Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Doppelbock
Warren, Michigan USA

Bottle at Mondiale ’07. nice dark brown color, nice small beige head. Aroma is ALL malt. and then some, with a little caramel, and slight fruit in the backdrop. Flavour is MALT, this is a malt bomb, and whoa, quite boozey. nice effort, a little too much booze, but wow, if you are a malt freak, this is for you!

Dark mahogany body with red highlights. No head to speak of, although I just spoke of it, meaning there was a head to speak of, but there was none… whatever. The very thick syrupy body contains an exceedingly high amount of brown-sugary sweetness. Cloying. The sweet woody malts and the high alcohol content give it a slight single-malt liquor edge. The fruity notes are of vinous nature. Alcohol burn in the finish. Cloying syrupy sipper acceptable in small doses.

Mondial de la bière 07. Couleur ambrée très foncée, pratiquement aucune mousse. Arôme mélasse, caramel et alcool. Goût très malté, caramel, alcool réchauffe longuement. Très rond et sirupeux, effervescence faible. Surprenant.

My Bottom Line:
Boastful alcohol and heavy caramel do showcase that inherent bock malt signature, and draw a few fruity complexities (plums, prunes) within. This nearly still sipper is leagues ahead of Samuel Adams’ original example.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-Headless, the cola red/brown gown announces this beer’s potency.
-The very low carbonation allows you to bask in the malt’s glory.
-This was not nearly as cloying as their American Imperial Stout that day.
-The body is sticky, but not disgustingly sweet, thankfully.
-This is a fun sipper, but not the masterpiece Kuhnhenn are able to brew (see Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine or Raspberry Eisbock for that).

Bottle at the Mondial de la Bière.

Taste at the mondial de la biere 2007.mtl... Aroma:caramel,candy sugar... Appearance:Dark orange,no head... Flavor:alcohol and caramel....

Robe brune claire surmontée d’une mousse beige qui s’estompe. Arômes de pain, de caramel et de chocolat. Saveurs de levures, de caramel et d’alcool.

Pours clear deep amber with no head. Wow, big sweet aroma of caramel, prunes, black grapes and sweet raisins. Big brash mouth feel that really sets the stage for this big beer. The flavor is much like a nice barleywine with prune, date, grapes and sweet raisin dark fruitiness as well as sweet caramel candy and light hints of alcohol. This beer is very low in carbonation and very very high in flavor. Nice lager version of a barleywine.

Viscous, deep ruddy brown/chestnut pour. Almost zero carbonation no head forms and no lacing to speak of. Extremely vinous and alcoholic aroma, all malt character. Notes of molasses, caramel, plums and blood oranges. Alcohol is nearly gagging, definitely inducing tears like the way a fresh cut onion might; just too intense in the aroma. Smoke and plummy nuances finish the assault. Flavor is more enjoyable. Caramel malt is very sweet, bringing with it notes of vanilla and more purple fruits(namely plums and grapes). Sugar feel is mild only due to a caramelization nuance that manages to meld that aspect of the flavor into the overall feeling of the taste. Finishes medim in length, very warm from alcohol and sticky. Mouthfeel is sticky and slippery, full bodied. Any fizz inside is certainly held at bay by a syrupy texture. A pleasant, late, brandy-styled warming is a moderate redeemer. A rough drink that hides some of its many flaws behind a curtain of alcohol and stickiness.