Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

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

Serve in Snifter

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UPDATED: AUG 27, 2006 Going to rerate this beer. Was at the brewery a couple of weeks ago with Artusory, Pailhead, and punkrkr27 sharing some good beers with each other and the Kuhnhenn brothers. When Eric went to the back room and brought this out. This was the best bourbon barrel what ever I have had. It was well balanced the borbon flavor didn’t over power the other flavor, It didn’t seem like I had a glass of Jack in front of me. I just hope they will make this more often and it could rival the Raspberry Eisbock. Thank you Brett and Eric. This is my second 5 from my favorite brewery. from the tap.poured a dark brown with hints of mahogany around the edges nice tan head. aroma, plums, raisins, toffee, chocolate, malts, hints of wood, cherries, alcohol red wine flavors . flavor, licorice, honey, chocolate, toffee, malts, alcohol a nice blend of sweetness and bitterness. a nice smooth mouth feel. this is a kicken beer. WOW

My favorite beer. Had it a total of 3 times, once at the brewery, once at Spuyten Duyvil, and also at EBF. All three times tasted just as good as the last which is normally very rare. For 14.5% Alcohol you would expect a bite but its more towards a sweet malty finish which works great.

I could literally copy trbeer's review for this word for word and feel satisfied with the review. I too had this at the Polar Beer Fest right along side trbeer. This was such a drinkable barleywine, that it blew me away. The flavor exploded in the mouth, with hints of spice and a wonderful buttery flavor present. An outstanding beer. Kuhnhenn...I'm in love.

UPDATED: FEB 16, 2009 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.

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.

UPDATED: JUL 12, 2012 Bottle @ home, courtesy of maximum12. Huge thanks! Deep brown appearance with a small tan head. Unbelievable toasty, caramel malty, rich toffee, dark fruity, plum, bourbon, vanilla, oaky aroma. Super rich toffee, caramel malty, big vanilla, delicious bourbon, oak, more toffee flavor. No hint of the 15% abv until it’s half way down your throat. Holy fuck- this is easily one of the best beers I’ve ever had. Huge malty, caramel, toffee flavor. I think I like Abacus a touch more but fuck, this could be the best beer I’ve ever had for all I know. Update: this is a great mother fucking but isn’t the best I’ve had, as I previously considered.

2010 12 oz bottle big thanks to Aaron for the pour on this one. Oour is dark reddish brown with thin off white head, aroma has notes of big vanilla, bourbon, some nice oak, wood, nice dark fruit, nice toffee and molasses notes, slight chocolate notes as well. Wow. Taste is not quite to the same level, but really awesome notes of bourbon, vanilla, chocolate, toffee, and molasses mixed together, the oak and wood dry it out nicely and make it really nice and balanced, the warmth of the 15% comes through but only in a good way. Kuhnhenn, really nice work.

2012. Just bottled and shared by Brad at Kuhnhenn. Pours dark toffee colored brown with small tan head. Aromas of sweet caramel, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, and coconut. Smelled amazing. Probably the best aroma I have ever experienced in a beer. Flavor of sweet caramel, rich bourbon, vanilla, toffee, and some molasses. There is some heat, but is insanely drinkable for such a big beer. Sweet and bourbony. So complex. Awesome beer.

2009 courtesy of xmarcnolanx, thanks man! wow. this thing is huge, and scarily smooth. tastes like backwoods and utopias or something, crazy delicious! great finish, warm and fuzzy mouthfeel, great beer.

12oz bottle, courtesy of Ryan. Thanks a ton, dude. Pours an oily, dark brown color with a thin perimeter of light-tan bubbles; an oily, viscous, heavy pour. Gorgeous, dense aroma: dried dark fruits, maple syrup and toasty, soft bourbon notes; intensely generous, sweet without being sticky, and a gorgeous caramel / soft viscous bourbon character, with a touch of roasted meats / smoked malts; awesome nose. Full, impressively dense mouthfeel: soft carbonation; lots of dried dark fruits, caramel, and maple syrup; the bourbon character is soft, toasty, slight vanilla presence, and lots of sweet dried fruits; beautifully aged at this point, with a touch of dried caramel coming through, seeming like oxidation (though light); remarkably drinkable and well-integrated; a touch of sour-mash character from the bourbon, adding a bit of acidity; minimal alcohol, if any, which is pretty sweet for 14.5% beer; I could drink a ton of this, and will likely never get the chance to. Awesome, perfectly blended stuff. A touch of smoked meat and smokiness / charred malts. Long finish: sweet, intricate bourbon, dried dark fruits, and maple syrup; great bourbon barrel aging serving to restrain a previously unhinged barley wine. This is how barrel aging should go.