Kuhnhenn Mayhem - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

coldmeat23

Oklahoma

3.95/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

GLASS: Snifter
TEMP: Cellared @ approx 55 degrees
VINTAGE: April 2009
Thanks to mjd83goblue for this one

Murky brown is really about the only way that I can describe the color of this one. A (very) small head forms and quickly dissipates. 'Tilting' the glass gives a little bit of lacing, but what's there is fairly slick and goes right back into the liquid in a few seconds.

Tons of deep, rich, cherry notes. Loads of toffee caramels. A good touch of booze. Good presence of raisins. Huge maltiness. Good notes of dark fruits, in general. Very candy-like in its sweetness with a slight hint of a medicinal quality.

Not nearly as sweet as I expected, surprisingly. Good presence of caramel maltiness. Nice hints of dark fruits, especially raisins and cherries, along with a few dates. Mild toffee notes. Slight presence of brown sugar. The booze from the smell is almost nowhere to be found. Weird.

It is very smooth, but the (extremely) minimal carbonation kind of hurts it, IMO. The body of this one could be so much better and help to make an amazing beer.

This is a very big, bold, decadent beer. It is not for everyday consumption, that's for sure. However it is fairly easy to drink, when you want. I think that it would be even easier if it had some tiny, creamy, bubbles in it.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 20:34:01 | More by coldmeat23

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottled April 2009

Poured into bruery snifter.

Pours no head at all. As a result, no lace. Color is a dark bark brown.

Aroma: Dark malts, raisins, molasses, dark fruits, cranberries, dried cherries. Very malty, but packs a huge flavor. Awesome.

Taste: Huge malt profile. Reminds me of a quad. Raisins, cherries, plums, chocolate, caramel. Big and malty but lots of flavor. Some grapes, molasses and more big malt flavor. Solid.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and rich. Medium to full bodied. Low carbonation. Ends dry and malty.

Overall, this beer is pretty massive and I am enjoying it. It has a huge flavor and is pretty tasty. I really am enjoying this beer. Drinkable and I want more.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2010 07:08:28 | More by mothman

david131

Michigan

2.85/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- A very murky brown liquid with no head. Looks pretty flat and bland.

S- Brown sugar and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. Wow. Smells very hot and one-dimensional.

T- Sweet brown sugar with some alcohol. Sweet up front and then nothing at the end. Oddly bland.

M- Flat and smooth. Where is the carbonation?

D- A very odd beer. Not much flavor and no carbonation. The sweetness saves this beer a bit. Not worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 04:20:44 | More by david131

semibaked

Kentucky

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured in a pint glass

A - Kinda looks like unfilitered cider, pretty murky. Absolutely zero head.

S - Pleasant smell of candy, slightly medicinal and some raisins

T - Syrupy cough medicine with some dark fruits like prune and raisins, the initial sip was very off putting but got better throughout drinking also has a acidic quality to it too, I wish there was some carbonation and a little too boozy.

M - On the watery side was expecting a little more body.

D - Glad I got to try this but I don't think I would want another one maybe just not my style.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 00:24:05 | More by semibaked

alexgash

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle. Label says "April 2009."

Pours a murky dark maple syrup brown. Virtually no head, even with a slightly vigorous pour. A few ring-y bubbles is all I get. Hmmm. Boozy toffee, with hints of pears, madeira, and vanilla on the nose. Big caramel and toffee malt flavors start things off and don't back off. Light roastiness around the edges. Earthy, oaky, and a little vanilla-y. Sweet, boozy fruit plays a big part as well. Concord grapes, pears, and fruit cocktail. Quite warming. Some vegetal bitterness in the finish, but this is a very malt/sweetness heavy beer. Medium-bodied with an almost flat mouthfeel. The result is a bit watery and under-bodied for the strength and maltiness. Some carbonation would help, but this beer is still a little too lopsided and hot.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 01:50:19 | More by alexgash

womencantsail

California

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Bobby for opening this (apparently) rather obscure bottle last night.

A: The pour is a hazy dark amber color with very little in terms of carbonation, but a thin off-white head.

S: I was disappointed by the nose on this beer. It is intensely alcoholic and hot (almost like bourbon), to the point where it begins to cover up the fruit and malt aromas.

T: Surprisingly, the heat that is present on the nose really dies down on the palate. The dark fruit flavors give an almost red wine like feel to the beer and go well with the caramel malts.

M: The beer is very full bodied, but the low carbonation does not work all that well with this beer (and this beer style).

D: Although the nose is quite boozy, the flavors of the beer are actually nice. The low carbonation (leading to a lackluster mouthfeel) knock down the enjoyment of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2010 18:18:30 | More by womencantsail

BMoney575

Michigan

2.93/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Sampled on 1-26-10
Bottled in April 2009

Pours an extremely cloudy dark brwon color, with no head at all, and very slick, clear lacing.

