Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia Old Ale

Brewed by Kuhnhenn Brewing
Style: Old Ale
Warren, Michigan USA

12oz bottle from Artusory. This dark brown ale poured with a modest tan head that clings to the side of the glass. The first taste is delicious, and it just gets better. There is a plethora of tastes, including chocolate, caramel, cherry, and most notably plum. At room temperature all of these tastes blend into a sweet mellow treat with a very pleasant slightly bitter finish.

Pours a deep, clear, reddish brown with a thin cap and ring. Decent spotty lacing throughout. Aroma full of plums and alcohol. Super complex flavors here: Molasses, plum, lots of toffee, rum, and licorice. Then I find a hint of bitter chocolate. A little oak, a little dry earthy spice, and more licorice in the finish. Unlike a lot of brewpub old ales, this one isn’t sicky sweet. I wonder how well it ages? Hmmm... This is a full bodied, minimally carbonated sipper of a beer. Why anyone would choose brandy over this is beyond me. On a chilly rainy night, I sat down by the woodstove and entered the fourth dementia, with a twelve ounce bottle that lasted well over an hour. Served at cellar temp in an oversized balloon shaped wine glass. Great great beer.

12 oz. bottle brewed Feb ’05. Pours a deep mahogany with a small yet creamy light tan head. This has a wonderfully comples aroma. Brown sugar and dark fruits are immediately evident, but lying underneath is a distinct vinous character complemented by some lightly spicy hop notes. Rich and viscous on the palate, lightly carbonated, and a full body combine for a nearly perfect mouthfeel. Caramel sweetness balanced by some peppery hop bitterness results in a memorable flavor. This definately has a port wine quality, to be enjoyed slowly.

12 oz bottle, via Styles, brewed on 8/1/04. Pours a dark amber to light brown with some small chunkies churning about. Minimal beige head remains as a partial covering because of the carbonation. Nose is intensly malty with loads of fruitiness and a nice aged oxidation character. Caramel, toffee, port, resiny hops, and alcohol. So complex, there’s alot going on here. Flavor wise, even with the tinge of oxidation, it can’t hold back all the toffee and caramel malts here. Malty and slightly sweet up front, finishing with a warming slightly oxidized finish with a touch of bitterness. A little coffee, plums, raisons, and smoke. No alcohol flavor at all. Mouthfeel is thick and full bodied with a delicious creamy texture and perfect minimal fine carbonation. Minimal stickiness on the finish despite the hefty malt bill. Overall, this was beautiful. I wish that I had more to keep till the 2010 date recommended.

12oz bottle. Bottle labeled bottled on 08-01-04 and best before 2010. Poured a deeper and murky brown color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of caramel, toffee, dark cherries, raisins, and light chocolate. Tastes of toffee, cherries, plums, citrus, caramel, and some brown sugar. Light to medium alcohol in the finish.

12 oz bottle via ohiodad (thanks!). Pours a dark reddish brown. Vinous Port nose with notes of plums, cherries, pomegranate. Taste is the same with some earthy hops and an alcohol burn and band aids in the finish. Don’t really care much for it.

Bottle. Pours a deep mahogany-brown color with a little tan colored head that quickly settles out. Aroma is huge caramel, brown sugar, dried fruit. Flavor is again uge caramelized malts, bourbon, oak, raisin, alcohol. Palate is full bodied, mild carbonation, sticky sweet finish. Friggen great!

From a 12oz Bottle. Murky, tobacco brown pour with a quickly dissipating layer of thin cream head. Very English malty fruit aromas of sherried raisins, strawberry cream, and some sweetened pineapple syrup. Full bodied, softly carbonated mouthfeel. Very caramelized dark fruit flavors with some heavy woody caramelized malts, fig skins, a touch of black cherry, and a hint of apple pipe tobacco. A slightly darker, more resiny tobacco chocolate flavor lingers on the palate with a hint of oxidation and hoppy spice. Pleasant, lingering final smack that allows me to continue enjoying the flavor profile long after the last sip.