Kuhnhenn Imperial Crème Brûlée Java Stout - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +13%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

huge thanks to BigBadBarrel for sending this beer as an EXTRA! Thanks Jon you are seriously awesome!

poured into tulip glass.

Appearance: dark black bodied beer with 2 finger of medium brown head. Thick lacing on the side of the glass and the head has a good amount of staying power, slowely droping down to a thin cap.

Smell: This beer smell just like it should...exactly as the name would imply and honestly even better than I expected! Big dark, rich, roasty ,expresso beans. Then comes the sweetness...it matches the intensity of roasty with sweetness. Big whiffs of vanilla and caramel and coffee creamer its completely undeniable and unmistakeable.

Taste: As if the smell of this beer was irrestable...it tastes very similiar to how it smells! Kuhnhenn you are blowing my mind! Very expresso forward beer; heavy roast and rich coffee beans. Then comes the sweetness which adds spectacular balance to the heavy expresso flavors. Lots of coffee creamer, caramel, and vanilla flavor. It finishes with a nice balance between the roast and sweet flavors and imparts a touch of nuttiness. Almost peanut butter like flavor. This beer is wonderful.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Creamy and smooth beer here. Drinks well below 8% abv. Not a hint of booze.

Overall: I really thought that I would have to belly up to the bar at Kuhnhenns to get a sample for this beer, but thanks to Jon...he saved me a long trip and I still got to try this beer.What a treat. Its such a good coffee beer i would even say its on the same level as veitnamese speedway stout and it might even be better...almost a good as Surly Four! Kuhnhenn you guys just nailed this beer out of the park! This beer has been a long time want that was completely worth the wait. Thanks again Jon!

Serving type: growler

03-16-2013 05:10:36 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

tectactoe

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

On tap at the Park Bar in Detroit. Deep, dark, black pour with a fine, tan, creamy-looking head. No lacing on the glass, but the head will be around for a while. The initial smell is fantastic - like super sweet coffee and cream. Bittersweet roasted coffee beans fill the aroma, and over time, the smell becomes deeper and more intense. Also picking up a Kahlua & cream aroma, very nice and inviting. The taste starts with an abundance of coffee, roasted to perfection. Hints of toasted malts, chocolate, and very slight vanilla also find their way in. Some floral notes pop through in the middle, just as the carbonation breaches your tongue. This provides a nice bitterness spike to balance the sweetness. The flavor shifts back to the malty-coffee side, now filled with dark cocoa beans. The chocolate essence of the beer comes out more and more as it warms. Surprisingly thin body for a beer of this style. Wet finish and overall low carbonation, for a slightly watery mouthfeel.

Great aroma, great taste, definitely a nice dessert beer or winter warmer. Not as creamy or heavy as expected, which may or may not be a good thing to some.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 04:53:45 | More by tectactoe

smalenberg

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - dark with slight ruby in strong light. Small head with slim tan foam ring.

S - coffee and enough caramel to call to mind cola syrup.

T - very favorful and smooth. Extremely well balanced giving precedence to sweet stout style.

M - not nearly as dry as an imperial stout can be.

O - sweet and very enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2012 00:10:00 | More by smalenberg

jeonseh

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From a growler poured into a CBS snifter

A - Dark, espresso coffee. No head other than a very slight layer of foam near the edges.

S - Sweet Coffee. Hints of caramel and vanilla waft up from this. In the backbone, there is definitely a smell of Creme Brûlée that stands out. Smells like you walked into a Gloria Jean coffee shop. Great nose on this one.

T - Sweet coffee at first. There are hints of vanilla and caramel mixed in. There is definitely a sweet hint of the Creme brûlée as well but it is just a hint. The coffee is definitely stronger in here. The finish is light, bitter espresso with enough cream sweetness to keep it from being too bitter

MF - Minimal carbonation. Medium body with a slight stickiness to it. There is a slight astringency near the backend that comes from the coffee.

O - A great coffee stout from Kuhnheen. Has a great nose to it. I really like how well it balances the coffee with the sweetness throughout.