Smell is surprisingly aged, very sweet, and a little Belgian. There's a cloyingly sweet boozy edge in there too.

Taste is huge booze and sweetness, but after that, nothing. Amazingly bland.

Mouthfeel is very thin, almost flat, and disappointing.

Drinkability is poor, see above.

Overall, lately Kuhnhenn has been hit-and-miss. This is a miss.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2010 23:42:01 | More by BMoney575

emerge077

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle reads "April 2009" in tiny print.

Pours out a murky dark brown, not much carbonation, just a few juice like bubbles that string themselves along the rim of the glass, leaving a still, glassy surface. This looks like some of the English old ales i've tried that were way old and oxidized. Turning the glass, I see some tiny trails of super slow carbonation (I think). Never have I seen bubbles rise that slowly...this stuff is thick as gravy. Swirling only kills the larger bubbles that were lingering from earlier.

Aroma is decent, fruit leather, raisin and prune. Sweet and a touch boozy. A little maple syrup and brown sugar shine through.

Whoa, this is strong stuff... Alcohol is upfront, real boozy. I'd guess an ABV in the double digits. Bitter astringency is a little off-putting. Sweet, syrupy, stewed fruit taste. Sort of medicinal with lingering sticky sweet cocoa. Definitely brash and unbalanced, undercarbonated but not quite flat. Finishing this will be a task, but i'll force myself. The taste would be fine if the alcohol was dialed down, it's 10 mo. old at this point and still too hot.

Picked this up on a whim, glad it was only a single. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2010 02:10:55 | More by emerge077

webmanspidey

Michigan

2.9/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Bottle poured into a snifter. Dark brown/purple color without much head. Smell is heavy alcohol, grapes, raisins, and nuts.

Taste is a boozy mix of raisins, grapes, plums, nuts, black licorice, and chocolate. Finish is mostly bitter. Though complex with some pleasant flavors, it can be a little overwhelming and a little tough to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 03:25:33 | More by webmanspidey

HopHead84

California

2.68/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

12oz bottle received as an extra in a trade with Eyedrinkale. Thanks Mike! The beer pours ruddy brown with a diminutive beige head.

The nose is of prunes, leather, grapes, figs, caramel, raisins, dates, soy sauce, brown sugar, malt, earthiness, and booze. I know nothing of this beer's origins, but the bourbon character is undeniable.

The flavor is raisins, dates, brown sugar, figs, and booze. The sweetness is cloying. The mouthfeel is slick and low on the carbonation. This wasn't very good. I'd prefer not to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2009 08:41:26 | More by HopHead84

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.33/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Bought a New Beer Distributors in New York. Being the first and only Kuhnhenn beer I've seen in my limited operations in the US.

Pours a pretty viscous and murky dark mahogany colour, with very little head - just a mashed conglomeration of large bubbles that are more likely to do with aeration during the pour than carbonation. Head is certainly disappointing, but it seems this is a pretty heavy brew - the colour is great though, and the weight in the body is quite exciting.

Huge port aromas on the nose - certainly big booze notes, and sweet rich malt or fortified wine characters. A little tannic aroma around the edges too - some leather and turned earth, almost hinting at crushed black pepper, although the spicy alcohol phenols could be responsible for this. Overall, it's a mellow and sweet but darkly captivating aroma. I approve.

Taste is initially smooth, hinting at big plummy Belgian characteristics, but this rapidly shifts to a rather potent estery heat that soon evaporates off the tongue, leaving bitter dark notes residual. The alcohol note is pronounced, leaving a solvent-like sharpness on the palate. The bottle gives no hint as to its ABV, but I'm guessing high, and what's more, it feels it. The initial sweetness is ripped away by the alcohol, leaving a beer that requires sipping, and even then requires some discipline to get through.

It's a pretty robust and confronting brew, and it does have layers of complexity. But it also has some brash and dominant characters which aren't entirely pleasant. I found it difficult to get through, although perhaps sharing a bottle with a friend or three might make the experience more enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2009 21:52:42 | More by lacqueredmouse

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -15%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a very dark brown almost plum color with very slight hints of dark leathery brown hues when held to a light source. Completely opaque with only some slight bubbling creating a very thin light beige head that immediately disappears.

Strong estery alcohol aroma with lots of dark fruit notes and a heavy dose of bourbon. Some sweet chocolate malt with hints of prune, fig, raisin and plum along with more alcohol and bourbon.

Medium bodied with a lot of earthy leathery malt, slight bitterness, strong dark fruit and a ton of alcohol heat. Slightly roasted chocolate malt with a lot of sweet dark fruit, especially, grape, raisin, date and plum but this is all overpowered by a very strong alcohol flavor and warmth/burn in the finish. Kind of like an estery fruity Belgian barleywine with way too much of an alcohol presence for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2009 06:15:52 | More by corby112