Kuhnhenn Extraneous Ale - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. On tap at the brewpub.

Pours a dark mahogany with some red notes really making their way through in the light. Very thin head and a few legs on the side of the glass. Nose is strong with loads of fruit, caramel, dark fruits, molasses, brown sugar, figs, and certainly a touch of booze. The taste really accentuates some of the sweeter fruits and brown sugar and has quite a bit of booze.

Feel is good with a really nice body to support all the flavors and the hefty amount of alcohol, which is certainly present but doesn't get too much in the way. Drinks well and I'd love to grab a few bottles for aging.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2010 12:41:05 | More by Thorpe429

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed on tap at the brewpub. Reddish tinge to dark colour, reminded me of an olde ale. This batch was rated at 15.5% abv. Caramel and sweetish, and big almost chewy mouthfeel. In a word, boozy, brown sugar, mollasses, drop of licorice.Booze and some bitterness in the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

11-02-2010 13:01:48 | More by northyorksammy

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

This is the stuff hangovers are made of. On tap at the Blind Tiger last night.

Cear dark red with no head or lacing, as expected from a 17% beer. The nose is intense and beautiful. Very sherry like, oxidized with big currant and raisin with some vanilla. Leather, brown sugar are also present. Excellent stuff. The palate opens like red bull and vodka, blistering, sweet and phenolic. Huge sweetness is present, there's a long finish with plenty of sweetness and booze with currants and raisins. Full in body but very boozy and warming. A chore to drink, even the 4oz pour I got was too much.

Serving type: on-tap

10-31-2010 08:49:39 | More by DefenCorps

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.25/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I had this on tap at Kuhnhenn, 15.5% ABV. 6oz snifter, $7. The menu describes it as an "experimental dark red made with ginormous amounts of malt. Intensely creamy mouthfeel with light fruity esters and an aroma of bubble gum and vanilla. Sweet, yet unbalanced, this helps mask the alcohol content. We use a special yeast and long boil time to produce the caramel colors and aromas."

The beer is a murky dark copper color, transparent, with the thinnest of heads. It smells a bit alcoholy, this might be straight spirits based on smell. Clean malts, scotch-like (OK, not scotch-like really but in that direction). Burning ethanol battles it out with sweet yeasty estery flavors, this is strong but flavorful. Thickish body, matches the powerful flavors. Watch out for this one, too strong overall in my opinion. But I get it, pushing boundaries and all.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2010 22:08:57 | More by TurdFurgison

boomer31

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed 8-25. Taken from notes:

A - Deep ruby red with thick off white head that leaves qfuickly

S - Big fruit and malt topped off with huge alcohol

T - The caramel and fruity malt come thru much more than I anticipated at 15.5%. The alcohol really kicks you in the head and there are no hops to speak of

M - Creamy and little carb. I'm surprised at the creamy texture in this beer being so high in ABV

D - I got a short pour as they tapped the keg. The waitress came back with another full glass! Not gonna lie I didn't finish it. I guess that's all I need to say about drinkability

Overall I was happy to try this beer as it sounded very intriguing but was a bit disappointed overall. Tough to drink too much of this as the ABV is pretty high. Too bad the flavor profile was so dull.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2010 01:16:05 | More by boomer31

brentk56

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Arrive with a tawny color and an off-white film of a head that leaves a few streaks

Smell: Bubblegum, dark fruit and vanilla

Taste: Dark fruit on the opening with blackberry, fig, bubblegum and a hint of banana; by mid-palate, the caramel and vaniila arrive, only to be joined by a boozy, oaky bourbon flavor; after the swallow, a tart complexity arrives that balances the sweeter flavors and carries through to the finish though there is plenty or residual, vinous sweetness

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied with low to moderate carbonation

Drinkability: Another astoundingly complex beer from the folks at Kuhnhenn

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2010 01:14:54 | More by brentk56

MasterSki

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the brewpub - served in a 7oz snifter. This batch was listed at 15.5% and was described as an experimental high-gravity red ale made with a Belgian yeast strain - not sure how that translates to "American" barleywine, but I'm not sure what other category makes sense either.

