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Lunar Eclipse
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- From:
- Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- Black IPA
- ABV:
- 11%
- Score:
- 81
- Avg:
- 3.51 | pDev: 15.95%
- Reviews:
- 27
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 09, 2014
- Added:
- Dec 30, 2010
- Wants:
- 6
- Gots:
- 5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DefenCorps:
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon
3.88/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.88/5 rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle received as an extra from Masterski. Thank you, Alex.
Black with dark reddish brown highlights, there's a dense, light brown head that recedes to a disk, leaving some lace. There's plenty of fine carbonation here. The nose is surprisingly excellent given the very mixed reviews here. Plenty of hops, with pine and grapefruit pith leading the way. Right away, I can tell this is going to rather bitter. In addition, there's a herbal and spearmint-like sharpness to the hop character. There's a significant creamy aspect to the nose as well, along with a nice blend of cocoa and roast. In some ways, a RIS/IPA hybrid, an interesting beer alround. I don't get much Belgian influence here.
The palate opens with a rather surprising sucralose-like sweetness along with a definite alcohol bite. Sugary sweet and boozy, this is intense! There's cocoa,caramel, a little licorice, some coffee liqueur and a modest grainy bitterness. The hops, particularly the pine, work nicely here, with the pine taking on a candied character. Bitterness is moderate, tempered in part by the sweetness. Boozy on the finish with a distinct sweetness and grainy and hoppy bitterness, this beer is medium-full in body and has a wonderful, fine carbonation.
May 16, 2011Black with dark reddish brown highlights, there's a dense, light brown head that recedes to a disk, leaving some lace. There's plenty of fine carbonation here. The nose is surprisingly excellent given the very mixed reviews here. Plenty of hops, with pine and grapefruit pith leading the way. Right away, I can tell this is going to rather bitter. In addition, there's a herbal and spearmint-like sharpness to the hop character. There's a significant creamy aspect to the nose as well, along with a nice blend of cocoa and roast. In some ways, a RIS/IPA hybrid, an interesting beer alround. I don't get much Belgian influence here.
The palate opens with a rather surprising sucralose-like sweetness along with a definite alcohol bite. Sugary sweet and boozy, this is intense! There's cocoa,caramel, a little licorice, some coffee liqueur and a modest grainy bitterness. The hops, particularly the pine, work nicely here, with the pine taking on a candied character. Bitterness is moderate, tempered in part by the sweetness. Boozy on the finish with a distinct sweetness and grainy and hoppy bitterness, this beer is medium-full in body and has a wonderful, fine carbonation.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina
3.91/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Pours a fudge brown color with distinct ruby highlights; a finger of foam sits on top of the liquid, retaining nicely and leaving plenty of lacing behind
Smell: Chocolate fudge, wort, burnt sugar and vague booze and fruit elements
Taste: Chocolate fudge and caramel, up front, with a grainy/fruity character developing; in the middle, it gets somewhat boozy, bringing what is left of the hop elements into the picture; burnt sugar, fudge and booze in the finish
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to high carbonation; plenty of warmth in the gullet
Overall: Flipping through the reviews of this beer, I was rather surprised I liked it as much as I did; time has settled down the hops and the beer is now very malty and tastes more like a strong ale than an American Black
Sep 28, 2012Smell: Chocolate fudge, wort, burnt sugar and vague booze and fruit elements
Taste: Chocolate fudge and caramel, up front, with a grainy/fruity character developing; in the middle, it gets somewhat boozy, bringing what is left of the hop elements into the picture; burnt sugar, fudge and booze in the finish
Mouthfeel: Full bodied with moderate to high carbonation; plenty of warmth in the gullet
Overall: Flipping through the reviews of this beer, I was rather surprised I liked it as much as I did; time has settled down the hops and the beer is now very malty and tastes more like a strong ale than an American Black
Reviewed by TurdFurgison from Ohio
3.23/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.23/5 rDev -8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This review is based on an 11 month old bottle, but I tried it fresh on tap too so I'll add what I remember to it. It pours dark, basically opaque but a little clear at the edges, brownish more than black. It smells like a hoppy barleywine, and that much seems pretty much what it smelled like originally, although maybe the malts are taking over a little more aroma-wise over time. Dark roasted malts and a little bit of cough syrup, plus a whole bucket of hops.
It tastes better than it smells, and if you like dark barleywines this might be for you. Actually it reminds me a little of Gulden Draak, some Belgian component might be in there like other reviewers have noted. Still very hoppy after all this time, still a bit of a mess though.
I don't think I'd want another but I'm pretty sure there are people out there who'd like this type of beer.
Nov 20, 2011It tastes better than it smells, and if you like dark barleywines this might be for you. Actually it reminds me a little of Gulden Draak, some Belgian component might be in there like other reviewers have noted. Still very hoppy after all this time, still a bit of a mess though.
