Raspberry Eisbock
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

3.99/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased at Barrels & Vines. Didn’t see a date.

Pour: ruby colored, minimal head. Not much lacing.

Nose: raspberry, fruit, a little malty biscuit.

Taste: raspberry, chocolate, biscuity malt. Subtle hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: fairly high carbonation but not overdone. Crisp, refreshing feel.

Overall: really liked this and I think I would like, and appreciate, even more the next time around. Fair amount of complexity relative to what I expected. Definitely worth trying and I’m looking forward to another.

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4.36/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Gusher from the bottle, although head retention is less than spectacular. Very lively and crystal clear brew, dark brown with garnet highlights.

On the nose, there's a blend of dark caramel, a touch of oxidation, and very light notes of raspberry.

The palate is a tale of two halves. Up front, caramel, toffee, burnt brown sugar, and wood take the lead. Raspberries start to emerge on the second half, however, first slightly sweet, then tart.

Incredibly smooth and drinkable, especially for such a high ABV brew. Mouthfeel is nothing less than superb.

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4.21/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured a hazy reddish hue with no head. Very little carbonation present. The smell offered a heavy grain malt with fragrance of jammy raspberries. There’s also an alcoholic presence to the nose; it really smells like a fruity cocktail at a college party. The flavors were quite similar, very heavy dark malt paired with raspberry Twizzlers. The alcohol creeps up to you at the finish with a sharp and almost metallic burn. The mouthfeel is heavy, thick and with a slight burn. Overall, I liked it a lot. It leaves me impressed by how different this beer is among others. It is one of a kind, but it does have a hefty price tag.

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4.09/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle at share. courtesy of Toby. Dark amber, ruby tinges. Fruity, jelly jar aroma. Taste is smooth, sweet, berries. Heat comes in late, but pretty gentle.

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4.52/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Serving: 12.7 Fl. Oz. bottle poured into a Founder's Backwoods Bastard snifter. 2017 edition from the Winter Solstice.

A: Pours a nice, clear, bright ruby red color. Basically no head or carbonation.

S: Huge, bright raspberry jam aroma. Like fresh raspberry puree. Very nice.

T: Huge raspberry up front, very sweet and sticky. The alcohol creeps up on you near the end giving it a slight metallic or medicinal quality, but this isn't necessarily bad, just boozy and rich.

M: Medium body, almost no carbonation. Quite boozy on the finish but not overwhelming.

O: I've only had this this beer one other time and it was in 2013. At that time, I didn't have much appreciation for this style and I sort of shrugged it off. However, now, this beer stands out and I enjoy it a lot. The fruit flavors are huge. It is very balanced in rich and tasty. It might be a tad boozy, and this gives it a slight medicinal quality. However, it is very drinkable, and is one of the better non-barrel-aged beers from Kuhnhenn.

Recommendation: Might be a tough find, but well worth the effort to try a very unique beer in a style we rarely ever see anymore.

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2.36/5  rDev -46.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

This pours a kind of brass hue but fills to a dark garnet with a slight copper edge and a minimal tan fizz dying to a thin film and thick collar.

Smell is toasted bread with raspberry and cherry hard candies.

Taste is undeniably medicinal, of the cherry variety. It has a very strong tang and tingle--while not hot, the strength is apparent, kind of like ginger ale. A touch of cobbler runs under the sharp, medicinal red fruit.

Feel is crisp and sticky, again kind of like ginger ale, with that familiar sting.

Major disappointment.

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4.56/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

2014 Vintage. Really enjoyed this as it was a change of pace. Like a strong ale meets fruit beer. Boozy yet not hot. Strong dark malty raspberry. I bet this continues to age well. Have a 16 I might sit on for a while and revisit this.

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4.75/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

2012 vintage. Amazing. Loads of raspberry with tons of honey and some caramel. No notes of chocolate that I could pick up. Super easy to drink at 15.5%.

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4.45/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Clear red with no real head.

Smells of raspberry purée

Amazing raspberry flavor. Smooth and deep. Like blushing monk but better.

Super smith with a nice aftertaste.

Great beer.

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4.57/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Wow! Great Eisbock! Red brown opaque clay color pour, zero head likely because of the ABV, and intense raspberry prune caramel molasses notes on the nose and palate. Rich syrupy mouthfeel!

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4.5/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Murky dark amber color with a bit of tan foam. Aroma has raspberries with brown sugar, caramel malt and toasted notes. Taste starts sweet and fruity with raspberry jam, sticky malt and sugar, slightly tart fruity finish. Medium, syrupy sticky body with low carbonation. The raspberry notes go very well with the sweet, malty flavors.

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4.6/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle poured into snifter; clear, copper color. No noticeable carbonation. Not a raspberry fan but had to give this a go! Raspberry, raisins, chocolates greet nose. Medium bodied well balanced with chocolate/raspberry moving easily across the palate. Alcohol is easily is smooth....a dessert beer.