Serving type: growler

07-14-2012 03:32:20 | More by jeonseh

DevilsCups

New York

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Served in a small snifter, taken from notes.

A - Sits black in the glass with cola edges. As the supply goes down it develops a more dark ruby red hue. Still, a very dark stout. Medium brown head and crystal clear. Photo of the pour : http://tinyurl.com/7b7qfqu

S - Marshmallow, caramel, black coffee and soft vanilla. This one smells fantastic. Roasted malt is swimming around in there. Really an outstanding aroma. Not crazy sweet as it hits on the bitter coffee notes more.

T - Marshmallow again upfront followed by bitter black coffee and vanilla. Very nice. Not overly sweet like Southern Tiers Creme Brule, as it focuses more on the coffee than the vanilla. Very dark chocolate in the late finish.

M - Carbonated like Old Rasputin. Slightly fizzy, medium in body. Not too thick, not too thin. She's a tickler.

O - Search it out. I had this on draft, so I can't comment on a bottled version, but it was a treat.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2012 03:48:26 | More by DevilsCups

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.65/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - pours a deep black with a solid 2 fingers of fluffy brown head. head reduced to 1/4" throughout life of glass.

S - toasted oats, vanilla, lactose sugars - very sweet aromas, slight hint of coffee, bourbon

T - a party of tastes just exploded in my mouth.. my first taste was tiramisu.. i guess it's like a rum soaked creme brulee now that i think of it.. very sweet, delicious. the longer i drink, the more coffee flavors i get. this is perfection for a stout.

M - creamy, yet smooth and watery enough to not make you full like most stouts this heavy

O - as far as a flavored stout goes, this is hands down the best thing i have ever had. this, along with joe mama's milk stout are a tough fight for my #1 spot

Serving type: growler

02-20-2012 23:16:27 | More by facundoCNB

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.33/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Imperial Creme Brulee Java Stout, 32-oz growler filled at The Growler Station in NYC.

Appearance: Served in my Lost Abbey snifter, this thing comes looking mighty hefty with a shiny-oily black color and a great two-finger head that soon recedes into one and then to a rim and thick soapy bubbles.

Smell: Coffee, dairy, vanilla powder. Coffee-mate and other artificial sweeteners. Cheap chocolate (Russel Stover, most likely)

Taste: Follows nose, with coffee and more of that fake vanilla upfront, then some roastiness and hops. Spoiled heavy cream and funk.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly thin for a beer this big. Disappointing, with low body and carbonation, medium flavor. Ends very watery and flat.

Overall: Drinks good for the style, but this really isn't so good. It mostly tastes of fake vanilla powder, instead of the real creme brulee you get in Southern Tier's version. Will not revisit.

Serving type: growler

02-15-2012 22:23:37 | More by DoubleSimcoe

EgadBananas

Louisiana

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Big thanks to mikem409 (via RB) for this gem!

Pours with a black body, and a light frothy chocolaty head. Dissipates to a filmy ring. Aroma of sweet cream, coffee, roast, vanilla cream, sugar milk, and a robust chocolate. Fearing an overly sweet taste, I was pleasantly surprised. It's sweet with a vanilla/chocolate milk note, sweet creamy coffee, big roasted notes. Feels average though really. It's very creamy, but it's medium bodied at best. Nothing bad at all but definitely the slight week link. Admissible though in the end because this is a wildly tasty and aromatic beast!

Serving type: growler

01-29-2012 03:05:41 | More by EgadBananas

Holland

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Ashley's in Ann Arbor; served in a small sample glass.

A: black with deep brown highlights, little head when it got to me, but it kept it fairly well.

S: smells heavily of coffee, some chocolate, and sweet malts.

T: tastes much the same as the smell, no surprises here.

M: fairly carbonated for something so thick (medium-heavy body). Not sure how much that added, but it was fine.

O: not very drinkable, but neither is the breakfast stout. That's the big comparable here, and I think the FBS is more complex and delicious. Give this one a try, though.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2011 19:02:35 | More by Holland

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by Chris of the Rhino, December 2009 bottling. Into a snifter.

