Breakfast Sausage Ale
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

I have to admit I was put on notice by the homemade looking label bearing a photo image of succulent, shiny bratwurst. This beer is supposed to taste like sausage. I was intimidated.

The pour was graceful and brown with a mottled crafty pattern of tan foam. The aromas tell of spices that one might find in a sausage: fennel, sage, pepper, garlic and smoke. But it seems not overdone as there is a tactful segue into toasty, nutty malts and the merest hint of apple fruit drenched with maple.
On the palate it is medium-bodied and tart with smoky resins. The bouquet garni aspect is entirely benign. The malt and yeast have arrived at an attractive, though subservient complex of toffee and roasted tannins just suggestive of applewood and its fruit. Fans of Bamberger Rauchbier should be thrilled with this.

Reminds me of the sublime chicken breast-distilled mescal from Del Maguey which sells to eager enthusiasts for $250.

It's interesting how one can see an evolution (refinement?) of flavor in this little brewpub. This reminds me a bit of their "Balls Deep" molasses beer in its smoky, unique aromatics and flavor. But where that was powerful, this is a bit more complex. I'm not sure I like it as much -- I may; who knows? -- but it's damn interesting.

Nose reeks of open maple syrup in a kitchen filled with smoke or uncooked smoked meats. Smooth, sugary aromas mingle with harsher smokiness and an edgy green herb vibe that I'd liken to parsley or any number of dried (rather than fresh) herbs. If it's possible, the context and the aroma is producing the notion of "eggs" in the back of my head. And as it warms, a milky Nestle Quick chocolate redolence emerges.

The nuances explode into a variety of strange flavors on the palate. Bacon fat and charred sausage casing -- or perhaps smoked chubb -- comprise the mid-palate, but the beer moves through a slick, fish oil phase and finishes with a plant stem-like bitter finish.

The beer itself is a bit thin compared to others in the Kuhnhenn's line up, but that's still something. At 5.8%, these guys are showing incredible depth of flavor -- whether it's a pleasing flavor will depend larger on the person drinking it, methinks -- in a comparitively "small" beer.

Those who know my drinking habits know I appreciate and value originality. This is good -- not spectacular -- but it earns a little extra for how remarkably well something so unique was crafted.

Sampled from a 12 oz bottle at the brewery. Per the menu, this is part of the "Breafast of Champions" series from Kuhnhenn which includes the Banana Stout & possibly a hash brown ale and blueberry pancake brew of some kind. Though it is likely that there were some smoked malts used when brewing this, the spices dominate the flavor profile. This brew poured a deep amber with a tiny, bubbly head. Aroma & flavor were consistent and were driven by the various spices used. The menu mentions sage, which definitely stands out...it also seemed like there could have been some nutmeg, thyme, paprika, cayenne, maybe even some ginger. Finishes with subtle hints of smoke. Coats the mouth nicely and leaves you with a spicy aftertaste that lasts for hours (seriously, we're talking 8 to 10 hours). I'd recommend sharing this, if possible, as it is a very intensely flavored beer, but so unique it's definitely worth trying.