Kuhnhenn Mayhem - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

blakesell

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +21.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the 12 oz bottle into a beveled pint glass.

Obtained from the brewery Jan 30 2010. Reasonably fresh.

Appearance- Beer pours reasonably still, not a lot of head at all that quickly is nothing but still manages to leave a little lacing on the sides of the glass. Beer itself is cloudy and brown amber. I keep trying to make more of the lacing but it just isn't that present.

Smell- Dark cherries and so much malt upfront the biscuit malt and cherry scent are really quite impressive here, showing us Americans what can be done with a Belgian style beer. Rich dexterous sweetness, I really think there's a probability of lactose sugars, but this is not detracting by any means.

Taste- Kuhnhenn does it again. Wow, sweet cherries, an overload of lighter malts in a darker styled beer, no hop presence or bitterness to speak of. Rich berries, I want to say something like a Loganberry or Marion berry. Wow, this is one beer I want to have more of to just savor.

Mouthfeel- Creamy, full bodied, effervescent, lightly carbonated, lightly warming.

Drinkability- I'm tempted to set the drinkability at 5 here, this is one impressive Belgian style, like none I have ever had before. Kuhnhenn shows again why I would love to go back to their brewery and will.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2010 00:00:33 | More by blakesell

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

02-15-2013 03:37:11 | More by Gonzoillini

gratefulbeerhead

Indiana

4/5  rDev +15.3%

12-24-2012 12:34:41 | More by gratefulbeerhead

AgentZero

Illinois

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-28-2012 05:19:25 | More by AgentZero

atone315

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +15.3%

11-15-2012 22:43:36 | More by atone315

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

10-19-2012 02:38:26 | More by t0rin0

bsuedekum

Missouri

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

07-06-2012 02:33:24 | More by bsuedekum

EnemyWithin

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle labeled April 2009. Bottle into Duvel glass on Feb 10, 2012.

Appearance: 3
Dark rootbeer black-brown body, not fully opaque that pours with a disappointing faint head that barely offers a complete covering. Quickly dissipates into a basically non-existing head that fails to foam with agitation.

Smell: 3.5
Dark rich malt with strong molasses aroma. Mild notes of candy sugar and dark fruit. No real hops aroma present. Overall, a nice aroma, but not too distinct. I wonder the impact the lack of carbonation has.

Taste: 4
Initially, a sweet dense molasses flavor predominates. Midway through also get brighter notes of dark fruit
Finishes with a moderate , crescendo-decrescendo of bitterness from the hops. Ultimately, left with a linger malt presence.

Mouthfeel: 2.5
Difficult decision to rate this given that near complete lack of carbonation; hard to strike a balance between the beer I’m drink versus that beer that way it was intended to be. It would definitely benefit from more carbonation.

Overall: 3.5
Good beer with great potential and enjoyable aroma/flavor profile. But suffer immensely from the lack of carbonation in its current state. I ultimately would not seek out the beer again because of this. However, if this beer did had adequate carbonation, it would be a strong offering. Thus, again I settle for a comprise with my score, as I feel I need to still consider the actual product I have.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 12:52:52 | More by EnemyWithin

klipper

Michigan

4/5  rDev +15.3%

05-14-2012 00:07:59 | More by klipper

maximum12

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

The last bottle standing in a fantastic trade last year with FlanderNed that brought all manner of Kuhnhenn goodness into my fridge. Not sure why I held this one for a while, but here it is. 12 oz. bottle.

Pigment is 84% black, 16% red, very dark, lovely crimson shading when held up to the light. Hard pour yields minimal visible carbonation. Smell is something to behold, vibrant caramel, light molasses, touch of smoke. The caramel smell is seriously enticing.

Mayhem peaks with the aroma. The swig is nose-wrinkling, with an overdose of prunes firing out of the gate. The caramel is present but overwhelmed, as is everything else: raisins, sherry, beginning of oxidation, cherry skin from Cayauga County. The flat character of the beer, married up with the prune/cherry mix, makes this very winesque; needs some oomph. Heavy, limping close to cough syrup territory. After the nose I was ready to inhale all night, but once it hit the palate, I'm kind of wishing I had someone to split the bottle with.

This beer has brought a new phrase to me: Nose Tease. Nothing that smells this good should be such a letdown. Average in an odd, roundabout way.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 02:23:52 | More by maximum12

ygtbsm94

Virginia

3/5  rDev -13.5%

02-11-2012 09:54:39 | More by ygtbsm94

bespin15

Washington

4/5  rDev +15.3%

01-15-2012 22:34:45 | More by bespin15

WorldWideStout

Maryland

4.03/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this as an extra in a trade two or three years ago. At the time, all the reviews were pretty bad, talking about tons of booze, and I decided I'd wait. Well, tonight, the wait is over!

