Kuhnhenn Dark Heathen Triple Bock

EBF 2007. Pours relatively clear compared to many other Kuhnhenns I had. Decent lingering head and light lacing. Aroma is borderline cloying with tons of toasted, caramelized, and stewed malts, tons of rich dark munich malts, toasty and nutty. Slight salty soy oxidation in both aroma and flavor- maybe an aged keg? Sharp sticky sweet malt flavor, light roast, hints of nut and chocolate with a lingering finish. Most rediculously strong bocks like this either become so cloying they are undrinkable or they have some other wierd vegetable character. This was nice and well made.

Floral aroma. Scotch colour and malty scotch aroma. Blind tasting of the baleywine say it was an old ale. Sweetish. A real style bender. Full mouthfeel, a meal. Bottles were available and I kick myself now.

12 oz. bottle, courtesy my brother, JAZ. Deep clear copper pour yields a small, yet thick light tan head that collpases quickly. Deep caramel aroma, obvious alcohol, and a certain vinous or port wine character. Thick, rich mouthfeel, almost syrupy, and if there were any less carbonation, there wouldn’t be any at all. Burnt caramel sweetness initially seems overwhelming, but there is some peppery bitterness that rounds things out. Finishes sweet, but not cloying. I think that bocks are generally overshadowed by their more flamboyant ale counterparts, the big stouts, barleywines, strong ales, etc. Truly good bocks are a joy, and this is one of them.

Had at ashleys and poured by the owner of kuhnhenn brewing co. the father of the brothers out of a frickin huge bottle that i thought was about 3 gallons of beer but maybe 2.5 like spector is saying. Flavor was very malty, bitter, alcohol and definitely over the top. Very sweet but also seemed to still have some hops. Maybe a little brown sugar. It was awesome to share this very limited beer with all the people who were involved with brewing it.

Shared by the Kuhnhenn brothers out of a two and a half gallon bottle(I think)at Ashley’s KRE release party.Dark fruits dominates the aroma.Pours a dark copper with little head.Flavors are raisins and alchohol.Mouthfeel was thin to medium with some alcohol in the finish.

roasted cough syrup and cherry aroma. pours a cloudy brown with a minimal head. like a bad dose of the tussin. this is entirely too thick for me. with a powerful alcohol bite. like a mead, and i don’t really enjoy meads on the whole.

Draught tulip at the brewery on 4/7/06.
Dark amber through the middle, with a light layered effect of dark caramel and slightly-auburn-tinged mahogany. Dark beige colored head is small, receding quickly to cover and then nothing, with minimal, sticky lacing that is actually more of a liquid residue/film. Clarity is medium with no carbonation visible beneath the waves.
Initially both bready and yeasty in the nose, with some nutty/tannic, almond paste-like notes keeping things dry and a touch dull. But dry coffee-chocolate bounces back, miexed with sugar-plum sweetness and some light alcohol vapors. Strong yeast bi-product from the huge fermentation, though I’m not sure how to describe it, as it isn’t a flaw, just a character. Nutty, dry, bready. Well-attenuated from the nose, it seems, and this version is almost nonexistant on fruitiness sometimes seen in this style. Waves of toffee and lightly spicy hops combine, pleasantly, on the finish, sticking to the nose, as do the bready malts. Almost graham cracker-like, but sweeter than that, with light chocolate. Medium strength, overall, is the nose, but what is there is quite solidly built.
The lack of tart/boisterous fruits is apparent from the start, as bready, dry, well-attenuated malts are served over-top a thick, dextrinous body. Some banana is notable, mushy and somewhat sugary, but mild chocolate and toffee sugars invade, somewhat, as it progresses and warms, leaving a moderately sugary impression on the finish. Spicy hops provide no more than an extra layer of complexity, low in flavor and bitterness (crystal hops I think). The alcohol is well-masked, but hints of it arise on the finish, sharpening the flavor and actually loosening the sticky mouthfeel, which proves beneficial. But ultimately, I get a bit more breadiness and dry yeast qualities than I look for in the style. Carbonation is very low, with soft but noticeable bubbles. Sticky and bready and very big, though not overdone.
Certainly it needs more age, but the product thus far shows promise and with that in mind, I give a little leniency on my scoring.

Sample courtesy of both the GA Crew and later Eric Kuhnenn. Thanks to all of you! Murky mahogany/dark brown with dense tan head, fades to film eventually. Huge caramel/mollasses sweetness up front. All kinds of dark fruit including raisins, prune, dark cherries, faint banana, and residuel sugar. Flavor is much the same, tons of sweet malt again, with raisin and prune taking over through the middle. Finishes with tons of residuel sugar and faint alcohol. Super thick, chewy and bready, mouthfeel. Absolutely loved this beer.