Kuhnhenn had a number of special release offerings on St. Patricks day to go along with a number of standard brews. Virtually anybody could have found at least one beer to their liking on this day. The best part was there was not a single green beer in sight.
- Blueberry Pancake Ale - If this beer was not so heavy bodied, I could have quaffed it all day. The experience was not unlike eating a plate of blueberry pancakes covered in syrup. Very malty but not too sweet and just the right amount of blueberry flavor. The color was a cloudy amber with a delightful purple hue. There was virtually no detectable hops, which is a good thing in this particular instance. There was a mild alcohol warming that helped remind you that you were actually drinking a well crafted beer. This would be a great selection to bring out for someone who "doesn't like the taste of beer".
- Banana Bourbon French Toast Mead - It was a toss up as to whether this or the pancake ale were my favorites on the day. I'm not particularly a fan of all things banana, but I had to give this one a try and I'm glad I did. The nose was very strong and sweet and was an excellent indicator of the taste that was going to follow. There was a very subtle banana flavor that was enhanced with notes of vanilla and cinnamon. There was strong, but not overly so. This mead would make a wonderful dessert beverage.
- Imperial Creme Brulee Java Stout - The nose was primarily of strong roasted coffee. The Imperial was not as sweet as it's non-imperial cousin. I found that the coffee and vanilla flavors came through strong and were well balanced.
- Kaptain Krunch Koco Berry Ale - Smelled sickly sweet, very much like bubblegum. This was the "green beer" of the day for it's novelty value. It was way too sweet and was closer to Kool-Aid than beer.
- Breakfast Sausage Ale - I am not at all a fan of smoked beers. I've yet to sample one that I didn't find revolting. That being said, this was probably one of the worst things I've ever put in my mouth, except for maybe Fallon Smoked Porter which tasted like the butt of a wet dog that has been standing next to a campfire for two hours. The nose was what I imagine cold smoked band-aids to smell like. There are definitely people out there that like smoked beer and at least one guy at the bar near me actually downed a full glass of this stuff. All the power to him!
- Sticky Bun Olde Ale (Hand Pull) - Talking with some people at the bar, I wasn't expecting much here and actually ordered one by mistake. Earlier in the day they had their regular old ale on the hand pull but ran out and put some Sticky Bun on unbeknownst to me. I'm somewhat glad this happened. The nose was strong to cinnamon but I thought I picked up a little cherry in there as well. It was not as sweet as I was expecting and had a strong alcohol warming that lingered for awhile. I found the amount of cinnamon flavor to be just right and overall a good addition to the Breakfast of Champions theme.
- Special Bitter (Cask) - Very low bitterness, smelled a little of slightly unripe banana and smashed green apples. Extremely drinkable and low carbonation. Even had a bit of a cidery flavor to me. I'm not a fan of bitters, but I'll get this one from Kuhnhenn again.
- Oud Bruine - Very deep, nearly opaque red color. 11.5% ABV. Delightfully sour with a hint of tart cherry. The cherry flavor intensified and a bit of hops seemed to emerge as it warmed. I like sour beer and this one did not disappoint.