Kuhnhenn Raspberry Eisbock

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Fruit Beer
Warren, Michigan USA

Notes from pre noogfest. thanks to springslicker for the chance to try this beer. A fruity chocolately aroma. A huge raspberry flavor with every sip. A full flavored palate that fills your mouth with many complexe flavors. This was a beer that was alot like a very good wine.

2004 bottle, 6.3oz, wax-less, courtesy of HogTownHarry. Huge thanks for this one! Pours a dark, dark reddish amber core; headless. Very little carbonation. Seems like a boozy, raspberry fruit roll-up; complex, aged, alcoholic raspberries. Alcohol is well-hidden in the mouthfeel; overripe raspberries, a toasty leathery quality, raisins, almost a vanilla oakiness; something aged patiently, paradigm-shifting. I’m getting literary. I don’t even know what I’m drinking here: maybe a beautiful, liquified fruit roll-up; maybe a distilled, oak-aged raspberry liquor, picked at the tail-end of the season. Long, port-like finish; caramel and fruit; a challenging beer. Cheers, Harry!

Thanks to northerntimber for this brew. Pours a deep garnet and mahagony with a patchy tan head, edgy, hazy and bubbly. Aroma is dark rich chocolate covered cherries, candied, floral perfumey hops, alcohol, caramel malt (cookie), yeast (warm dough). Moderate to heavy acidity that grows, medium bitterness, chocolate sweet malt and yeast, fruity, alcohol burn and sour finish. Medium to full bodied, warm, fizzy, spicy and dry palate. All in all, this did not live up to its hype. 2004 vintage.

What do you say about such a beer?? Thanks to Boutip, that’s for sure! I really have no starting point for rating this one and I did not rate it during our anniversary dinner. My impressions were most positive, though it was unlike anything I expected. I had this with a maple spiced cake and it went together most swimmingly. The aroma was out of sight with cake, chocolate, coco, caramel, marshmallow, raspberry cordial, and other sweet treats. The body was not as I expected as this was drier than I anticipated and more carbonated as well. It did grow on me though. The flavor was a mixed experience of surprise, disappointment and delight. I was surprised at how much this tasted like it smelled (see above), disappointed in the fact that I really expected overpowering raspberry and did not get that particular kind of sweet treat (read, raspberry tart-New Glarus), and delighted in that I did not care about the second in that everything about the flavor and tasted was as I noted, and it went so well with our dessert. This was everything that Mally’s Chocolate shop in Cleveland Ohio reminds me of in liquid form. Some what over the top at times, but certainly a treat!

Pretty awesome beer. Aroma was raspberry, chocolate, and caramel. Poured amber with a berry colored hue to it. Flavor was pretty sweet, raspberry with nice raspberry. As somebody else said, hit the spot on a cool Fall day in Durham. Hope I get to try it again sometime.

On tap at the WBF in Durham. Got my first sample while pouring for Oskar Blues and then cleverly got 3 or 4 more by waiting for the people working the Kuhnhenn table to switch out so that I could get more. Pours a reddish color with very little trace of head.Sweet raspberry aroma with a hint of chocolate and some alcohol. Upon tasting this I had to chuckle at the thought that people once believed this to be in the 18% ABV range. While I might could believe as much as 14% as alcohol flavors are definitely present, it’s certainly not touching the 18% range at all. What you get is a wonderful semi-sweet raspberry truffle type liquid that had the kids raving. This is very good stuff and I’d love to have a bottle for aging. As it is, I’m pleased that I had the chance to try this one.

Draft@ wbf: aromas was of raspberry chocolate and caramel. very mlaty sweet aroma. dominant flavors were chocolate and raspberry. thick syrupy mouthfeel. very nice. twas a special day. thanks erin.

On Tap at the World Beer Fest in Durham, NC. Very pleased these guys were there. Actually got to speak to Mr. Kuhnhenn for a little while and tell him how coveted his beer truly was. This was not on the list of available brews, but upon mention of it I was promptly served a nice 4 oz sample. Wow. Aroma was of a dark chocolate infused with raspberry. Top notch stuff. Would love to find a bottle someday. Psyched I got to try this gem on a rainy cool October day in NC.