripe cherries and currants. There's a lactic yogurty character too - I think this may be infected, but it still smells pretty good.

T - Taste is a mixture of cocoa powder, Belgian yeast, roasted malt, tropical fruits, and yogurt. I'm guessing the latter two are from inadvertently introduced wild yeast? Again, it's strangely enjoyable, even though the Belgian Dark character only really shows up in the finish with some roast character.

M - Full bodied, sticky texture, lower carbonation, and a fairly dry finish. Alcohol is masterfully disguised, but I'd expect nothing less of Kuhnhenn. Could use a bit more spritz.

D - There are some very unexpected flavors in this beer that I don't remember experiencing when I tried this on draft. That being said I found it pretty enjoyable and had no problem polishing off a bottle as a nightcap. That being said, I suspect mileage may vary from bottle to bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 05:14:55 | More by MasterSki

HopHead84

California

3.38/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

10/23/2011

Extra from OHLRangers, thanks! Snifter.

A: Dark brown with a slight reddish tinge and a small light brown head.

S: Sugary peach accompanies grape, currant, plum, and cherry. The fruit is sweet and expressive, with a little tartness and some lactic notes. Malt is bread and caramel. Alcohol is well masked.

T: Tart grape and currant with a little cherry. I get a little chocolate and quite a bit of peach. Malt is bready with notes of sugar and a little caramel. There's a touch of alcohol and vinegar near the end. Quite sweet.

M: Upper medium body with moderate carbonation.

Overall: I'm not sure if the beer is supposed to be tart, but it sort of works with the fruit notes. Ultimately, this is far too sweet to drink more than a few ounces.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 22:17:30 | More by HopHead84

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to FourKicks for this bottle.

A: Pours a murky brown/red. This beer is super cloudy with very little head. There is almost no lacing as it drinks.

S: Smells of sweet malts, and plums. There is also a noticeable tartness of cherries and Belgian funk. I'm picking up notes of over ripened fruit and dirt, but not in a bad way.

T: The first hit is sweet, with an immediate shift to tart. It's like biting into a juicy peach and having it immediately change to sour cherry. There is an earthiness to this beer (whether wanted or unwanted) that I really like. The finish is sour, but not lip puckering.

M: It's a full bodied beer that leans towards the dry side in the finish.

O: I don't exactly know what to think of this beer, but I find myself liking it more and more as I drink it. It's sweet, and tart, and dry. Yup, I'm into it. Solid brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2011 03:30:03 | More by trxxpaxxs

ColdPoncho

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes

A - red/brown body, moderate brown head.

S - smells like a butt...uh oh.

T - cloyingly sweet malts, some dark fruit

M - syrupy, drying, pretty mediocre.

O - this is a pretty bad beer, methinks. It changed a bit over the course of the glass, and got a bit better, and less butt-like, but still wasn't too good

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2011 18:13:07 | More by ColdPoncho

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a reddigh brown. Orange halo around the edges. Some light tan head. Smells like a fruity oxidized mess. Some earth aromas as wlel. Tastes sweet... overly sweet and oxidized. Rusty almost. Fruity notes peak through. Overall not that exciting but drinkable. Another oxidized Kuhnhenn offering

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 14:50:52 | More by Urbancaver

brew3crew

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A- maroon brown body with no head what so ever

S-sweetness little bit of maltiness

T-very sweet caramel that finishes light and fluffy almost

M-light body and smooth. Very nice

O-very good beer. Glad I got it sent to me. The opinions varied widely on this one. Lots of people said it smelled and tasted like ass but i like it

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:19:13 | More by brew3crew