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4.53/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer pours a darker color than most fruit beers. Definite red color from the raspberries. Very little head. Smell is very strongly of raspberries--fresh ones, not a candy-raspberry smell. Taste is like a vanilla/raspberry dessert. Slightly sweet with mostly raspberries, but a strong undertone of vanilla. Mouthfeel is not great as there is very little to no carbonation. Feels more like a dessert wine than beer. Overall, would be great as dessert or with dessert, but maybe too sweet to drink alone or with a savory meal.

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4.35/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Enjoyed on tap from the source when I went in to pick up bottles from the 2016 release. Glad I got to, because I was reluctant to buy many bottles given the price point, but based on my experience, I'd say this beer has great potential for aging. That said--it's also good right now. Enjoyed out of a small 4 oz snifter.

Appearance (4.25) - Pours a translucent, ruddy mahogany red with just a bit of off-white foam that creates a sliver of head that dissipates quickly into a ringlet, then nothing at all, save for a wispy bit of film, sparse across the surface of the liquid. No lacing to speak of, but the high alcohol content gives the liquid a certain viscosity to the appearance and leaves some legs on the side of the glass when tipped.

Smell (4.0) - Initially, I'm a little surprised at how muted the fruit aspect of the smell is. Raspberries aren't a particularly aromatic fruit, but it was noticeable here in that it was much more subtle than expected compared to sour and sweet beers with raspberry. Underlying the gentle notes of raspberry, there is a melange of booze and malt-heavy grain. Some accents of caramel and vanilla round everything out.

Taste (4.5) - Here, this beer really begins to soar, with a nice presence from the fruit, but again withdrawn and elegant--no overwhelming sweetness or sharp tartness. As with the aroma, the booze is here, but the beer isn't even the slightest bit hot. Very well balanced, with the fruit and malt marrying to take the edge off the alcohol. And once again, there are hints of caramel and vanilla that really give the beer a pleasant depth.

Mouthfeel (4.5) - Medium bodied, with low carbonation and a nice viscosity that gives it an almost chewy feel, but not as chewy as a big stout or a barleywine.

Overall (4.5), a really wonderful and unique beer. I can't say I've really had any others quite like it. Not really a style that I would seek out with regularity, but it's a nice once in awhile treat.

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4.41/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2014 bottle poured into a tulip glass. Really expected to dislike this as I hate most beers this style. That was not the case at all. This one poured a dark brown with a ruby shade to it from the raspberry. Very minimal head. Smelled of raspberry puree, like a dessert. Tasted exactly as the aroma...lots of sweet delicious raspberry. Like a raspberry jelly roll. Very delicious and cannot tell that this is 15.5%. Feel had good carbonation and good body. Overall, VERY impressed with this. Just all around fantastic. Fruit presence was there and balanced out with the malt almost perfectly.

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2.57/5  rDev -42%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Rotten cough syrup. There must be something wrong with this bottle. Poured like muddy water. Smelled like old socks. Tasted like its been in the trunk of a car in the Florida heat since it was bottled. Everything else I've tasted from Kuhnhenn has been amazing and I was really looking forward to this bottle. Unfortunately whatever happened here will prevent me from ever trying it again. I have to believe this bottle spoiled and is not representative of what this beer is supposed to be.

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5/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Absolutely loved this one! Been wanting to get my hands on one for quite some time! Vintage 2012 split with a buddy.
Tons of berries on the note and the palate both. The alcohol was there but not near as hot as I would have thought.
The age has surely tamed it down. Super solid beer like nothing I've ever had before! Worth tracking down!

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4.42/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

4300th review! 375 ml bottle into tulip glass; 2014 vintage bottling. Pours lightly hazy/cloudy deep ruby red/brownish color with a small light khaki head with decent retention, that reduces to a thin spotty lace cap that lingers. Minimal lacing on the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of huge tart/juicy raspberries, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, red wine, toasted brown bread, nuttiness, chocolate, cocoa, wood, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Incredible aromas with fantastic complexity and balance of raspberries, dark/bready malt, and fruity/earthy yeast notes; with great strength. Taste of huge tart/juicy raspberries, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, raisin, plum, cherry, fig, date, red wine, toasted brown bread, nuttiness, chocolate, cocoa, wood, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light fruity/tannic tartness and woody/roast bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raspberry, dark fruit, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, molasses, toasted brown bread, nuttiness, chocolate, cocoa, wood, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of raspberries, dark/bready malt, and fruity/earthy yeast flavors; with a great malt/fruit/tartness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light dryness from acidic/tannic notes as well. Light carbonation and very full bodied; with a very slick/syrupy, fairly smooth, and lightly acidic/tannic balanced mouthfeel that is great. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a pleasant warmth lingering after the finish; with zero booziness. Overall this is an insane fruited eisbock style! All around incredible complexity, robustness, and balance of raspberries, dark/bready malt, and fruity/earthy yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to sip on for the enormous ABV. A highly amazing offering all around.

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4/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2014 bottle. Poured from a 12.7oz bottle into a Kuhnhenn Snifter Glass. Acquired in a trade.

