Kuhnhenn Aldebaran - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.01/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew was served from the tap at The Blind Tiger in New York, NY. It arrived in a generic tulip glass, glowing a dark amber coloring. The head was half a finger tall, composed of creamy tan bubbles. The head bubbled away, showing no real retention, but leaving thick sheets of lacing as the liquid descended. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared active. The aroma gave smoked bacon greasiness, herbal and soapy hop bite, deep nutmeg, pumpkin, and black pepper spice, spearmint freshness, fusel alcohol, and the bite of wet Belgian yeast. Our first impression was that the flavoring was that the hugely bittered phenolic waves struck a curious contrast against the berry, malty sweetness of the base. As we sipped, strong herbal hops, plastic and clovey phenols, caramel malt sweetness, black pepper, booze, and synthetic cherry syrups mixed for the start. The peak came with bright Belgian yeast twang, continued clovey spiciness and bittered chemical phenols, mixing strawberry and apple sugars, boozy fire, and surprisingly clean pale malts wash. The finish rolled in with soapy and herbal hop bite to the very end, with pale and caramel malts, more black pepper and boozy spice, and a strong aromatic muskiness with warmth. The aftertaste breathed of strong phenolic bite, clove, nutmeg, garlic aromatics, plastics, dust, deeply earthy hops, and acorn nuttiness. The body was medium, and the carbonation was higher. There was nice slurp, smack, cream, and pop to each sip, with a cooling coating left around the mouth. The latter bubbled off with a decent fizz, leaving a crisp, but mild astringency to hang on. The abv was easy, and this one sips nicely.

Overall, what we liked best about this beer was the strong pop of flavoring, with that big, spicy, phenolic character. Such boldness is interesting for the style, making it deeper and darker than many other Belgian IPAs. At first sip this beer is beastly, but he warms up nicely, with the spice being easily met by the sweeter caramel maltiness, and the herbal hoppiness by the end. The lack of a beautiful head takes a touch away from the experience, but the longer you sip on this, the better it gets.

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2013 00:13:43 | More by TheBrewo

cfrances33

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Blind Tiger in NYC. Served in a tulip.

Pour: Deep amber, with a finger of light rusty head. Head recedes and leaves no lacing.

Smell: Caramel malts up front, followed by a nice citrus. No super strong hop presence, but nice. A little bit of booze, and a nice Belgian yeast comes through with clove and banana.

Taste: Bitter citrus hops up front, followed by an overwhelming caramel malt presence. Lots of triple attributes with substantial Belgian yeastiness, cloves, pepper, and bananas. Booze is pretty substantial at first, but everything becomes better incorporated as the glass warms.

Mouthfeel: Light bitterness, and a pretty full body. Booze presence is pretty substantial throughout and really hurts this beer.

Overall: Interesting group of flavors, but just too much booze for this to be enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 16:22:37 | More by cfrances33

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

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

On tap at the 2012 Winter Solstice, into a tulip.

Orange brown with some offwhite head, moderate lacing and retention. Nose is spicy and yeasty with sharp citrus nose and a big dose of sweet bready malt that linger just behind the hops. Taste has more sweet malt, beautiful Belgian yeast character, huge fruity hop character and some spicing lingers into the finish. Some dryness, medium full feel and alcohol is well disguised. Medium carbonation is great for this beer. A very pretty American take on the Belgian IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-26-2012 20:07:44 | More by liamt07

CHickman

New York

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Oon tap at Rattle-N-Hum in NYC: pours opaque Tootsie Roll brown with a creamy 1 finger tan head that faded slowly and left excellent lacing coating the glass and a creamy layer on top; the color was odd, but it was a great looking beer.

Smells of sweet caramel, piney hops, pine cone, syrup, toffee, floral hops, orange peel, brown sugar and booze like rum; not your typical IPA nose with a lot of sugary sweetness and booze basically muting the hops.

Tastes like caramel, piney hops, pine cone, grains, syrup, toffee, floral hops, herbs, orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and booze like rum or merlot; like the nose, the taste is more like a porter than an IPA, rich with sweetness and booze and light on the hops.