Poured black, with some deep ruby highlights in the light round the edges. A thin head is produced, but a thick brown collar retains. Nose wafts huge notes of French vanilla flavoured coffee, hazelnut and brown sugar. Sweet and some lesser roast notes. Just awesome. Taste left me wanting much more unfortunately, lots of sour/lactic notes - a significant departure from the nose. Chocolate and coffee are there as well but are less pronounced, some roastiness prevails. We debated initially as to the likelihood that this lactic sourness was intentional, but based on these reviews, I'm guessing this bottle has turned south. Although the sourness isn't overwhelming, it certainly isn't what I'd like in this instance. Medium full feel, and I can't help but feel let down that this wasn't as good as it smelled.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 01:38:56 | More by liamt07

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Chris' bottle

Pours a deep black, light tan head, good retention. Smell is rich with sweet sugary notes, vanilla, coffee, roasted malt, chocolate, burnt sugar, very nice to smell. Taste is malty and roasted, lightly astringent, light sour lactic like notes, some bitterness comes out, mild vanilla and chocolate, some coffee, this was pleasant at times and at times a little on the bad side. Medium carbonation, good feel, decent weight. This was fairly enjoyable, aside from the overly lactic and sour points experienced in some sips it was quite good, if you have any in the cellar you should open them soon as these probably wont last much longer.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 19:44:00 | More by peensteen

AgentZero

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Black beer with some tannish foam that faded to a decent ring.

S - Chocolate, coffee, cream, caramelized sugar, vanilla. Kind of does smell like creme brulee, not a bad thing. Definitely more of a dessert beer than anything else.

T - Taste is fairly creamy, with chocolate, vanilla, caramel, some lactose. A little like a milk stout, and sours some on the end. Not bad.

M - Thick beer, pretty creamy, lower carbonation.

O - Too sweet to drink tons of, not bad, but save it for dessert.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:58:03 | More by AgentZero

brentk56

North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Arrives with a pitch black color; the small head quickly descends to a ringlet and archipelago though it leaves spots of foam behind

Smell: Black bread, coffee and vanilla

Taste: Black bread and coffee flavors, up front, with a hoppy bitterness that emerges by mid-palate; after the swallow, the vanilla arrives to provide the Crème Brûlée character

Mouthfeel: Medium body and moderate carbonation

Overall: What a contrast to the Southern Tier version of this style - that beer is a sipper that ultimately overwhelms while this one is dry and refreshing

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2011 16:10:04 | More by brentk56

Spider889

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Growler shared by Normyk. Damn dude, this stuff was awesome, thanks Rob!

The brew is black with a thick head. Good retention, even in my mini Jackie O's snifter. I will say upfront that I went back for 2nd and 3rd pours of this so it was a good sample size to be rating this so high.

Overall this is just a thick looking stout. Ok lacing as well, which was even better for some of those using full-sized glasses for the tasting.

The aroma is utterly delicious. It's very sweet, but not cloying. Coffee is big as is vanilla. There is an amazing toasted marshmallow smell that translates into crème brûlée most excellently. Also plenty of roasty malt and chocolate aromas.

The taste was outstanding as well. Strong, dark french roast coffee. Bitter roasted barley adds an element of char. Bakers chocolate, and vanilla add to the desert aspect of this beer. There's a light greenness to the hops, which is the only thing I might change. But that's me getting really nitpicky.

Medium bodied with a dry finish. Overall, this is an amazing beer. I imagine it as taking all of the best aspects of the Southern Tier Imperial Stout series, leaving behind the heavy booziness and cloying sweetness associated with them, and rolling it all into one super coffee chocolate oatmeal crème brûlée stout. Aww yeah..

And I must say again, that the brewers got the crème brûlée character spot on. Too many claim to impart such flavors into their beer, but most cannot deliver. Kuhnhenn has delivered crème brûlée on a silver platter... erm... growler.

Serving type: growler

07-06-2011 08:41:21 | More by Spider889

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter on 5/20/11

Many thanks to Normyk for sharing this growler.

Dark brown. 1/8th inch of brown foam thins quickly. Wispy retention with a bubbly collar. Swirling helps a bit; however, by the end, only liquid remains.

