Kuhnhenn Aldebaran

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

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.

2008 MBG Winter Fest: Coppery hue with a small foamy head and spotty lace. The aroma is fruity, caramel, toasty, a bit catty, grassy, minerally and fusel alcohol. WOW, the taste is high alpha hops indeed! Along with the twangy rye the bitterness really shines on the palate backed by a light-handed sweet chewy malt and some herbal spice notes. Almost a tad unbalanced. The mouth feel is lively, sharp and refreshing. Different and yet enjoyable.

Bottle (12oz). Shared with blankboy and garthicus via trade with Glouglouburp. Deep clear mahogany pour with an average frothy off-white head. Dry, resiny aroma, slightly sweet and fruity - appealing. The taste was also lightly fruity (garthicus got woody dry strawberry, for me it was pineapple) - with a light grapefruit presence and virtually no alcohol at all. Average-to-light bodied, slightly slick and astringent, only weakly carbonated and a quick finish to the malt body. Odd - like a malty weeak IPA blended with an ESB - perhaps a tad oxidized? - there was a hint of paper in the finish.

Bottle (12oz) shared with HogTownHarry & garthicus -- courtesy of HogTownHarry. Pours a clear deep ruby with an average size diminishing foamy off-white head. Pretty nice aroma of piney hops and plenty of fruit along with sweet malt and some light mustiness. Flavour’s maltier then I expected, not as hoppy as I thought it would be based on the aroma -- there’s still a good amount of piney hops though and it’s a bit spicy too. Average bitter finish. Pretty good, not as "Imperial" as I’d like it to be though.

Hand bottled yesterday from a growler by iowaherkeye. Thanks Joey. Poured a slightly hazy orange-amber color. The head was light tan and left some lace behind at the end. Very attractive aroma. I love that mix of clove and grapefruity hop smells you get from some of these Belgian-ish IPA’s. There was also some malty toffee and it sometimes reminded me of how new black rubber tires smell. Delicate sugars were kept in check by a mild to moderate hop bitterness that peaked at 4-5 out of 10. The alcohol flavor and warmth reflected every bit of the billed 8.5% AbV. The alcohol blended well with light candy/flower blossom sweetness, citrsuy hop, toffee, and clove flavors. Grapefruit and clove. Mmmm. This is a good one.

<b>In short: </b>A toasted strong Belgian dark ale of some kind.
<b>How: </b>Bottle 12oz, consumed almost fresh some 4 months after purchasing at the brewery.
<b>The look: </b>Almost clear redish amber body topped by a long lasting small beige head
<b>In long: </b>Nose is rather tosted grains with nutty notes. Taste is very toasted and grainy. Figs, crusty raisins pie, peanuts and roasted nuts. Light cherry pie sour note. Moderately sweet. Alcohol is present with the feeling of an added strong alcohol shot (rum or something like that). Something about the strong toasted nature of the beer or the dusty yeast makes it seem rather dry. Strong and pleasant woody hops presence. Finish is roasted brown sugar and mild woody bitterness. Another interesting beer from Kuhnhenn. The beer is either named after a bright star or a demon, both are valid definition for Aldebaran. Not that it really matters but I just wanted to show that I know many things. And by many things I mean how to turn on a computer and access wikipedia.

Thanks to hailsquishface for this - medium amber beer - aroma of floral hops and biscuity british and rye malts - spicy hop flavor, with some tangy citrus - I’m not really getting any belgian yeast character - a lot of warming alcohol in the finish, and fairly strong grapefruit flesh and citrus rind - the alcohol becomes very apparent as it warms - pretty strong sweetness in the finish, too - a bit brash and lacking balance, but fairly tasty.

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.