A - Pours with a thing ring of foam that actually lingers for a while - there's a touch of film haze on the top of the beer, but nothing you could really call a head. The body is a dark woody brown color that displays a hint of transparency when held to the light. Pretty good-looking for a Kuhnhenn beer and considering the ABV.

S - Belgian yeast, bubblegum, raisins, and a wallop of fusel alcohol. I think this batch needs a bit more time to mellow out, because I'm usually immune to booze and this was too much. Surprisingly, it's not super-sweet like 5th Dementia. Usually long boils caramelize everything, but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

T - The taste is much, much, better - there's a lot less booze (although it is still there to some degree). Fruity esters, dark fruits and raisins, treacle, and some oaky vanilla. There was some confusion as to whether this was barrel-aged - it is, but I don't pick up a lot of overt whiskey flavors, just some tannic character in the finish. There's also a surprising and welcome bitterness too - I appreciate that this isn't liquid diabetes.

M - The menu says creamy, and they aren't lying. Decadent, sticky, full body, with a tannic and dry finish. Some obvious heat at the back end, but less that you'd anticipate. A touch more carbonation spritz would make this perfect.

D - Shockingly drinkable for what it is - I put it down 7oz surprisingly quickly. It's a sipper, but is a little easier to work through than 5th Dementia (BA or regular), or the Bourbon Barrel Barleywine. Still, it's probably for the best that there is a one per customer limit.

The Cassis variant is easier to drink, as the currants (and age) blunt the harsh solventy nose. Hopefully I can snag a few bottles at Summer Solstice and sit on them for a while to see if the same occurs with the regular version.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 23:02:38 | More by MasterSki

jrallen34

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap the brewpub into a snifter. I love how the menu says only one per customer. The bartender said it was becuase they never measured the abv, but they think its around 19%!!!!....A medium brown pour, hint of amber, light retention and lacing...The aroma is super strong and interesting for a bw, tons of bubblefum notes, light vanilla, just sweet in general. A total lack of hops which is weird, never come across that...The taste is close the aroma, very sweet for a bw. Malty gum, vanilla and hint of banana. Again no hop finish...Nice semi warm moutheell, this is super easy to drink for 19, much easier than black tuesday...To me not a tradtional bw, buts its super good. A must try.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2010 13:06:15 | More by jrallen34

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

GLASS: Snifter
TEMP: Served @ approx 40 degrees, allowed to warm to room temp
Had this at the Kuhnhenn brewpub. I was extremely stoked to see that it was on-tap. Especially after an almost 1,000 mile drive to get there.

This glass is filled with a deep, dark, ruby colored liquid. A thin head of slightly off-white colored foam sits on top. This fades to a nice ring around the edge of the surface. Lacing is fairly minimal, but what does form manages to be quite sticky.

Good gravy, that smells good! Loads of deep, rich, dark fruit notes just ooze from this glass. Lots of figs, dates, raisins and plums. I don't even have to lean down to it to enjoy it. When I do though, it becomes much more intense and is obvious that it is mingling with some very nice wood notes. Loads of caramel and brown sugar notes are here. The backside of this has a touch of booziness to it that smells a bit like bourbon. The menu gives no indication of Bourbon-barrel aging, but it has that certain smell to it.
The nose on this is very deep and complex and totally amazing.

The taste follows the quite well. Loads of dark fruit notes are the centerpiece of this brew. They are mostly sweet, but also have a touch of tart/tanginess to them, which gives a nice balance. A big, healthy, dose of caramel/toffee sweetness is also a key component. Nice level of brown sugar sweetness without being overpowering. Hints of oak hang around, giving nice touches of dryness, but never become too big. The light hints of bourbon presence are very nice.
My one-word review of this one would have to be "fuckingodamnedelicious".

This has a medium-to-full body to it, leaning very close to full. The mild carbonation level gives it a slight appearance of thickness, which works very well for this one. A slight viscous quality leaves some wonderful 'legs' on the side of the glass. Very smooth, but would benefit from a touch more creaminess.

