Shooter McGavin
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

Pour on tap at the brewery, dark brownish pour with off white head, aroma brought notes of dark caramel, toffee, nutty notes into a bit of rye, spice, touch of cocoa powder as well, some grass. Taste was a mix of cocoa, caramel, molasses into nuts, some toast, hints of grain into rye, spice, touch of earth, finishing dry, slightly sweet.

 

This brew was served on tap at Kuhnhenn’s taproom in Warren, Michigan. It arrived in a generic pint glass showing a deep ruby and copper coloring, boasting a half finger tall fluffy head of toffee colored bubbles. This showed nice retention, leaving thick sheets of lacing down the sides of the glass. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be moderate. The nose gave a sweet profile of rye and deeply roasted wheat and barley, sweaty caramel, cold brewed coffee airs, smoked peatiness, pear and strawberry fruitiness, diacetyls warmth, wet moss, singed pretzel bun breadiness, and more adjuncty metallics when warmed. The flavor was equally as sweet, with big challah breadiness, baked beans, kiwi and pear tropical fruity sweetness, baked Brie cheesiness, Tootsie Roll sugariness, smoked tobacco leafiness, big tinny metallics, cherry syrups, burnt caramels, powdered vitamin C, and dust wheat. Again, as the beer warmed it changed, with brighter representation of anise, pumpkin seediness, peach, and molasses. The body was medium to chewy, with bright bubbly carbonation. The feel was otherwise lightly watery as far as creaminess and frothiness went, with the mouth was left only wet and cooled. The abv was appropriate, and drinkability was seemingly average.

Overall, what a great name for a beer. Bravo on the reference. This was enjoyed in the company of family who were visiting for the weekend. They are huge wine people, but on their last visit they fell in love with Kuhnhenn, so we always make an effort to take advantage of that. Our first thought on the beer itself was actually in relation to a beer we recently tried by New Belgium. This showed great similarity to their grätzer, both of which are dark yet heavily wheaty, with a large dollop of smokiness. The rye does give a unique twist here, with those characteristic harsh metallics overcoming any lull of soggy wheatiness. The sweetness of fruit, however, tilts the balance in an entirely different direction, making the overall picture somehow muddier and mustier than expected, almost to the realm of a dark saison. This does come across in a lot of Kuhnhenn’s brews though, as they have a reliably similar grain profile to a good number of their offerings. While this is not the best beer we’ve had here, the rye and smoke create a palatable uniqueness that doesn’t go unappreciated.