Tag Archives: WARREN MI

FALLING DOWN BEER CO.

WARREN, MICHIGAN

Perhaps less eccentric, over-the-top and wide-ranging as Warren’s two magnificent brewpub staples (Kuhnhenn and Dragonmead), FALLING DOWN BEER CO. nevertheless has a fine lineup of craft brews. Located inside a converted diner and open for biz, March 29, 2013, this blue-topped red-bricked pub maintains a charmingly blue collar appeal serving light Americana food with its approachable liquid fare.

Visited by friend, Dennis Flubacher (who brought back samples to Jersey), Falling Down never tries to be too fancy or audacious, settling for a quaint suburban atmosphere approved by many locals. During his two-hour dinner stay, Dennis imbibed  six ample samples, starting with easygoing light body, Chiller’s Revenge Amber Ale. Its clean-watered caramel toasting and phenol hop bite may’ve been unremarkable, but it’d suit amateur thirsts.

Next up, Rye My Donkey Rye Saison brought a large yellow-pink grapefruit contingent to Russian rye-breaded pumpernickel flouring and sweet banana-clove undertones. Perhaps even better, Ninja Chicken American Pale Ale got elevated by an aggressive India Pale Ale-like hop bittering that amplified piney tropical fruiting and zesty orange-peeled grapefruit rind tang.

Royal sour cherry-candied sidestep, Vampire Bunnies Cherry Blonde, offered a tart cherry pucker to crisp crescent-watered freshness.

On the dark side, Cascadian Dark Ale, Black IPA kept its dark-roasted black chocolate malting ahead of mild charcoal hop bittering.

Similar in style, dry Irish-styled FnA Stout worked cocoa-powdered Baker’s chocolate and mild black coffee into clean-watered hop briskness.

www.fallingdownbeer.com

DRAGONMEAD

The 614orty-Niner: Meading is Fundamental: Dragonmead (Warren, MI) and  Schramm's (Ferndale, MI)
WARREN, MICHIGAN

Incomparable DRAGONMEAD offers, at any given time, over forty softhearted to hard-bodied ales of differing strength, texture, complexity, and stylistic affiliation by brew master, Erik Harms. As of ’07, Dragonmead only bottled superfine Final Absolution Trippel and Under The Kilt Wee Heavy (listed in Beer Index).

Big Larry’s Broken Paddle American IPA, with its medicinal cherry-bruised orange-soured pepper-spiced luxuriance, is a personal fave. Long list of tapped brews quaffed over the course of four cordial visits (September ’04; July ’05; August ’06) is as follows:

AMERICAN ALES

Big Larry’s Pale Ale

prickly-hopped floral-accented fruit-rasped bitter.

Castlebrite Apricot Wheat

tart lemony apricot-soured grassy-hopped serenity.

Corktown Red

peat-malted tobacco-dried cherry-bruised orange-soured ale.

Crown Jewels IPA

tranquil red-fruited dry-body w/ restrained mocha-tea midst.

Dragon Daze Ale

mocha-soft dry-fruited hemp-spiked herbal remedy.

Mariann’s Honey Brown

astringent wet-papered mocha nutty sedation.

Redwing Raspberry Ale

juicy lemon-soured raspberry-tart dessert.

Lancelot’s Cream Ale

mellow diacetyl nullification.

BELGIAN ALES

Armageddon Grand Cru

creamy banana-bruised orange-candied Cognac ‘quad.’

Bill’s Witbier

daintily banana-clove-sweetened lemon-soured orange-tart retreat.

Bronze Griffin Belgian Ale

banana-chipped fig-dried mandarin orange-y pale ale.

Dubbel Dragon Ale

alcoholic orange-bruised honey-sugared serenity.

Guinevere’s Golden

currant-perfumed banana-clove-sweet pineapple-sour toxicity.

Wench Water

off-dry pale ale w/ cotton-candied peach-tangerine-nectar zest.

CZECH LAGER

Squire Pilsen

pungent peppery-hopped pumpernickel-breaded wheat-dried pils.

ENGLISH ALES

Crusader Dark Mild Ale

plain nut-dried mocha-malted tobacco-leafed anodyne.

Breath of Dragon Bitter

mild tealeaf-addled earthen-grained bore.

Erik The Red

earthen red-fruited herbal-hopped soapsuds.

Honey Porter

maple-sapped nut-dried black cherry-soured bark-charred softie.

Inquisition Pale Ale

blunt floral-hopped red-fruited pale-malted sipper.

Larry’s Lionheart Pale Ale

mild tea-dried orange-fruited biscuit-bottomed seducer.

London Brown Ale

dry-bodied hop-roasted ice coffee-soured complacency.

Woody’s Perfect Porter

expert coffee-roasted molasses-sugared Brit knockoff.

GERMAN ALES & LAGER

Bishop Bob’s Holy Smoke

peat- y Band-Aid-wafted wood-burnt meat-cured rage.

Dragonslayer Altbier

carbolic floral-hopped berry-jellied apple blossom dabbler.

