Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

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

Bottle sampled at WeeHeavySDs 2000th rating party, thanks Jon! Pours a clear dark amber-brown with no real head. Intense aroma, of sweet malt, lots of bourbon, wood, dark fruit, and molasses. Huge sweet taste, of malt, sticky molasses, wood and something like papaya. Lingering huge sweet bourbon flavor. Fantastic.

Had at the winter solstice last year. I had written down that it was actually brandy barrel but maybe it was aged in both. Poured a cloudy brown color with not much head at all to it. Aroma was a lot of bourbon/brandy and caramel maltiness. Flavor was real sweet and some alcohol showed. Lingered in the mouth.

Bottle courtesy of masonjer poured into a snifter. I cant thank Jeremy enough for the opportunity to try this rarity. Pours a dark murky reddish brown with little head outside of a small ring of bubbles that leaves very little remnants. The aroma is massive and just explodes out of the glass. It has hints of citrus up front but the caramel malts, toffee and brown sugar really dominate. There are hints of dark fruits, bourbon and vanilla as well, though very subtle. The taste has the same dominant malt backbone with tons of caramel malts and brown sugar. The wood makes itself felt a little more in the taste with some vanilla hints and the finish has a huge bourbon burn that lingers between sips. The mouthfeel is extremely slick and just coats the mouth with bourbon and sugary sweetness. The carbonation is almost non-existent. This is a damn fine barleywine and one that Ive been looking to try for a while. I got hints of oxidation in the taste but thats really just nitpicking with such a great beer.

Bottle. Ive had this 3 times, twice on draft once in a bottle at Kuhnhenn. The bottle was logarithmically better than its draft offering. An incredible balanced marriage of sweet dark fruits and oaky bourbon. Everything i love about beer was woven together in this BW. A rich viscous butter of dark plum, caramel, raisins, dates. Leading into a full robust oaky, scotch bourbon warming. Phenominal, this is my justification of craft ale.

Wow. Thanks Jon! Tasted at Jon’s 2000th tasting. I’ve been waiting a while to try this, drooling at it in Jon’s mini fridge. Excellent aroma. Crazy good. Rich buttery oaky brown sugar. sweet. Tastes as good as it smells.

12oz bottle via trade with hoppymeal, Derek, you are a god amongst men, I’ve had this for some time shared at my 2000th rating tasting with Kmweaver and his wife, my girlfriend Cyn, dalekliz, fordest, toncatcher, and wetherel. This is incredible!!! Pours reddish with a tan head. Nose is amazingly bourbon, big and sweet and intoxicating. Taste is sweet with bourbon, very nice excellent, super great fantastic, this beer has so many levels holy fuck this is amazing.

12 oz bottle shared. Lots of Sweet malty aromas. Dark fruit and caramel. Alcohol warming on the front with more on the finish. Flavors of more caramel and sweet fruits. Pretty tasty

A thick chocolate colored pour. Bourbon heavy aroma. Peppery and bright. Coconut and white fruits, honey and vanilla. Fruity and boozy and malty and all in a balanced exchange. Warm and altogether very pleasant; raisins, belgian chocolate, and a general wine-like texture beneath bourbon.

Meaty malts and rich fruit-textured bourbon in the flavor. The fruit flavors, immediately, are sunny and soft, like summer fruits, not the more expectant vinous and dark pit fruits. Nectarines, and mangos, particularly. Beneath these, the vinous fruits swell calmly; raisins, strawberries, and dates. Chocolate and velvety warmth enfold. Bitterness mid-palate is in cherry pits and wooden nuttiness. Bourbon really permeates with a clean, comfortable sweetness that I haven’t tasted in another bourbon-barrel beer.

Oily and rich full palate; lightly tangy; lively, but thoroughly dense. A bit of cocoa and more spirit sweetness in the finish, where alcohol is still remarkably laid back. Pitch-perfect execution of some gorgeously lush textures, and done with the just the right degree of restraint. Masterful. Many thanks again, Ken!