Mouthfeel is very creamy, smooth and boozy, with a heavy chewy feel, light fizzy carbonation and an overall thick feel. It was quite dense for a beer in a good way.

Overall it was not a very good representation of a classic IPA, but the style is evolving and this was average tasting and did a great job of hiding the high ABV. Worth a try, this was a slow sipper that was misclassified at the bar as a DIPA, but still a good beer all in all. This does not have IPA hop bite or a Belgian beer's funky yeast presence, but again it's worth a try as it was a solid effort.

Serving type: on-tap

09-14-2012 03:19:05 | More by CHickman

jmunsters

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on tap, in a snifter, at Hopcat in Grand Rapids, MI.

A - Poured a cloudy copper color. Barely transparent. Arrived at our table with a bit of head left from the pour. Lacing clings to the glass throughout drinking it.

S - Caramel, citrus, sugars. Not getting a lot of a Belgian yeast.

T - IPA for sure. Hints of Belgian yeasts on the palate fades to a crisp malty backend. It's hopped, but not crazy. A little boozy. Very balanced.

M - Nice carbonation. Easy sipping. The bit of booziness (and the high ABV) keeps it from being incredbly refreshing.

O - I enjoyed it quite a bit. So much so I'm reviewing it from a growler fill at home.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2011 23:42:50 | More by jmunsters

Gigantis

Michigan

4.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I think I may have had a different experience with this beer than most of the reviewers. I had it on tap at a beer bar near where I live and the bartender, who is very well-connected to the Kuhnhenn folks, told me to be careful with this one since it is 14%abv. That's quite a lot! Certainly more than 8.5% listed here.

But anyway,
The beer is a murky, burnt amber in hue. It sort of looks like a redder Guinness before it sets since the. Sort of looks like swirling swamp water (but darker obviously). The head is a healthy, frothy off-white and quite sticky.
It smells a little like most double IPAs: pine, hops, a little grapefruit. This one has aromas of woodchips, saffron and some serious Belgian yeast quality as well. That is the only characteristic of this beer I would liken to a Belgian IPA, but that is not necessarily a bad thing since I found this rather mysterious beer incredibly enjoyable once I actually started drinking it.
It has a thick, syrupy feel to it. Not that it didn't look thick, but it pulls off this texture quite well. A truly well-balanced beer, the Aldebaran (if that is its real name) gets you nice hops n' tartness and then goes darker as the smoke and carmel come through. It truly tastes more like a barleywine than anything else but what a barleywine it is. It finishes sweeter but this quality is mitigated by the alcohol burn. I wouldn't say it tastes like 14%, but you know it's there.
All in all, I wouldn't want more than one in a sitting because I certainly felt it after I finished this beer. I came back the next night to get another one and had it slower.
Another great one from Kuhnhenn.

Serving type: on-tap

04-07-2011 19:31:30 | More by Gigantis

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at Kuhnhenn in a tulip.

Appearance: The tulip arrives with an amber brown beer inside, with a thick white head that slowly fades to a ring, leaving spots of lacing down the sides of the glass.

Smell: Sweet candy, bubblegum, and citrus and herbal hops. More robust aroma as it warms - some alcohol, floral and more herbal notes peak through.

Taste: The flavor starts out with some caramel malt, candy sweetnessm and citrusy hops. Bubble gum and some Belgian yeast, there is such a champagne like dryness here, then some herbal hops pop through.

Mouthfeel: The feel is dry and lightly sticky, with medium carbonation and a fuller than medium body for the style.

Drinkability: Definitely a sipper, this was an enjoyable example of a Belgian IPA. I would definitely like to go back and try this again, Belgian IPA's may take a few tries to get the full flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

01-12-2011 18:35:01 | More by KickInTheChalice

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.53/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed on 6/19/2010. On tap at the brewpub. Pours a clear amber brown with a thick white head. Aroma of Belgian yeast and rich sweet malt. Flavor of spices, Belgian yeast and citrus, tropical fruits, and caramel malt in the finish. A nice blend between a Belgian ale and IIPA - both styles make their presence in this beer (perhaps IIPA wins out). Pretty tasty and enjoyable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 23:13:46 | More by LilBeerDoctor

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.28/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes. On tap at the brewpub.