I don't think I'd want another but I'm pretty sure there are people out there who'd like this type of beer.
Reviewed by liamt07 from Canada (ON)
4/5 rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +14%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle shared by Peter of Flying Monkeys, 355ml bottle into some snifters. Winter Solstice 2010 bottling. Civic day tasting.
Poured a dark brown with a lighter brown head, some mahogany around the edges. Good legs. Nose holds rich dark fruits, strong booze notes, milk chocolate and a some slight nuttiness. Taste has raisins and dark chocolate, with a powerful roast character. Indiscriminate rich dark fruits again; sticky mouthfeel and a lengthy bitter and roasty finish. Medium heavy mouthfeel. Good drinkability, and although apparent in the nose, the booze isn't inhibitive here. Nice, but not outstanding.
Sep 07, 2011Poured a dark brown with a lighter brown head, some mahogany around the edges. Good legs. Nose holds rich dark fruits, strong booze notes, milk chocolate and a some slight nuttiness. Taste has raisins and dark chocolate, with a powerful roast character. Indiscriminate rich dark fruits again; sticky mouthfeel and a lengthy bitter and roasty finish. Medium heavy mouthfeel. Good drinkability, and although apparent in the nose, the booze isn't inhibitive here. Nice, but not outstanding.
Reviewed by CHickman from New York
3.7/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.7/5 rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Taproom 307 in NYC; pours pitch black color with zero light coming through and a small tan head that left good lacing; looks like a stout.
Smells of floral hops, caramel, molasses, sweet malt, rum, bourbon or other alcohol - you can smell the heat. Smells like an IPA and barleywine mixed together, with the strong sweet malts mixing with the hops for a very dynamic aroma.
Tastes like cocoa, toffee, floral hops, caramel, molasses, citrus hops, sweet malt, rum, bourbon or other alcohol; too sweet for an IPA, this tastes like a barelywine. It was not bad, in fact it was actually good tasting and complex, but just misclassified with a real identity crisis and a very strong alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel is creamy and slick with no carbonation, a heavy body and an alcohol burn that sizzles each sip. Low drinkability, I had to sip this.
Overall it was decent, and would have been better in the winter. Not a typical Black IPA as I’ve come to expect them, but worth a try because the look, smell and taste will not be what you expect.
Aug 12, 2011Smells of floral hops, caramel, molasses, sweet malt, rum, bourbon or other alcohol - you can smell the heat. Smells like an IPA and barleywine mixed together, with the strong sweet malts mixing with the hops for a very dynamic aroma.
Tastes like cocoa, toffee, floral hops, caramel, molasses, citrus hops, sweet malt, rum, bourbon or other alcohol; too sweet for an IPA, this tastes like a barelywine. It was not bad, in fact it was actually good tasting and complex, but just misclassified with a real identity crisis and a very strong alcohol presence.
Mouthfeel is creamy and slick with no carbonation, a heavy body and an alcohol burn that sizzles each sip. Low drinkability, I had to sip this.
Overall it was decent, and would have been better in the winter. Not a typical Black IPA as I’ve come to expect them, but worth a try because the look, smell and taste will not be what you expect.
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)
3.95/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I thought an understated imperial stout. Smelled roasty, very balck with brown head. Would pass as a very decent RIS. Not thick, but chocolate, rich malt.Mouthfeel average. Good drinkability. Perfect carbonation.Peter Chiado's bottle from the brewery.
Aug 02, 2011Reviewed by AgentZero from Illinois
3.53/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.53/5 rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A - Black beer that looks slightly reddish on the edges. Half a finger of tan head that faded to a thin ring and left the sides of the glass clean.
S - Dark fruits, chocolate, yeast, piney hops, a little banana, caramel. Has a bit of alcohol on the nose with some fruity eithers.
T - Some alcohol burn, burnt caramel, cocoa, piney hops, caramel, licorice. Really rich and deep flavors, although the alcohol detracts a little bit. This is a big beer, flavor is decent.
M - Close to full bodied, moderate carbonation, bittering finish.
O - Not a bad beer, its a bit of a sipper, but I liked it as far as black IPAs goes. Wouldn't mind this again.
Jul 18, 2011S - Dark fruits, chocolate, yeast, piney hops, a little banana, caramel. Has a bit of alcohol on the nose with some fruity eithers.
T - Some alcohol burn, burnt caramel, cocoa, piney hops, caramel, licorice. Really rich and deep flavors, although the alcohol detracts a little bit. This is a big beer, flavor is decent.
M - Close to full bodied, moderate carbonation, bittering finish.
O - Not a bad beer, its a bit of a sipper, but I liked it as far as black IPAs goes. Wouldn't mind this again.
Lunar Eclipse from Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Beer rating:
81 out of
100 with
40 ratings
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