The way high octane level of abv in this beer is completely masked by all of the complex and wonderful flavors. Here is yet another beer that should not be as drinkable as it is. So delicious and easy-to-drink, yet it will totally destroy you if you aren't careful. That must be why you are limited to one pour per visit.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2010 21:13:26 | More by coldmeat23

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap @ the Kuhnhenn Brewing Company on 4/24/10. Served in a snifter. ABV was listed as 15.5% for this batch.

Pours deep ruby in the glass, maybe almost a plum color, topped with a cap of off-white foam. This retains mostly around the edges of the glass, staying rich when swirled (which gives the head a bit more of burnt look) and leaving creamy froth down the sides of the glass. The aroma is thick and sweet in the nose with tart dark fruits, vanilla, green herbal hops, burnt sugars, toasted grains, and some green tannic character on the edges. Maybe a touch of bourbon but it's hard to tell with all that is going on. This sits in the nose with some heavy warmth, giving off a bit of a medicinal feel as I sit here and sniff at this.

The taste pretty much mirrors the aroma for the most part. Burnt cocoa and caramel malts, brown sugar, vanilla, dark cherries, & other fruity berry flavors galore. Oak hangs on the edges of the profile and there is an earthy bitterness across the back of the profile, which meshes with the more burnt feeling bourbon flavors towards the finish. The mouthfeel is full bodied, with some serious firepower going on behind it. This sits pretty heavy overall but there is also a good bit of creaminess to the carbonation that helps keep this flowing. The heat isn't off the charts or anything in the taste but it's definitely felt with a warm and boozy presence in the throat and chest after each swallow. Honestly, this probably drinks about as good as you can get for almost 16%.

Rich, complex, and almost decadent at times, this was a great night-cap after a great day of drinking. The sweetness and warmth almost get to be too much at times but the flavors here were enough to keep it out of the fire. This is yet another fantastic and flavorful alcohol bomb from Kuhnhenn.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2010 22:00:53 | More by Kegatron

walleye

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I think it is time for me to rate this beer. I have had this a couple of times over the past few months. 1st was at the brewery when Eric brought a couple of glasses out from the keg to try in late sept early oct. don’t remember when. Since than I have had a couple bottle of this. 1st off wow what a big beer aroma the bourbon comes out nice and smooth followed by a big hit of alcohol which is a little bit of a shock since the brothers usually hide it so well, than out came the caramel, chocolate, dark fruits, molasses. flavor was close to the aroma gotta love that alcohol burn and the bourbon flavor

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2007 00:55:57 | More by walleye

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.63/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

sampled on tap at the brewery dec 27/2006. listed as 17.5%

pours a deep brown, slightly hazy, with a thin ring of fine bubbles on top. no lace. you can almost see the water being driven up the side of the glass.

aroma is crazy. alcohol. bubblegum. tons of malt. loads of toffee and caramel. bit of roast. maple maybe. you can really tell this was boiled for 23 hours. the malt is just so intense and deep.

taste is great. alcohol is prominent, but not unpleasant. light bitterness. bittersweet chocolate. bready malt. light roastyness. toffee. dried cherries. currants. bit of vinous character. vanilla and oak. so many layers. fairly dry finish and nice and warm on the way down.

mouthfeel is good. decent body with a fairly dry finish. nice low carbonation level.

drinkability is good. fairly good balance between the alcohol, malt, and bitterness. still very warm on the way down. definite sipper. reminds me of a nice port. it's one of those beers that sort of defies classification. definitely worth trying and a really great beer. glad i picked up a couple bottles of this one to sample later.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2006 02:21:51 | More by grub

Gaisgeil

Michigan

2.75/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

For me this pushes the boundaries of what this brewery does best to a level not really worth visiting. I love how they push the limits generally and I love how malty their stuff tends to be, but this brew just goes too far. Liquid sugar! Color is a very hazy dark brown, reminds of a Belgian dubbel honestly, no head at all. Nose is of stewed fruits and molasses. Taste is a powerful combination of raisins, vanilla, molasses, brown sugar, vanilla and powerful alcohol, this reminds me of some sort of liquor honestly. Mouthfeel is slick and syrupy, sticks to the palate, coats the teeth. I feel like I've just drank liquid candy with some alcohol added. I wouldn't pass up another go at this, but I don't think I'll be seeking it out. Too much, too far. I applaud the effort and the experimentation, but for me, this just doesn't work.