A: A medium, warm brown. Absolutely no head.

S: Lots of fruits. Dates, figs, raisins. A touch of sherry, perhaps from oxidation. Honestly, it smells like an English-style barleywine.

T: ...and tastes like one too! Starts off with some plum and not-quite ripe dark fruits. The middle is where you really get the barleywine characteristics - rum-soaked raisins abound. The dark fruits are sometimes present in the middle as well, so I see why someone decided to call it a BSDA, but there's no Belgian yeast or spiciness here. The taste seems to thin out more than usual at the end. The aftertaste is, oddly enough, an innocuous roasted coffee note that isn't too strong, but does linger for awhile. There are some fusels present in the middle and end, but they're pretty tame.

M: Gentle but definitely present carbonation is there. It dies off halfway through the sip, but I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

O: This beer reminds me of JW Lees, one of my favorite beers. No one knew anything about this beer; the style, the alcohol, so I really didn't know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised!

My guess for abv %: 12

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 05:21:47 | More by WorldWideStout

TasteTester

Ohio

3/5  rDev -13.5%

12-17-2011 00:54:04 | More by TasteTester

Captainren

Michigan

5/5  rDev +44.1%

12-01-2011 15:06:49 | More by Captainren

brandoman63

Illinois

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-29-2011 23:25:51 | More by brandoman63

Amalak

New York

4.5/5  rDev +29.7%

11-21-2011 00:59:03 | More by Amalak

HopStoopid120

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +15.3%

11-15-2011 21:25:41 | More by HopStoopid120

ej285701

Ohio

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-15-2011 13:58:02 | More by ej285701

ithinkimasofa

Washington

2/5  rDev -42.4%

11-15-2011 08:04:05 | More by ithinkimasofa

JAHMUR

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +15.3%

11-15-2011 03:52:01 | More by JAHMUR

surlytheduff

Michigan

4/5  rDev +15.3%

11-14-2011 18:13:24 | More by surlytheduff

KAP1356

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle recived in a trade a while back. Marked 4/2009. Poured into a Weyerbacher tulip...

A - Poured a pretty flat and oily dark amber color. There is some very light carbonation noticeable, but no real head forms at all.

S - Nice fruit aromas here. Figs, prunes, dates, and some berries come out. Lots of cherry notes too and an almost chocolate covered cherry aroma as well. Caramel and some chocolate come out. Nice aromas.

T - Very similar to the nose, although the chocolate covered cherry comes out even more. Is this thing barrel aged? It comes across like a carbonated sherry. Raisins, dates and figs. Some vanilla and plum flavors also come out.

M - Really not much carbionation to speak of. Slick feeling and a medium-heavy bodied beer that is a bit thick.

O - Really wanted to give this a 3.75, but I rounded up. I enjoyed this one except for the mouthfeel. I'm not quite sure why it has received lower marks, but to each their own. Would like to know more about this beer to get an understanding for what it really is.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 14:01:34 | More by KAP1356

jamie2dope

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I received this as an extra from the very generous mikesgroove, thanks very much for hooking it up. This beer pours out a reddish brown color, with just a small lace for heading. The nose is fruit laden, with strawberry, prune, date and fig. A good amount of alcohol also shows up here. Same as far as flavor, though a nice balance shows up half way through. Mouthfeel is smooth, light on carbonation, and somewhere between medium and heavy body. Booze didn't seem too overwhelming. As a previous reviewer said, I am not sure why this received such poor markings. Oh well, I recommend this beer to anyone who has access to it. Cheers

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2011 02:39:51 | More by jamie2dope

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Grant – thanks!

Pours a dark amber color with a half-finger off-white head. The head recedes into a wispy layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of medium malts and booze-soaked medium and dark fruits – pears and figs. Also present are moderate amounts of breadiness and slight hints of dark toffee.

Tastes very similar to how it smells. Smooth and slightly sweet medium malt flavors kick things off and are joined quickly by sugar-dusted plum and fig flavors – the fruits are darker than in the aroma. Slight buttery toffee flavors make an appearance near the end of the sip before fading out into a mildly sweet ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It’s got a nice thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I didn’t have a problem finishing my glass and could have another.

Overall I’m surprised by the poor ratings for this beer – I didn’t think it was quite the bee’s knees but I found it serviceable. Worth a shot, but not worth seeking.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 19:12:20 | More by glid02