Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Barley Wine
Warren, Michigan USA

Thanks to the Atlanta crew for sharing. Medium dark amber, head fades quickly. Nose is bourbon - vanilla, fruit, alcohol, rich caramel, peach. Flavor is caramel, vanilla, burbon, rich milk, alcohol, honey. Fruity caramel finish.

Tap at Boston EBF 2007. Dirty light brown body topped by some big bubbles acting as a head. A 14.5% beer getting rave reviews on ratebeer. Surprise surprise. I haven’t been that surprised since that time I looked under me to see what had just made that “plouff” sound in the toilet. Overly sweet beer. Alcohol dominates everything except for a flavour of pancake and brown sugar. After-taste of alcoholised maple-spread. Really tastes its advertised 14.5%, if not more.

EBF 07. This was a fantastic bw. Pours a slightly cloudy tannish woody brown with light carbonation and a thin head. Aroma is tons of sticky malts, caramel, toasted, tons of sweetness, but not cloying, with a nice rich vanilla oakiness and a very subdued alcohol apparency despite the 14.5%. Awesome full flavor, of sticky dark toasted malts, lightly nutty with a great balance of wood, and bourbon. Thick and smoooth palate with a long lingering finish. Having had the first release of BA old Numbskull only a few days beforehand, Id have to say I liked the Kuhnhenn much better.

EBF 2007: Pours a light brown with a loose tan head. Aroma, oaky, caramel, vanilla, some molasses, a bit of boozy bourbon. Flavor, Rich caramel, and toffee, some mild bourbon flavors, nothing over powering. There was a bit of heat, but it was welcoming. The perfect beer to start off Saturday after standing in the cold for 30 minutes. Great stuff.

[I’ve had the pleasure of having this beer several more times, and each time it just gets worse - it’s still good, but the wow moment I had at first just isn’t happening anymore - oxidation and booziness have started to become noticeable qualities] EBF 2007 - this was one of the highlights of the fest for me - there were lots of bourbon-aged beers, but this was one of the few that was done right - dark brownish red with small head of large bubbles (almost looks like it’s out of the cask) - complex aroma of vanilla, oak, toffee, some fruity esters (cherries), bourbon (though it doesn’t dominate) - lots of wet wood and vanilla in the flavor, with subdued notes of whiskey (though not boubon specifically), without being boozy - very heavy and chewy - rather than washing out the barleywine characteristics (heavy caramel and toffee with light fruity esters), the woodiness melts into the background adding a gentle, earthy touch to what I’m sure was already an outstanding beer - amazing.

12’er. What nectar. Dark brown color. Outstanding aroma. Astonishingly complex flavor of absorbed wood (coconut, vanilla, soaked wood, light whiskey) and heavy malt (an array of cinnamon covered fruit, caramel and toffee. Very, very smooth. If anyone has any bottles of this for trade, I am willing to trade heavily for it.

WOW, what a beer! thanks to Styles for getting the Kuhnhenn Holiday gift pack. aroma is all about the bourbon with some vanilla and dark fruit. flavor is a great mix of sweet malts, earthy oak, plums, vanilla, bourbon and some brown sugar. this is one of those sippin’ beers that would be easy to gulp down. yeah, it’s that smooth. most other bourbon beers are hot or one dimensional, but this is just smooth and very drinkable. Kuhnhenn’s continues to impress and I hope I can get ahold of this one again next year!!!

12oz, big thanks to walleye for this. poured deep ruby with just about no head. nose is impressive with fresh plums, bourbon, sweet chocolate, vanilla, and a touch of alcohol. flavor has very nice candied dark fruits, caramel, raspberries dipped in chocolate, butterscotch, brown sugar, cotton candy, and just hints of bourbon. mouthfeel is syrupy but not cloying. alcohol does warm a bit but doesn’t bite and for a 14.5% it’s impressive. the bourbon just accents this wonderful bw and adds even more complexity.