Slàinte!

Serving type: on-tap

08-24-2006 05:34:44 | More by Gaisgeil

wifehatesthebike

Michigan

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2010 bottle properly cellared.

Dark ruby color, fairly translucent. Nearly flat and frankly unexciting.
Smells of dark fruit, syrupy sugar and bit oxidized.
Taste is a bit off putting to me actually. A blanket of thick sugary liquid, followed by bright dark fruit transitioning to a strange tartness. A caramel green apple comes to mind. A bit bitter on the backend.
Drinks and feels like a 9% aged barley wine crossed with a dopplebock.

Interesting to try but nothing I would purchase again.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:34:09 | More by wifehatesthebike

sweemzander

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle poured into a snifter. Thanks for sharing Matt!

(A)- Pours a deep reddish amber color. Some subtle froth and bubbles formed; very surprising considering the ABV.

(S)- A huge blast of a figgy fruitiness (some cherry & spice too). A touch boozy but not overbearing.

(T)- Similar to the smell. Very fruity and sherry-like in profile with a warming spice at the end.

(M)- A mellow carbonation level, but it fits. Warm sherry-like malts and flavor overall. Not overly boozy, but it does remind you that, yes, this has alcohol in it.

(O)- A uniquely massive barleywine. Its. . very strong to say the least but not necessarily in a booze sense; its just really really strong. You could age this for a decade without having to worry about it.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2012 14:31:34 | More by sweemzander

cosmicevan

New York

4.3/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

yet another kuhnhenn offering courtesy of my man bierenutz, enjoyed out of a kuhnhenn tulip.

2011 vintage - bottle says 15.5%

a - brew poured a dark plum brown with a thin head that was gone almost as soon as i finished pouring the bottle. swirling the glass brings things back to life for a moment. not the most attractive brew...kind of looks like idiot's drool (ick).

s - delightful. nutmeg, plums, raisins. the booze is there, but overshadowed by dark fruit. nice. great candied sweetness.

t - just like the nose suggests. nutmeg, plum, raisin and an assortment of booze soaked dark fruits. not as sweet as the nose suggests, but sweetness is there...the alcohol seems to tame it back. alcohol is definitely present in the taste, but it is a nice blend.

m - there is a bit of a boozy tingle in my mouth, but fairly tame for the ABV that this brew packs. dangerously drinkable for such a huge beer. smooth and easy...medium bodied not syrupy one bit.

o - overall, i'm floored by this beer. whether 15.5 or 17%, i've never had such a drinkable beer with this kind of ABV (aside from double black). truly a fantastic beer. after trying vintage ale the other night, i was a bit concerned that this would be a booze bomb, but it is not, it is fantastic and i'm really glad that this was my one and done choice for the night! cheers kuhnhenn!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 01:56:16 | More by cosmicevan

MarcatGSB

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into Founder's Snifter. 2011 vintage. Thanks Mike, appreciate it man!

A: Appears to have very little carbonation. A very murky deep brown colored ale with a thin film of small bubbles that do not last long resting atop.

N: Deep, dark fruit notes. Raisons, prunes, a sort of tart apple, maybe some maple syrup or cherry.

T: The nose, only multiplied. Great flavors dancing the border of Sauvignon Blanc notes...muddled citurs, with some dried fruit body, beautiful caramel like undertone.

M: A bit syrup like, but it's so full of life it doesn't need the carbonation, and works better without I'd say. It's not cloying, but it is thick, and leaves a very pleasant feeling and taste in my mouth.

D and O: Easy drinking for 15.5%. Very easy. A real pleasure to consume honestly. This has been in my fridge for a couple weeks, and it was worth the wait.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 21:37:14 | More by MarcatGSB

KevSal

California

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

big thanks to dblab for this beast. thanks buddy.

lots of changes going on at the moment, at work and with the band (auditioned a new guitar player today) needed something big to sip on while i do some thinking.