Aromas of roasted coffee, cream, nips of chocolate and some toffee. At times, butterscotch. Nice and potent. Tastes exactly the same: lots of roasted coffee and some espresso, unsweetened cocoa. Not overly sweet; good balance with roast. Some hops. Full body. Moderately low carbonation. Half creamy, half gritty feel, like coffee dregs. Not hot, but tingly.

Quite tasty and enjoyable. I could drink it from time to time.

Serving type: growler

06-20-2011 01:55:12 | More by Ryan011235

mgbickel

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery, 10oz pour served in a tulip.

The beer arrived with a thin layer of dark khaki foam already settled on top of the black/brown body. The head dissipated quickly...poor lacing.

The nose has lots of roasted malts, sweet lactose, coffee and chocolate.

Like the nose indicates, the taste is roasty and sweet with a milky vanilla backbone. The sweetness takes over in the middle and gives way to a roasted finish. The ABV is hidden well and does not show up in the flavor.

Medium to thick mouth feel with little carbonation.

Awesome beer. Got better and better as it came to temperature. I really with I lived close enough to get this on a regular basis.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 03:40:56 | More by mgbickel

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

4.72/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Generously hooked up by Scoot1969. Thank you sir.

Poured into my Darkness snifter. Jet black pour. No trace of light coming through on this one. Two fingers of tan fluff rest on top of the vicious black. My nose is greeted by whole bean coffee. Vanilla and bakers chocolate have come to the party too. Beautiful. Taste is right on par with the smell. Coffee upfront, chocolate in the middle, followed by vanilla on the finish. It is sweet but certainly not overly to me. Mouth is pretty thin but that is what the doctor ordered here.

I've had the Southern Tier version of this beer before. That was like sweet syrup. This beer was sweet as well, but not near what the aforementioned was. This was like a wonderful cold pressed coffee. Downright fantastic. Would drink this regularly given the opportunity.

Serving type: growler

05-24-2011 01:41:18 | More by TheDudeRules

MbpBugeye

Ohio

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by Normyk. Thanks a lot, I always love trying Kuhnhenn stuff.

Appearance
This beer is a deep, onyx black. Very inky looking. The head and it's retention is superb.

Aroma
I think it was unanimous, at our tasting, that this aroma is fantastic. Lots of vanilla lays down a thick creaminess to the aroma. Coffee carries equal weight and imparts a rich roast with plenty of caramel in tow. This smells sweet, but not sickly sweet, as I had feared.

Taste
The flavor is a little bit less sweet than the aroma, and I think that's a good thing. Lots of coffee with french vanilla. Very nice. This beer pretty much tastes like a cappuccino. The flavor is, however, a bit on the weak side. At least its not cloying. There is a light booziness on the back end.

Mouthfeel
Full bodied with a loose, soft carbonation.

Overall
Very nice. I feared that it would be another sickly sweet mess like most other vanilla imperial stouts.

Serving type: growler

05-22-2011 18:21:30 | More by MbpBugeye

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Really enjoyed this brew a lot, tried a sample at the brewery and found it to be very tasty. The pour was as black as they come with a very minimal brown fizzy head on top that vanishes quickly. There was also some spots of what looked like oil patches on top of the beer. The smell is of coffee, lots of coffee, also some chocolate and vanilla in the mix too. The taste is pretty intense. Right from the get go ther is rich fresh roasted coffee upfront then it fades into a really nice soft vanilla sweetness. The only thing that bothered me about this beer was it's thickness. I think it was just a little too light for an imperial. Other than that this beer rocked. I even brought home a growler to share with some friends back at home.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2011 21:09:47 | More by Knapp85

Gfunk720

Connecticut

4.93/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

64oz growler from DeCicco's. Thanks to Alex as always.

A- Pitch black with a foam espresso head. Little to no lacing. The beer appears thick and full.

S- Smells of the most wonderful whole bean coffee aroma. Notes of chocolate, caramel,and butterscotch. Creamy and delicious.

T- Much like the smell, a brilliant java stout. Better than most I've ever had. Again whole bean coffee/espresso, chocolate, and butterscotch. A great balance of the three, with the coffee really leading the way. The aftertaste is perfect, not too acidic or overboard.

