Kuhnhenn Simcoe Silly Ale

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

Banana is the strongest flavor. It’s not subtle enough and I wish the flavor was better. The aroma is alright, a bit of sourness makes it interesting. Boring on the palate. Overall, a drinkable beer that I wouldn’t buy again.

Picked a growler of this up last night at Bierkraft in Brooklyn. Pours a very dark golden orange/amber color with hazy golden orange/peach hues when held to a light source and a one finger frothy, pillowy off-white head that has good retention, slowly fading into a lasting ring that coats the glass with streaks of soapy sheets of lacing. Earthy floral hop aroma with hints of bready yeast, citrus peel, zest peppery spice and slight light fruit. Hints of grapefruit and lemon peel compliment the dank oily ops and there is also a decent graham cracker biscuit malt presence. Chewy mull body with a lot of fresh floral hop bitterness as well as some nice sweet citrus character. The bitterness from the hops last but become less prominent as they are countered by the graham cracker and biscuit malts as well as a very prominent bready yeast character. Hits of light crisp fruit and ripe banana add to the complexity but the hops are the star here. As mentioned above they are very floral and sweet up front with a slight bitterness that lasts throughout into a delicious dry finish. The ABV is excellently masked making it dangerously drinkable. Usually I don’t like hoppy beers to have this much of a malt backbone but I really enjoyed this one. i

10 oz tulip at kunhenn. clear golden with a white head and lace. nice simcoe nose with some yeasty belgian aspects. flavours are similar, mostly simcoe with a touch of belgian yeast. very easy to drink for its weight but not as good as the american ipa. a nice version of a belgian ipa.

Golden Ale with light tan lacing, earthy hop aroma, rich dried fruit flavours, full mouthfeel.

Big thanks to ogglethorp for this one, poured into a tulip. Pours a hazy golden brown, very much tea-like, with a small off-white head that recedes to a creamy collar and a soapy swirl in the middle. The aroma is an interesting combination of piny hops from the simcoe and the sweetness of the candi sugar. There is a hint of spices as well, but the simcoe is most prevalent. Overall the nose is pretty tame. Wow, the taste is really big with so many disparate tastes hitting the tongue at once. The first thing I got is the candi sugar and Belgian yeast, like a big Belgian beer. But the simcoe really turns it on in the middle and the finish is massively floral with tons of pine resin along with lots of spiciness from the yeast. The mouthfeel is slick is full-bodied with low, soft carbonation and a definite alcohol burn, especially in the finish. It’s almost syrupy, especially as it builds up after each sip. This is another interesting big beer from Kuhnhenn and the aroma didn’t prepare me for the onslaught that I was going to get in the taste. Tons of different flavors from sweetness to floral to almost purfumy. I’m not convinced it comes together perfectly but I’m enjoying sipping on it.

On tap at the Blind Tiger at their Kuhnhenn event. Clear light ruby amber with a thin white head. Light hops, citrus and candied pineapple. Nice contrast of Belgian flavors with more of the simcoe coming through, just the faintest hint of astringency. Finishes with a slow grapefruit finish and a nice balanced bitterness.

Very different and interesting. The aroma is coriander, orange peel, hops. The appearance is amber, white head. The flavor is spicy, peppery, hoppy. The finish is spicy, and hoppy. Medium thick mouthfeel, smooth. Very good.