Pours a copper-amber color with a finger-and-a-half of white head that dies down a bit quickly but leaves behind some nice lacing. The nose is strong and loaded with hops, mostly citrus with the dominant components being orange and grapefruit.

The taste is even more hops with a fairly-aggressive amount of bitterness. This leads to a nice dry finish. However, it gets a bit boozy toward the end. Drinkability is pretty good and this is another solid DIPA from them. Interesting that I've really enjoyed their DIPAs but have gotten into their single IPAs quite as much.

Serving type: on-tap

11-12-2010 12:24:20 | More by Thorpe429

jrallen34

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the brewery into a tulip...Pours a super dark orange, good retention and lacing...The aroma is light, medium fresh hops a little bubblegum and pine, slight alcohol finish...The taste is ok, nothing special not a great dipa, too much alcohol, pine presents but not too much but still distracting...The bartender told me this was his favorite beer. Its ok, nothing special, but a decently drinkable dipa.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2010 03:05:43 | More by jrallen34

Tone

Missouri

3.93/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, copper color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Poor retention and slight lacing. Smells of floral hops, yeast, dough, citrus, and sweet malt. Fits the style of an American Double / Imperial IPA. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp with an average carbonation level. Tastes of strong floral hops, citrus, slight sweet malt, and slight yeast. Overall, a good aroma and body, but lacking in appearance.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2010 22:35:19 | More by Tone

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.4/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub.

Pours a clear dark amber with a finger of off-white tan head that shrank down into a great looking layer of creamy retention that left just huge, thick lacing behind. The aroma is a big ole' fume of heavy sweet malts, pine, floral hops, yeasty notes, and rye.

The taste is a well balanced mix of piney hops, floral notes, spice, yeast, deep, sweet caramel malts and a touch of dry rye notes. The mouthfeel has a medium full feel with an excellent rich and creamy texture to it.

Wow, this was solid. They called this a variation of a Belgian IPA at the brewpub and I would be inclined to agree based on the yeasty nature of this. Maybe a Belgian style DIPA? Anyway, whatever it was, I loved the flow of the flavors in this and the overall drinkibility was great for a 9% beer. Definitely don't hesitate to try this if you see it at the brewpub. Great stuff!

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2008 16:55:48 | More by Kegatron

Pointman

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An IPA with Belgian yeast.

The beer pours a reddish brwon into into a tulip, a very thick head with strong lacing.

Strong pine and juniper hoppiness with that great Belgian yeast finish. Awesome!

Taste was very much like the nose, but the malt came out more in the mouth than on the nose. Other flavors include clove, corriander and the yeast.

The mouthfeel is very full and I just like the way it goes down. The alcohol is well masked.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2008 21:10:29 | More by Pointman

Monkeyknife

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one at the Kuhnhenn brewery.

Poured a dark red-amber with a creamy tan head.

Aroma of piney hops, Belgian yeast, and sweet malts.

Tastes of pine, rye, Belgian yeast, caramel, tobacco, and malts. A strange mix of flavors that work incredibly well together.

Medium mouthfeel, smooth and creamy, and moderately carbonated.

This was so easy to drink. A nice mix of American IPA with a Belgian twist.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 23:34:32 | More by Monkeyknife

CortexBomb

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Really interesting concept here by the Kuhnhenn Brothers...an IPA, but with Belgian aspects. The beer pours deep ruby into a tulip, a fairly thick head that sticks around for some time before fading off into the sunset. Big piney hop aromas, which pairs, very interestingly, with the spicy Belgian yeast. Yum.

The flavour on this was similar to the nose: it features a strong malty backbone with a strong, piney hop zing, but then pairs that with the cloves and coriander that one would expect from a Belgian beer. Really unique combination.