Kaiser’s Kolsch

honeysuckle banana-bready coriander-spiced rosebud-bitter sop.

Nagelweiss Hefeweizen

lemony wheat-thinned banana-apricot-nipped dry body.

Nuhelles Einbock

fab musty-nosed apricot-dried strawberry-papaya-sugared sass.

SCOTTISH ALE

Andromeda Heather Ale

dry cola-nutty tobacco-smoked chocolate-chipped gruit.

90 Shilling Ale

strong cherry-sweet Scotch-dried potion.

Under the Kilt Wee Heavy

robust black cherry-pureed chocolate-malted dry body.

STOUTS

Cask Cond. Imperial Stout

espresso-roasted tobacco-dried vanilla-oaken bitter.

Imperial Stout

ashen coffee-oiled nut-charred licorice-finishing astringency.

Earl Spit Stout

creamy cocoa-malted black cherry-soured Irish-styled dry body.

Reverend Fred’s Oatmeal Stout

dry hop-charred stone-fruited chocolate-y malted.

Willy’s Oompa-Loompa Stout

lactic wood-burnt chocolate-coffee-roasted solace.

www.dragonmead.com

KUHNHENN BREWING

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. about to get 10 times bigger
WARREN, MICHIGAN

Per capita, Warren’s one of the greatest suburban brewpub meccas (visited August-September ’04, July ’05, August ’06), flaunting 11 Mile Road’s DRAGONMEAD and Chicago Road’s KUHNHENN BREWING, tiny inconspicuous freestanding venues with a no-frills approach just a few miles west of Detroit (although top picture shows significantly larger, newly designed second location in Clinton).

KUHNHENN, which is also a winery featuring Chamblaise, Chardonnay, Dry Italian, Bourgeron Blanc, and Riesling styles, brews rotating fruit ales as well as Belgian-Scotch ales and stouts.

On my first visit, tasted KUHNHENN’S deeply citric-hopped bitter Loonie Kuhnie Pale Ale, ripe stoned-fruited coriander-spiced chamomile-backed Belgian-styled Tangerine Wit, and diacetyl hop-softened apricot-dried kiwi-tinged Peach Apricot.

Soapy berry-tart Wild Blueberry Pancake Ale may’ve been lackadasical, but the rest of this night’s fare was distinguished.

Sticky pine-resinous fruit-hopped IPA, tangy orange-bruised Oktoberfest, mild espresso-doused Stout, and extraordinary barrel-aged whiskey-licked Cognac-smitten barleywine-swooned A Few Shillings Too Many Scotch Ale (a cherry-ripened 12.5% alcohol bomb) ruled the roost.

Listed in Beer Index are supreme bottled versions of Kuhnhenn Simcoe Silly, Heather Ale, Devils Horn, Tangerine Wit, American IPA, Kuhnhenn 9 Belgian-style Abbey Ale, Kuhnhenn Blackberry Porter, etc.

Second trip in July ’05, tried syrupy malt-sticky orange-bruised cherry-pied Maibock, peat malt-smoked, ice coffee-smeared, black cherry-veered, soft hop-seared Penetration Porter, medicinal, caramel-malted, Cognac-burgundy-bitten Fourth Dementia, smoky, tea-like, chocolate-roasted, tangerine-fruited, currant-sharp Iron Monger Dunkel, and lemony orange-pepped, leafy hop-softened Hefeweizen (with its surging banana-clove sweetness).

Outstanding dessert beer, Crème Brulee Java Stout, glided meringue-like cappuccino thickness atop caramel-burnt black chocolate éclair, buttery cocoa, coffee bean, raspberry puree, overripe cherry, and charred cedar illusions.

2015 Kuhnhenn winter solstice party bigger than ever

During August ’06 trip, met owner Eric Kuhnhenn, whose sons (Eric and Brett) continue to impress as first-rate brewmasters exploring the outer limits of beer making. At Ypsilanti’s Summer Beer Festival, the brothers experimented successfully with its limited “Kuhnhenn Kandy Land” line, featuring confectionery renditions like Red Hots Rye Ale, Candy Apple Ale, Junior Mint Chocolate Stout, Tootsie Royal Beer, and Double Chocolate Cherry Cream Stout.

New finds on this 3-hour stop included barleywine-like soother Anneliese Amber, a caramel malted sweetie with nifty mandarin orange, banana, and quince sequence. Not to be outdone, Belgian-styled Nine 10.5% Dark Strong Ale rushed cherry-bruised banana-bruised grape-soured fruiting into cedar-lacquered sherry-soaked chocolate liqueur whir.

Bourbon-cognac illusions deepened cocoa-buttered hazelnut-centered cherry-bruised wood-drenched heavyweight Bourbon-Barrel Fourth Dimension Olde Strong Ale.

For dessert, quaffed unendingly raspberry-tart, Scotch-malted, brown chocolate-y, maple-sugared, apple-candied Raspberry Eisbock.

www.kbrewery.com