Kuhnhenn Big N Bold Barley Wine

Formerly brewed at Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Warren, Michigan USA

OK, It’s on tap now, must be the 2008 version. The aroma was sweet bread, roastiness. The body was a gray/brown, a light brown head, cloudy as all get out, doesn’t look that great but wow what flavor! The flavor is sweet a little bitter and it stays with you, the body is medium and the texture creamy.

On tap January 2004. Dark brownish toffee like color with a mix of dark yellow and hazy orange. Big creamy off white head that sticks around. Aroma is full of malty goodness, with some light chocolate and lots of prune. Some dryness from the alcohol as well. Full body, tapering off a bit towards the finish. Very pleasant English style. Good thick, creamy mouthfeel. Lots of rich malt flavor, chocolate, sweet prunes, brown sugar, light maple. As it warmed it kept tasting more complex with plenty of spiciness and rich fig/date flavor. Some alcohol is perceptible and helps dry out the heavy malt flavor. Bitter for an English Barleywine, I suppose, but no high alpha hops apparent. Very good. Hell, it certainly surpassed Bell's boring cherry and sugar concoction in my books.

Tap. Rich, opaque brown color with a thick head. Decent lacing. The aromas of fruit (raisins?) and licorice. Full mouthfeel, this batch had a 14.5% ABV, and you could certainly tell. Made this a sippin’ beer, that’s for sure. Spicy and sweet taste. Dry and bitter aftertaste. Excellent dessert beer.

tasted at last years solstice. Aroma was real malty and carmely. Flavor was pretty sweet and had some bourbony notes to it somehow. Really tastey beer.

Bottle from ucusty, thanks man. Poured a deep, murky caramel-brown color with a thin off-white head that faded to a ring. Sweet, fruity (apple, pear, raisin) aroma with caramel, brown sugar, a light leather-like earthiness and some alcohol. Sweet, smooth entry with a faintly tart fruitiness with hints of green apple and a nice caramel maltiness with some light brown sugar and a lightly dry, fruity finish (pear and raisin). Low carbonation, smooth and thick on the palate. I really enjoyed it, I must have gotten a good bottle. Thanks again David.

On tap @ the brewpub: Going with BBB on this one since I wasn’t sure where else to enter it. Pours a murky brown with an off white head. Aroma, spices, earthy and citrus hops, brown sugar, caramel. Flavor, sweet caramel, and brown sugar, some vegetal notes, and a nice hop flavor of citrus and earthy notes. Smooth sticky sweet finish, very nice.

Bottle:   Deep caramel, brownish in color, thin beige head, dies quickly, very sparce lacing.   Certainly looks aged.   Sweet biscuity nose, caramel, soft malts, oh lordy that smells good. &bnsp A little graham cracker as well.   Wow, quite spry on the tongue.   Zesty, a lot of candied citrus peel and caramel.   It is fairly sweet, yet not all that malty.   Hop presense is low.   This one still has some legs.   This is somewhat of an odd duck because it has this sweet zesty candied citrus peel that just dominates over everything else.   Caramel and soft dark pitted fruit take up the backside.   For being 12% I can’t tell at all.   Alcohol is very well hidden.   Body and mouthfeel are fairly average, yet this one is quite sticky.   Finishes with a sweet citrusy note, slight caramel, touch of pine, and a whole lot of character. &nbps Not as malty as others of the same class, but still enjoyable.   Big props to Styles for trading away one of these!

Pours a mostly still copper mahogany with some light tan bubbles. Aroma of rich sweet caramel and light cherry fruitiness with a touch of brown sugar. Body starts full and caramely sweet with a nice light fruity complexity before a warming semi-sweet, lightly citrusy finish. Slightly warming cherry fruity complex finish. Should age well.