2011 winter solstice edition 15.5% poured into a tulip glass

a- appears very flat, small bubbles from the pour, in the glass looks like wine. dark murky brown, not like the usual american barelywine. thin coat of clear on the top, thats gotto be from the big 15.5 this one sits at.

s-tons of dark fruit! along with some pear and a tad of green apple. no apparent hops. im curious to know what type of yeast they used, this guy smells more like a beefed up quad than a barleywine especially since ive been on barleywine kick.

t-woa this follows the nose exactly, this one is screaming quad, a big beefy intense quad! lots of sweet dark fruit, some pear and slight fruity apple. the booze is very slight and only completely felt with the huge warmth in the throat and chest. although intense it i very tasty. strong aftertaste, cant really describe it, a slight tart in a way.

m- very thick and juicy, carbonation is evident on the tongue (or maybe thats the alc pricking my tongue.) i enjoy the mouth feel on this one.

o- as an american barleywine this one sucks. as a quad or even strong ale this one is quite good! after investigating the bottle, theres no indication of what style they are labeling it, maybe its miss catagorized on ba or more likely its change over time since its 17.5% days. another possibility is the winter solstice version is indeed a quad. either way man they know how to hide the alc! maybe thats why the flavors are so intense, i kind of wish i aged this one a few years, i can imagine this one smoothing out quite nicely. i also kind of regret not sharing this one with some friends who might have appreciate this guy.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 07:00:10 | More by KevSal

BBP

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 1.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Winter Solstice Version 15.5%

The appearance is hazelnut with a hint of red. Carbonation is nowhere to be found in the appearance, and lace isn't there either.

The aroma is characteristically sweet of an English barleywine, but with the hops that usually accompany an American barleywine. There's a bit of sugary sweetness, as well as a bit of bright fruits (cherry comes to mind) and toffee.

The taste is really quite smooth for a 15.5% barleywine. It brings the cherrylike sweetness straight up the middle so you can't miss it, but it quickly surrenders to the burly foundation of hops and malt. At a certain point, it comes across as a cherry coke sort of flavor, but it tastes a lot richer than that description would imply.

The malt and hops really provide depth to this, but balance eachother perfectly, and in doing so, make themselves seem a bit minimal. When all is said and done, this is very well rounded, and somehow balanced.

The body is medium thick with a medium weight to it. The finish is moderately dry and slightly sticky. Carbonation is there, but minimal as I really enjoy.

Overall, this was another nice barleywine from Kuhnhenns. They may perhaps be one of the best breweries out there for hiding very high ABVs and making them only evident in the heat as it goes down. Being one of my first few brews to try from Kuhnhenn's I expected this to be one of the less exciting brews that they'd have, but I think it and their BBBW are a couple real surprise hits that will keep me trying whatever brews I can from them.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 02:21:21 | More by BBP

flexabull

California

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010 bottle courtesy of jrallen34, thanks again!

Pours a dark cola brown color with a pretty decent light tan colored head.

Aromas are boozy, with dark stewed fruits, light graininess, and a really strong earthy pine note.

Taste is nutty and sweet up front. Creamy, malty, with some dark bready fruits, and a very slight hint of soy. Finish is warm and boozy, but not as much as the nose suggests, with some earthiness and pine hop notes.

Mouthfeel is full, but a bit too thick, and almost syrup like.

Overall, a good barleywine. I never like it when flavors of soy show up, but they are mild enough here to not detract too much.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 02:16:01 | More by flexabull

KeefD

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2010 Winter Solstice release, 15.5% ABV. Thanks to joshuaseresse for opening this one up! Review from notes:

Mahogany color, no head or lacing, a few noticeable carbonation bubbles slowly rising from the bottom, which is a welcome site since I typically don't care for flat beers. Aroma is a lovely mixture of chocolate, apple cider, caramel, with some herbal/grassy notes. Taste is wonderful! Lots of apple cider, spicy, fruity, brown sugar, raisins, light cherry, maybe a touch of brandy, and some red grapes on the back end. Basically tastes like loads of dark fruits macerated in brandy. Excellent stuff. Very boozy, but all is integrated well. Full bodied, light carbonation, but there's some in there for sure. Almost like a fine cognac. An all around great ABW. Definitely a booze fest, but I love it.

Just went back and looked at other reviews for this. Can't believe it's got such low scores recently. I must be crazy, because I seem to like it much more than other reviewers. But hey, that's why we all have different tastes and opinions!