The mouthfeel on this is good, full, and enjoyable. Drinkability, also good. Smooth drinking, reasonably priced, good beer.

The bottom line: Aldebaran is yet another interesting brew by Kuhnhenn, combining the typical IPA style with the Belgian yeast has created a tasty new hybrid that I will be having again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-29-2008 16:49:06 | More by CortexBomb

cosmicevan

New York

3.95/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Big thanks to steimie for lending a hand with this one. Very much appreciated. Enjoyed in a kuhnhenn snifter.

a - brew poured a fairly still ruby mahogany. Some spotty lacing bjiut really no head to speak of.

s - caramel malts and hops

t - just like the nose. Resembles an american bareley. Nice flavor. Some hints of an amber ale.

m - softcarbonation, bitter body and finish.

o - overall a nice beer. Very amber crossed with an american barleywine. Big toffee and pine cone hoppiness.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2013 02:29:43 | More by cosmicevan

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.79/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks saisonrichbiere for the hook-up

The beer pours a dark rusty amber with flecks of sunset orange held to the light and is topped by a loose off-white head that mildly laces. It's definitely the darkest BIPA I've seen. The nose is citrusy/earthy hoppy, with notes of peppermint/bubble gum, caramelized sugars, and a touch of booze. Honestly the nose is all over the place and shape shifts as the beer warms. The taste is solidly hop-forward with a potent yeast-infused sweetness to match. I catch flavors reminiscent of unripened pear, candi sugar (or some type of unrefined, molassesy sugar), and prunes. The moutheel is predominantly caramelized sugar, medium bodied, boozy, with a lingering sweetness and bitterness. Tasty, beer, but a reminder that I like my Belgian beers separate from my IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:36:14 | More by ThePorterSorter

smalenberg

Michigan

3.91/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a Duvel tulip.

A - No head to speak of despite a fairly aggressive pour. Small line of bubbles around the rim isn't thick enough to qualify as foam. (Started to wonder if it is flat, but it isn't, maybe too cold?). Reddish amber.

S - Resiny hops with bubblegum esters and malty sweetness. Somewhat bready giving a hints to the big grain bill.

T - Grapefruity tart/hop bitterness comes first with sweeter maltiness following close behind.

M - Dense and full bodied, with some alcohol heat felt in the chest more so that the mouth. Smooth without the drying character often found in IPAs.

O - A nice brew, but to me, the combination of styles doesn't hold a lot of appeal. I think I'd rather have a DIPA or a Trippel. Blending the styles didn't really add anything for me, but it was pretty well executed nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 00:33:33 | More by smalenberg

superspak

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle into signature tulip glass, 2012 Winter solstice bottling. Pours fairly crystal clear orange copper color with a small fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of mango, orange, banana, pear, apricot, clove, pepper, bubblegum, caramel, bread, and earthy yeast spiciness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of fruitiness, spicy esters, and malt notes. Taste of orange, mango, banana, pear, clove, bubblegum, pepper, caramel, toast, brown bread, and earthy yeast esters. Light spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of tropical fruit, citrus, banana, pear, clove, bubblegum, pepper, caramel, toast, brown bread, and earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice balance and complexity of fruitiness, spicy esters, and malt; with a great balance of sweetness/spiciness; and zero cloying flavors present after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a fairly creamy, slick, and slightly sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Very smooth to sip for being 9.25%. Overall this is a very nice Belgian IPA. Good balance and complexity of fruity, spicy, and malt notes; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 04:31:24 | More by superspak

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy copper with a mild light tan head.

S: Aroma of belgian yeast, pepper , bittered earthy hops and spices.

T: Deep caramel flavors with lots of pepper and herb flavors. I tasted a bit of basil and some vanilla with pepper and dark fruits. Extremely complex flavors coming out of here. Earthy hops that are well rounded and do not take over the malt or yeast backbone. Clove and bubblegum esters along with dark plum flavors. There is also a bit of musty taste here that I picked up at the end along with the caramel flavors that surprisingly come back out after a sip or two warm in your mouth with hop garlic. This beer is similar to a Belgian strong gold ale with steroids propping it up with the depth.

