Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Doppelbock
Warren, Michigan USA

650 ml bottle (2006 vintage)
Thanks to buffalohead for getting this out of the cellar to share with a few of the community. It is solid but much like some other Kuhnhenn beers suffers from an overdose of alcohol in relation to the flavors. Even three and a half years has not toned it down much at all. I don’t know what the cost for this was but hopefully the price was not too outrageous.

Aroma / Appearance - The body was totally flat without a trace of carbonation. Heavy sheets of reddish lacing slid down the sides of the glass. The nose was the most unusual part. Smelling like smoked ham that has aged for a few months it is meaty and dense. In fact it looks and smells more like a sherry than beer.

Flavor / Palate - The mouthfeel is cloying, thick, and sweet. Heavy and alcoholic it bears more relation to an old ale than a doppelbock. Way over the top it was tough to finish four ounces; I could not imagine having to finish an entire bomber alone. I give them credit for going out on a limb but right now I think lower gravity beers with rich palates are a more interesting place than just trying to make big over-the-top releases.

Bottle:   Cola appearance in color, head, and carbonation.   Fairly strong dark pitted fruit on the nose, slight soy, also bready.   Stronger soy on the tongue.   Tangy, almost sour.   Certainly has a dark pitted fruit aspect.   A little bubbley on the tongue.   Warming but not hot.   Sweet finish, but not cloying.   This beer could be interptreted as many different things.   Sure is a sipper tho.   Good for 3 years old, still has legs.

Another Kuhnhenn beer from the hoppymeal, poured into a snifter. Pours dark, dark copper that shows through as a reddish amber when held up to light. There is a small thick creamy tan head that hangs around on top as a swirl and a collar. Not much lacing, but plenty of boozy legs after each sip. The aroma is huge with caramelized sugar, dark roasted malts and dark fruits. There is a little booze, rum especially, in the nose as well. The taste has a slight sour yeast flavor up front, but it doesn’t take anything away from the taste honestly (unlike some of my recent Kuhnhenn experiences). The dominating flavors are caramelized brown sugar, toffee, dates, chocolate and port. The finish is sugary sweet and the booze is actually not that noticeable. The mouthfeel is thick and almost syrupy and drinkability is as low as one would expect for a triple bock. Enough carbonation to be noticed. This is a solid dessert sipper and probably better than I was expecting given the reputation of "triple bocks." Sure, it’s thick and not extremely drinkable but it’s got a ton of flavor.

Bottle. Deep burgundy red. Huge malt-driven nose of scotch, vanilla, oxidized toffee and wood. Rich and sticky. Super sweet from the residual sugars, but also ridiculously chewy, full and hefty; resinous. Sharp malt, striking alcohol, but tempered by a rich and flavorful toffee/nut/cake. Love it.

Bottle shared by hopscotch. Pours dark copper with very little tan head. Lightly roasted malt and carmel aromas. Very sweet caramel flavor with some toasted malts, toffee and a little heat from the alcohol. Thick, syrupy mouthfeel with almost no carbonation.

Courtesy hopscotch. Pours a deep reddish brown color with a small, foamy tan colored head that leaves rings of lacing on the glass. The aroma is really nice and rich with a big chocolate and cocoa malt base to go with toasted caramel and roast. The flavor follows with nice roasted flavors of chocolate, toffee, and nougat. Some dark fruits show through adding depth and earthy hops lending bitterness on the backend. Medium full bodied and really smooth and easy to drink with a nice roasty finish. Really nice doppelbock.

Courtesy hopscotch. Pours a hazy looking, rusty reddish brown color. A really nice, foamy, creamy head of tan foam shows nice retention. Thin rings of lacing break apart into thick, leggy drips that coat the glass nicely. The aroma shows a beautifully dark and fudgy cocoa malt base, with heaps of nougat and darkly toasted toffee there for support. Roast comes through in the form of chicory, with earthen hops lending bitterness. Dark raisin adds a touch of fruity sweetness. Flavors follow suit, deliciously roasty with big cacao nib, fudge, toffee and nougat all again showing through. Earthy dark fruits lend complexity. The palate is medium-full and smooth as silk, with a warming finish that really matches the roast nicely. Kuhnhenn is hit or miss, but this is one of their winners. Very good.

Bottle (12oz) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a murky dark amber with tons of tiny floaties and a small somewhat-lasting off-white head. Aroma of light sour apples first followed by toffee, caramel malt, some alcohol, fruity wine and brown sugar -- I quite like it. Flavour of caramel malt, toffee and alcohol along with some mild sourness and dark fruit. Alcohol’s there but well hidden for 13.5%. Medium to full bodied. Not amazing but I like it.