Kuhnhenn Extraneous Ale (Cassis)

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Fruit Beer
Warren, Michigan USA

Serve in Flute, Shaker

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Pours a rich, cherry wood brown with a thin head of quickly dissipating ivory. The aroma is completely dominated by an intoxicatingly rich fruity currant bouquet. The cassis character is very forward but fabulously rich and heavy, allowing only a breath of vanilla to escape from beneath its fruity cloak. Full bodied, effervescent mouthfeel. Wow, a ton of cassis immediately floods the palate. Some fine bradyish characters follow, but are quite smooth considering the high ABV. As the brandy flavors fade, more of the base beer notes start to poke out from behind the ripe currant fruits, with edges of caramel and spicy zinfindel tannins. The finish begins to get a bit heavy and mediciny with a cherry twist, but as I reach the bottom of my glass, the yeasty dregs add a bit of a spicy, dark breath to soften the cassis edge. Currants, currants, currants - the re-occuring theme here in this fruity, sipping treat.

Dusky-hued dark ruby, with a rim of white. Strong all cassis aroma. First, freshly poured percolating Hero Cassis, bubbling in a nonic at a bar in Amsterdam, followed by tooth-marring Finnish cassis jellies, and finally with a tart nip of lightly aged Belgian black currant juice. All expressive, yet singular. Incredibly profusive. Bright, however yielded a faint edge of vegetal character. Flavor begins with a sharp, sweet and almost slightly bitter cassis flavor, with edges of blackberry and tight vinegar expressions. After a blossing bold cassis domination initial, I’m swepth into a faint dark caramelly sugar, with some distant yeast toasts. This movement of other characters doesn’t really ever get to fully express itself, drowned in the sea of amazing black currant character. Again, this ebbs mediciney and cloying, with a few touches of sickly sugar. However, one cannot underestimate the ridiculous smoothness for a beer of assumedly 17% alcohol. Vinous and caramel shuffled with cassis in some first date awkwardness. Finally, a touching note of minute vegetal hop dust sails over the blasting fruit character. Yeast spice and esters I think help add an extra dimension to the cassis flavor. Obviously this was accidental (the addition of currant juice), because it’s unbalanced. If the currants had been reduced by 50% this would be a beer up there with Raspberry Eisbock. Being the cassis whore that I am, this was fun to sip, especially considering the bright vinous notes, but it just got a little overbearing. I guess not every accident spawns a winner.

UPDATED: NOV 28, 2006 Sample provided by the Kuhnhenn brothers. This was a keg of Extraneous Ale that had black currant juice added to it by mistake.

Dark amber body with no head. The aroma is currant juice, caramel, cherry and raisins. The flavor is currant, toffee, prunes and rum. Full body with a soft and smooth texture that borders on sticky at times. ABV seems better hidden than in the regular version.