Kuhnhenn Fourth Dementia Old Ale

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

Great Taste of the Midwest


My last rating of the day before making one final loop at closing. This was good though for some reason different than my expectations. I guess having something on your want list makes it seem more desireable than it may really be. Still very solid, it made a nice finish to a day of quality beers.

Aroma / Appearance - Caramel, chocolate, malts, cotton candy and lemons were the most obvious scents. A few others hid and refused to give up their secrets. A larger sample would have provided more opportunity to define them but I think I got most of what this beer had to offer. The body was a gorgeous amber red with lacing sliding down the sides. A short lived bubbly head soon faded; it might have been the pour that caused it.

Flavor / Palate - Caramel was the first thing to spring to mind. The flavor was a strange combination of sweet and bitter - it was like someone blended Golden puffs, confectionary sugar, beets (!) and melon into a pulp free liquid form. The alcohol left a slight trace but overall the finish was dry and somewhat bitter. I enjoyed this, though now that I have had it I don’t think I want to trade for more.

A very dark red color almost burnt red. The aromas are a great roastiness with a big malt presence that leads to dark fruits flavors that is fairly sweet for this type of beer. But the roastiness defintely balances out the sweetness. This was a good beer, and another fine creation from kuhnhenn. Thanks to Black95tt for sharing a bottle of it.

Pours a clear reddish brown color with a thin tan head. Excellent aroma and flavor of roasted malt, caramel, moderate alcohol and hops, the experience finishes bitter and sweet. This might be the best old ale I’ve had so far, it’s an amazing beer.

Bottle from the brewery. Dark ruby brown, very little head - yep, looks the part of an old ale! Aroma is strong - tons of caramel, burnt/roast, a carp load of hops mixed in with this sweet earthiness - this is one stunning aroma, I really don’t want to sip it, I want to keep smelling it!! Hops get you at first in the taste, but not overpowering. Nice oily sweet caramel taste, some notes of dark fruit, figs, grapes. Finishes with a mix of bitterness and an interesting earthy linger. Hard to imagine an old ale that comes close to this, what a stunning complex contemplative beer. Alcohol doesn’t really come in to the equation.

Big thanks to Tom/CC. What I would consider a really nice pour per style. Dark oxidized copper with hints of topaz in the light. small taupe head. Aromas of hearty malts is near enough for me to just setback and enjoy for a long time before this one needs to be imbibed. Milk chocolate, roses, hints of sweet almonds and rye bread with a touch of caramel all waft about. Sweet flavor dominate the front and carry through to the finish. Oaky malted milk and chocolate start, but quickly release to molasses and wild honey. Thick and chewy in feel, and nearly bordering on cloying. No doubt this will age well. Light oranges and honey in the linger. A touch sweet but a nice example of the style.

Pours a beautiful deep ruby red with a very thin lace. Aroma is filled with dark fruit, plums, raisins, and dark sugars. Flavor is very much the same with a very nice sugar coated dark fruit flavor. The sweetness is prominent, but not cloying. Alcohol was very well hidden as well. The only off putting thing with this beer was the slight taste of oxidation. Mine was bottled in early 05, so this surprised me a bit. Without that small discrepancy, this beer would have been the perfect old ale for me. I have one left to try some other time. I’ll rerate if it stacks up differently.

Bottle thanks to Notalush. Reddish brown in color with a little off white head. Malty fruity aroma. Caramel molasses notes. Malty sweet flavor. Nice light hop character. Brown sugar raisins and prunes. Smooth tasting. Full bodied. Finish is dry. Alcohol is well hidden here. Well balanced beer. Enjoyable. Very nice beer.

Bottle thanks to Notalush at the NYRBG. Reddish brown color with a small beige head. Really nice, sweet caramel malt aroma with some dark fruits and molasses. Flavor was also sweet and malty, but not cloying. Lots of caramel, brown sugar and prunes. Hides the alcohol quite well. The bottle was fairly young and I can see a little aging making this beer even better.