Kuhnhenn Aldebaran

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Warren, Michigan USA

12 oz Bottle. Flickr(http://www.flickr.com/photos/26049401@N0 Cracks with a light spritz and then immediately builds a nose of well-aged caramels. Some subtle Belgian esters sweep through and join a faint lemongrass hop nose. Nice complexity, character and depth. A good beginning. Pours a clear ruddied caramel, pale. A silky, soapy, lacing rim in off-white slides to the corners of the glass. Flavor develops slowly. First a run of nice creamy, Belgian malt and then a whiff of strong alcohol. Drying phenols, not overpowering, climb up the back of the throat. Then, a rather brisk and forward play of hops, in grassy Euro tones. Alcohol is a little forward for me, but the body is light, the yeast is good, and the malt is well-integrated. I appreciate the extra hops, since they don’t come out as too celery-like or aged. The alcohol brings forth some interesting spiced notes in the beer that add a level of depth. A touch hot. But, a nice beer! Thanks much Sean!

Courtesy SoLan. Amber color with an even thin white head. Mild aroma - moderate earthy hops and some background fruity notes. Smooth hoppy taste, real earthy, the fruitiness from the yeast assists well enough, but doesn’t stand out on its own. Nice rye palate. A great idea, but not what I expected.

Bottled. Pours a lightly hazy ruby red-garnet color. A foamy, beige colored head shows good retention and leaves sticky ribbon and jagged lines of lacing behind. Aromas are big but well balanced. Grapefruit and orange hops are countered with sweet, caramelized biscuit and toasted rye bread. The Belgian yeast funk is supremely integrated, helped along by a touch of lactic creaminess in the nose. Flavors exhibit the same well-balanced profile. Caramel sweetness is accompanied by darkly toasted biscuit, followed soon after by a rush of bitter orange and grapefruit. The creaminess is there again, with the yeast imparting a soft spiciness on the finish. The body is quite substantial, with moderate carbonation levels lending to the creamy palate. Overall, this is a very nice and unique brew. Definitely must be consumed fresh, as this one will taper off quickly. Great beer.

A- Pours a nice auburn hue with a pillowy 2 finger head. Lots of visible carbonation. S- Smell is absolutely excellent. Hops hit the nose first, followed by sweet caramely malt, followed by just a hint of belgian funk. T- Wow, this is where it’s at. Very sweet, waves of slight fruitiness and deep caramel wash across the tongue with a bit of hop biterness lingering at the end that fades into malty goodness. Phenomenal. It’s hard to put a finger on what style this is but whatever it is, I like it. M- Thick with quite a bit of carbonation. D- I can honestly say that if I had access to this often, I would drink it at least once a week. One of the best Kuhnhenn brews I have tasted to date. I love this brewery!

12oz hand bottle from a growler. Clear darkish orange with reddish highlights and a small beige head, fair retention. Tangerine, pineapple, spicy rye (I’d forgotten it had rye in it until I smelled it), caramel malts, Belgian yeast with a tinge of banana round out the aroma. Very nice so far. Flavor was every bit as fruity with plenty of rye and bittersweet caramel to go around. A slight amount of raw alcohol, but with all the flavors going around it doesn’t detract. Dry finish with some green leafy hops and bitterness peaking at a 6 or so. Light carbonation with a full body. The hops came across in this every bit as bright as in a fresh Dreadnaught, and throwing in rye and Belgian yeast made a great complex and flavorful brew. Totally rocked. I also added a point in the overall that should actually have been in the appearance, but since it’s a hand bottle I adjusted accordingly.

MBG Winter Fest 2008. Poured hazy brown color with an average fizzy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Moderate yeasty toasted rye aroma. Medium body. Medium toasted bittersweet flavor with a medium to heavy bittersweet finish of moderate duration. My expectations where met.

Draft. Notes of pepper and catnip on the nose. Caramel brown hue with a tan head that mostly diminished. Palate is smooth with a bitter finish. Flavor of medicine and fruit. I don’t know could grow on me but its so different I’m put off.

2008 MBG Winter Beer Fest. This was a very leafy, hoppy beer backed by caramely, bready malt. Tannic, citrusy, and a touch medicinal, but the leafy characteristics are what left a lingering impression. This cut my palate after a few dark beers.