Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

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

Big sweet malt,alcohol and dark fruits stand out in the aroma.Pours a deep mahogany with a medium off white head.Lots of caramel,alcohol and big malts dominate the flavor.Very full mouthfeel with a big sweet,alcohol finish.

Bottled. Poured a very deep, murky brown with blood red highlights and really no chance for head survival. The aroma was oh-so powerful... dark fruits, toffee, and chewy caramel with a huge smack of bourbon and related barrel influence (vanilla and toasted oak)... sweet and warm, with no overt alcohol notes... smoky tobacco emerged as this approached room temp.

The flavor carried some vinous and berry fruitage, bourbon-laced caramel, and accents of vanilla and oak from the barrel... light smoke and woody bitterness... tingly sharper fruit at points toward the back. Thick and warm all the way on the palate... never cloying.. lovely bourbon integration. Enjoyed this one much!

Huge thanks to Hopscotch for sending this rare gem my way. Pours dark bronze with no head. The aroma has lots of dark caramel, vanilla, alcohol, light wood and sweet chocolate. Medium / thick body that is very slick and cloying with no carbonation. The flavor starts with sweet malty caramel, alcohol and dark berries. The finish has even more berry character with a good amount of toffee. There is also some wood and vanilla. Very well done beer.

Bottle from Sam shared at the Carolina Crew tasting. Thanks. This one followed BA old salty, and arctic devil, so needless to say the expectations were set high for it. Pours out a dark brown to red color with a little bit of a head. The smell is sweet and sticky, with some notes of vanilla and bourbon. Some oak flavors too. Flavor is sticky and sweet and there is a little bit of an alcohol burn, but not enough to be unpleasant. Taste is not full of bourbon but just a good balance to make the beer interesting. Good stuff from this brewpub.

From a 12oz Bottle. Pours a transparent, ruddy tobacco-y color, nearly still, with a thin wisp of bubbly off-white head. Rich, perfumy aroma thats brimming with loads of bourbony rich fruits. Caramelized strawberries, sticky raisins, and a splash of mexican vanilla bean rises splendidly from the glass, dripping with bourbony prunes. Some scotchy alcohols rise like a drunken old timer’s breath that leans in close to impart a tidbit of foggy knowledge. Medium bodied, light to zero carbonation in the mouthfeel. Sweet, but not cloying or sticky. Flavors of rum soaked cherries and brown sugar encrusted virginia tobacco leaves start out the palate. Some subtle vanilla and more bourbon warm at the finish, although not unpleasantly hot. A little bit on the sweet side; could use a bit more carbonation to liven it up somewhat, as well as some dry woody barrel notes to balance the sticky bourbon characters. Great flavors and aroma that would work well as an after dinner digestif. Thanks for sharing, Chris!

Poured a clear chestnut color with a small off-white head. Very nice aged malt character. Fruity notes with figs, apples, vanilla, sugar and bourbon. Flavor of aged sweet malt. Fruity candy taste that comes from a mix of the fruity and sugary notes. Vanilla comes out on the finish. Very warming in the chest. No alcohol taste. The sweetness and sugar balance that out.

Bottle from Hopscotch consumed at Carolina Crew tasting St. Patty’s 2007. Thanks for the hookup Eric! I was pretty faded by the time we got to this baby, but it still made its own unique impact on my palate. Nose and flavor are strong and bold: sticky bourbon, sweet malts, brown sugar, alcohol. Chewy, thick palate. A lot like the other two big Kuhnhenn brews I’ve had. Never short on flavor or on packing the punch.

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.