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 21:22:58 | More by KeefD

maximum12

Minnesota

2.88/5  rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to FlandersNed & beerisheaven, each of whom sent me one more bottle to feed my need to sample everything every good small brewery ever put out. Been grooving on the little guys lately; more excited getting boxes of small breweries than whales nowadays. 2010 Summer Solstice offering.

At 15.5% split this 12 oz. bottle with my wife. Amusingly, the Summer Solstice bottle has "Extranous Ale", missing an "e" on the label. The Winter Solstice bottle is spelled correctly on the standard Commodore 64 labels (which I love, by the way). Lovely amber-brown, still as an April puddle. Smells like cheese, or old socks - muenster, specifically. Raisins, alcohol, too. Weird.

Extraeous Ale tastes better than it smells (I changed my socks too, just in case...), but there's still that jittery cheese smell in the background that I can't seem to shake. Otherwise, loads of caramel, mixed with dark eastern fig/raisin/date-type taste. Surprising flash of bitterness flits in & out, along with a high-heel of alcohol to the throat. Then an oaky sweetness takes over & drives this one over the finish line. Alcohol limits this one; cellaring might do it some good; six ounces of any one beer is seldom enough, but here, it suits me just fine.

Rather strange creature, this Ale; average doesn't do it justice. Still wondering about the Velveeta, but hey, nobody's perfect, right? Decent enough, butbutbut. Not one of Kuhnhenn's ocassional triumphs of mankind, but not a bad way to pass a few heartbeats.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 04:04:29 | More by maximum12

womencantsail

California

2.48/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Bottle thanks to Derek. Winter Solstice 2010 release at a modest 15.5%.

A: The pour is a dark brownish amber color with minimal off-white head and carbonation.

S: Smells really strange. There's sort of a funky cheese aroma (sort of like the powdered cheddar cheese from popcorn) up front, but it's quickly cut through by a sharp alcohol aroma. Lots of sugary sweetness and dark fruits like currants and raisins.

T: The flavor is a little better than the nose, but not really all that great. Lots of sweet dark fruits--prunes, currants, and raisins--and dark sugar. A little bit of metal and a super strong alcohol flavor.

M: Definitely full in body with a low carbonation that is somewhat syrupy.

O: Some of these really adventurous beers from Kuhnhenn just don't do much/anything for me and this was one of them.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 00:53:02 | More by womencantsail

joshuaseresse

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by the ever generous brian23456, thanks Brian. I believe this was released recently at the Winter Solstice 2010. Split with some other upright BAs. Poured into small taster:

A - Flat with little to no bubbles. Cognac color and a nice deep brown mahogany hue. A nice golden brown shines through the sides. I'd give it a 4.25 but will round up and round down a different category.

S - Huge notes of apple brandy. Pears and slight citrus hops and a bit of other pine tones.

T - Apples and tart brandy and other strong liquor barrel flavors. Caramel and citrus hops, flavors of lemon zest, bits of lime and blood orange peel. Bit of candy toward the end.

M - You can really feel the booze heat. A bit tart and puckering but just really boozy. I guess it is only 17%...

D - A really nice sipper. More flavors come out as it warms up (although it was served just a bit below room temp. Great brandy notes. But just an all around sipper...damn its boozy!

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 15:26:11 | More by joshuaseresse

BigMcLargeHuge

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Sweet trade bonus courtesy of goryshkewych over on ratebeer. Pours crystal clear amber with copper edges and almost no head. The aroma is big bold rich and yummy. I get buckets of figs, plums and cherries to go along with a thin layer of sweet malts and molasses. Wow! The taste is stunning and pushes me away from the tasting table. I get lush nearly vibrant fig notes running from rich thick sweet fruitiness to dank earthiness. Behind the figs are cherries, plums and dates. Between these bold sweet fruity notes are a couple of thin strata of molasses, malts and caramel candy. I think a couple of years will allow the bold dark fruitiness to smooth into the malts and molasses for a truly exceptional experience. As of now this fairly fresh 2010 bottle is a bit too much fruit forward yet yummy nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 20:52:26 | More by BigMcLargeHuge