M: Medium body with light carbonation.

O: Definitely a complex beer that is clearly worth a shot. So many flavors are in here that you will want to sip it slowly to make sure you pick them all up.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 01:21:13 | More by alpinebryant

buschbeer

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle
served in a tulip glass

A - It is a deep amber color and clear. I got virtually no head. I got aggressive towards the end of the pour to managed a quarter inch of beige head.

S - I get a weird smell that I can't quite place. I do get some alcohol. The bottle described a banana and bubblegum aroma. I don't get that. I do get some citrus and maybe a little pine.

T - The taste is a weird meld of citrus flavors. Now I do get some banana in the aftertaste. The more I sip, the more I become aware of some pine. I has a clean finish.

M - It is moderate with low carbonation for an IPA. Almost slick on my tongue.

O - I bought this right after the Winter Solstice party. I thought it was a Belgian pale ale. I may have sit on it too long. Oops. It wasn't a bad beer, but the hops have probably faded. It is my fault if that is the case. When you have over a hundred varieties of beer some are going to fall through the cracks.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 23:26:37 | More by buschbeer

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

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

A- pours a dark amber with a 1 finger light tan head. Big blotches of lacing remain on the glass.

S- big grapefruit, banana, pineapple aromas along with sweet malts, candi sugar.

T- caramel, grapefruit, pineapple and oranges, very bitter orange peel, and some coriander and spices.

M- medium body and carbonation. Starts off fairly easy drinking but then abv and bitter, dryness comes in.

O- just a ok beer. Aroma is nice but the bitterness and spice overtakes the sweetness, and this beer isn't as balanced as it needs to be.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 00:32:21 | More by kawilliams81

aasher

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One of my coworkers brought this back from his weekend trip up to Michigan. Wowzers!

This beer pours a light bodied and very clear dingy copper in color with a soapy one finger head. The nose is incredibly fresh and has a really nice floral hoppiness to pair with a touch of yeast near the end. The nose is really nice and pungent. The flavors are nice and yeasty with slight caramel malt and almost a slight candied malt aspect before finishing moderately dry with a nice hop bitterness. It drinks light in body with a nice flash of flavor before going on the hoppy side. It doesn't drink like an imperial Belgo either. The alcohol is well masked. Overall this is a really interesting beer. I've never really seen a 10%+ Belgo before and this is done nicely.

Serving type: growler

03-08-2012 19:45:03 | More by aasher

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Labeled Winter Solstice 2010. One year old, so hopefully the sample I am reviewing isn't biased by age.

Body is red-gold with thick sticky yellowish-white head. I love IPAs that are visibly chewy before you even take a sip.

Nose is sharp and sweet with an almost harsh hop bite. A bit of Belgian-ness is there also.

Flavor is very big. Lots of sweetness here (maybe like a Dreadnaught) but huge hop flavor as well. The Belgian component is noticeable on the finish, but just barely.

Mouthfeel is sticky and rich, with a bit of that hop-strippiness on the tooth enamel.

Overall is very good. It's still a bit hot, and the sweetness may be elevated from age, but it's a really good beer.

I generally love Kuhnhenn's dark beers more than their hoppy beers, but this is an exception. Great stuff!

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 03:07:39 | More by ghostwalker

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Mark – thanks!

Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a cream-colored head that leaves decent lacing.

Smells of caramel malts with good amounts of pine and herbal hops. Also present are slight amounts of indistinct spices and bready aromas.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Slightly grainy caramel malts up front are joined quickly by good amounts of pine hops. Midway through slight spices and hints of medium fruits come into play, fading out into a moderately bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with decent carbonation.

Overall this was a solid beer but there wasn’t enough Belgian in the Belgian IPA to make it worth revisiting.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2011 16:49:04 | More by glid02