Pours an amber-ruby stream, with a hazy maroon body once in the glass with a tan-khaki colored head that reduces pretty quickly to leave a ring of retention and no lacing.

Aromas are heavy on the raspberry, lots of raspberry juice, caramel, light chocolate, a little musty, almost oxidized. Little alcohol on the aroma.

Heavy raspberry on the tongue, very heavy, like raspberry puree, thick and syrupy, burnt caramel on the follow through, big malty notes, the finish is lightly roasty, the raspberry lingers for a while. Medium thick mouthfeel, rich with little to no carbonation.

Hmm.. I don't think I could have drank more than the 12.7 oz of this, even that was tough. I do appreciate the aggressive raspberry flavor but I'm not sure if it meshes with the big malt backbone. Glad I got to try it though.

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4.47/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

This reminded me of a full bodied New Glarus Raspberry Tart. Excellent berry flavor and a ton of mouthfeel. Did not seem like a 15% beer at all. Great beer

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4.69/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Had this beer at my local beer store. The Owner had a bottle of 2014 that had on hand in his fridge behind the counter. The best Eisbock I have ever drank!

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4.37/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock (2012)

For beer review 300, I pulled out a cellar treasure. Kuhnhenn’s Raspberry Eisbock is a lager beer brewed with red raspberry juice and then frozen to condense the flavors and alcohol before bottling. Poured into a tulip glass, the head here is minimal. A thin tan head of fat bubbles crackles away within a minute or two, leaving nothing behind but a deep crimson hued body that looks almost black when not back lit.

The aroma shows off a beautiful, sweet dessert of chocolate, baked bread, raspberry, cherry cordial. The cordial aroma gives a good indication that this is going to be a strong beer. The chocolate and raspberry work really well together, and seem well-balanced. Picture a brownie with red raspberries baked into the center of the brownie itself.

It begins with a lightly sweet raspberry flavor up front. The exhale shows off the strength of this beer, with highly alcoholic breath. It’s a full-bodied beer with very minimal carbonation, which shows off the smooth texture of this silky dessert beer. Mid-palate brings out the tangy raspberry notes, while the aftertaste has more of the earthy chocolate notes from the malt. The beer has a coating quality, leaving the mouth with pockets of rich raspberry liquid scattered throughout. There is a good amount of residual sweetness here, which contributes to this full body.

This is absolutely a beer to pair with dessert, or to serve as an after-dinner drink. The richness and intensity of the flavor would pair wonderfully with a flourless chocolate torte and some red raspberry jam. This would also go well with a toasted marshmallow. It is a strong, potent, and delicious beer. It holds true to the eisbock style, while bringing something different to the table with the underlying raspberry juice.

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4.93/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I first heard about KRE, what, a decade ago? Back when it came in what looked like a perfume bottle. This little fella used to always hover around the top 20 beers on this site, and for some reason it always seemed to me the most elusive even though I lived nearly all my life within a drive of the brewery.

The bottle is pretty. I opened the beer and then maybe 10 seconds later it started to foam up a bit, over the top. Yet the pour glugs out thick and still with not so much as a wisp of a head. It's a nice, very dark red color, though.

Smells like an incredibly dense and chocolately eisbock with some muted raspberries preventing the booze and malt from getting out of hand. Very old school, and done to a T. The effect is undeniably beery and bocky, similar in quality to the big boys like Schneider and Kulmbacher, only with juuuuust enough raspberry aroma to make it super interesting without upsetting purists.

Tastes like it smells. It starts sweet and alcoholic, with thick nodes of barley and chocolate. This gets sweeter still, only more organically so, with fruity raspberry taking center stage. Ends like a good eisbock, with pleasant nodes of burn and chocolate, only the zippy bock malt is enhanced incredibly with lingering traces of raspberry juice.

I--I can understand if newer beer people aren't too horribly impressed with this. Or even anybody whose pallet has been shaped by recent trends. If this were attempted now, well first of all it would never been been an eisbock, and secondly it would taste more directly like a rapsberry cordial candy. And that's not necessarily a bad thing, but we still need to respect that manner in which this beer was incredibly bold and innovative and yet still fit perfectly within the established bounds of its style.

Back in the day, this was how you had to make your beer, as you simply couldn't get away with the intense risks and wild innovations that are now so weirdly commonplace. All y'all who are fans of extreme styles need to bow before this one.

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4.51/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - The beer pours a beautiful blood red color. A great color to watch with a George Romero film.

Smell - The nose is noted by raspberry, though slightly medicinal.

Taste - My first impression is the tart raspberrythat leans slightly artificial and medicinal. The richness brings to mind a raspberry jam. The chewy malts that accompany are delicious. The beer is slightly hot in the aftertaste with malts and raisins in the finish.

Mouthfeel - For the style, it was thinner than I expected and slightly warm.

Overall - This is an interesting twist on the style. I will seek it again.

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2.71/5  rDev -38.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 2.75

Initial raspberry on the front but a heavy and lingering medicinal type taste on the back that I did not enjoy. The look of the beer was fantastic, the taste was just not for me.

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