Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine

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!

Ah, the beauty of the RBSG grand tasting. After sampling PP Le Woody Brune and Mo Betta Betta, I turned around to find AlohaC pouring samples of this, so much thanks to Christian for this one. Deep amber pour, loose soapy head. Rich caramel and bourbon aroma , heavy sweet malts, spicy alcohol tones, but the whole package is rich enough that it comes together. The taste is reined in, surprising due to the alcohol content, plus it’s Kuhnhenn. Rich fruity taste, dark fruits, oak, moderate bourbon. Very nice.

12oz bottle. Big boozy nose with raisin and vanilla aromas supporting the bourbon. I will also swear to have detected a whiff of cheddar cheese. Poured a hazy dark orange color with a thin light tan head. Didn’t taste at all as I had anticipated. I tasted controlled bourbon, but there was also distinct lemon up front and some bitter almond at the end. It was medium bodied and both sweet and acidic. Interesting barley wine.

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.

12oz bottle thanks again to jeremy for bringing this one along....a dark toffee brown pour with wispy light brown swirls in terms of head.... aroma was very assertive on the bourbon along with sticky chewy caramel and toffee. a really nice nose i must say....flavor was somewhat oxidized but still had lots of wood, bourbon, caramel, vanilla, and dark fruit. mouthfeel felt somewhat thin. carbonation was a little lacking. overall, it was still pretty nice.