M- Again, pretty much spot on. A little light on carbonation, but the body is perfect.

O- Not sure how this beer is rate a B+, as it was an A all the way in my book. A must have for coffee lovers. Would absolutely seek out again.

-GFunk

Serving type: growler

05-06-2011 22:55:09 | More by Gfunk720

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

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

on-tap at Rattle & Hum.

Creme Brulee Java Stout stays in the glass with a dark shade of black, not jet oil black but a nice dark color. I cant see through it, dark enough. A tight half inch of coffee colored foam stays on top and dirties up the glass alot. Smell is coffee with creme brulee added. Not over the top and integrated with some oat and a faint storm kingesque hop scent. The taste is good and Im not dying after drinking it. The thing about this is that I don't get over the top cloying butterscotch diactal ala Southern Tier. This alone makes this one leaps and bounds above that. The coffee makes for a great counterpart and adds some burnt flavor that aint that large. Feel is medium and not the smoothest beer out there, a bit rough around the edges, but I dig the aftertaste. Carbed up just fine, this one is a winner in my eyes.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 16:16:32 | More by onix1agr

fear025

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Growler pour.

Aroma:Coffee, chocolate, sugary syrup in the aroma.

Appearance:Black and opaque, very little head.

Taste:Very sweet. Dark chocolate and caramel. There's some roasty notes in the foretaste. There's a little bitterness, which comes out more on the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel:Medium body, smooth and creamy.

Drinkability:This is quite a delicious dessert beer. I believe it's best enjoyed fresh, because I had a bottle before that tasted nothing like this fresh growler.

Serving type: growler

03-02-2011 00:18:47 | More by fear025

rye726

Colorado

3.85/5  rDev -4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Near black, creamy tan head. Nose has vanilla, coffee, caramel, roasty malts an cocoa. Tasty is roasty and astringent from the coffee. Perhaps infected, a bit sour. Flavor seems to be going downhill. Drink now, going down hill fast! Go get some, try it for yourself.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2011 00:10:22 | More by rye726

SeaUrchin

Michigan

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

had on tap tonight, second beer of the night, on tap in tulip at kuhnhenn

appearance - black in low light conditions, thin head if any that quickly dissipated, little cabonation

smell - smelled of sweet vanilla up front with nice roasted malts, then faded into a nice coffee scent, best part of this beer was the smell, that alone was enough for me to want to drink it

taste - followed nose, started off vanilla with a nice sweet roasted malt following, then that moved into a watery malty taste with possibly a bit of dark chocolate but that was a streatch, followed by a nice coffee flavor, over all it was balanced going from a moderate sweet vanilla and moving into a mildly bitter coffee, after taste was of a frozen vanilla cappuccino, will order again

mouthfeel - a bit watery for me based off of the style and my experience with both creme brule stout by souther tier and FBS, i would have liked a bit thicker with this type of flavor i prefer a thicker mouthfeel to pair with the above normal flavoring but over all pleasant still, went down very easily

drinkability - this is a very drinkable beer, went down a bit too easy for me and got a glass of water after it to prepare for the impending drive home, would gladly grab a growler and enjoy from the safety of my own house, if you are a fan of souther tier creme brule stout and FBS this is the perfect marriage of the 2

the score may be low due to mouthfeel as stated i prefer a thicker beer when flavored like this but overall this was a tasty brew

Serving type: on-tap

01-07-2011 06:24:07 | More by SeaUrchin

LilBeerDoctor

New York

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 3/10/2010, updated on 3/27/2010. Growler. Pours black with a small tna head. Aroma of chocolate peanut butter fudgyness like a rich, chocolate pb cake with tons of fudge drizzled all over it. Or maybe a brownie with peanut butter cups inside. Either way, it's pretty awesome. Also slight vanilla notes. Flavor brings out more of the coffee and tons of vanilla notes, still some chocolately peanut butter notes but much less prominent. Wow, great dessert beer and only 8%! Top notch.

Serving type: growler

12-23-2010 19:44:21 | More by LilBeerDoctor