Kuhnhenn Extraneous Ale (Cassis)

Courtesy of the Kuhnhenn Brothers

Bottle: Big vinuous aroma of black currants, alcohol, hints of chocolate, and smoke. It pours a reddish-brown with no transparency and a minimal beige head. The flavor is very sweet, almost sugary at times, with lots of black currants. There is a strong vinuous backbone with a hint of tart grape. The sweetness builds in the finish along with a moderate warming affect. A tad too sweet for my preferences.

Pours a deep dark ruby brown color with a small tan head that dissipates almost immediately. Thick black currant smell evident as soon as you open the bottle with notes of honey, some citrus, vanilla, chocolate, and alcohol. Lots of vinous black currant flavor with a strong dose of vanilla. Hints of caramel,brown sugar, and some woodiness.r popping out with loads of alcohol in the finish. The intense alcohol is about the only thing that takes away from a perfect 10 for flavor. Body is full and oily with, obviously, plenty of alcohol warming.

had this September 22nd, my birthday present from Brett. another wow beer. poured a dark amber to ruby with no head. aroma besides the hint of alcohol I got black currant followed by some red currant and the secret ingredient green tea with a nice blend of malt and vanilla and caramel. flavor, the currants take a front seat here with the caramel and vanilla coming in a close 2nd, I was excepting the alcohol to be right up front on this beer but it just poked it head out. IMO this would give the raspberry eisbock a run for its money

Bottle at Kuhnhenn on 11/25/06
Greyish-beige head sits atop a deep magenta-violet tinged black cherry body that shows a medium to medium-high clarity. Only light carbonation perceptible and the head recedes quickly to partial cover, leaving little/no lacing behind.
Soft, waxy/plastery currants are noted first, in the nose, followed by a burst of some piquant acids and skin tannins. It seems to build on and draw strength from the dark malts that lie in ambush behind it. Warmth allows heavily caramelized, thickly sweet chocolate and toffee notes to emerge, while a decided note of vanilla gives a little lightness and evolves in to almost a dry black cherry character. Grainy barley, a touch of char and wood are found at the back, but the cassis is very good about covering the rough edges seen in the normal version (which is barrel-aged). Very strong aroma, with little no alcohol perceptible.
Tight, engaging carbonation provides a frothy, juicy currant-cherry richness that softens somewhat, allowing more waxiness, light vanilla and bland wood notes to soften the fruit acids. They perk up again, more acetic-like, on the finish, which is also alive with medium dry chocolate, light hints of coffee and bits of light char. I didnt find much rawness in the normal version, and certainly don’t find it here. There’s no doubt plenty of warming on the finish, but I dont see obnoxious fusels and sharp, disruptive fumes rising from the glass. Despite the carbonation’s best effort, the body is still rather oily/waxy. I’ve mentioned it before, but dark malts and dark fruits don’t seem to come off nearly as bright as say medium malts (their eisbock) and raspberries, so it’s not quite in that ballpark for me, but every bit as good as something like Kulmbacher eisbock. Very unique and surprisingly drinkable. Still have one bottle left. Will see how it ages.

Pours a rich, cherry wood brown with a thin head of quickly dissipating ivory. The aroma is completely dominated by an intoxicatingly rich fruity currant bouquet. The cassis character is very forward but fabulously rich and heavy, allowing only a breath of vanilla to escape from beneath its fruity cloak. Full bodied, effervescent mouthfeel. Wow, a ton of cassis immediately floods the palate. Some fine bradyish characters follow, but are quite smooth considering the high ABV. As the brandy flavors fade, more of the base beer notes start to poke out from behind the ripe currant fruits, with edges of caramel and spicy zinfindel tannins. The finish begins to get a bit heavy and mediciny with a cherry twist, but as I reach the bottom of my glass, the yeasty dregs add a bit of a spicy, dark breath to soften the cassis edge. Currants, currants, currants - the re-occuring theme here in this fruity, sipping treat.