Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Fourth Dementia - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

sleuthdog

Illinois

4.88/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This one thanks to franklinn!
2011 vintage poured into snifter

Pour: Color is a dark murky brown reminding me of very dirty water. No head to speak of but does leave a small collar around edge of glass. No light penetrating this at all. Not a pleasant looking beer to be honest.

Smell: Well here we go! Right up front is a big punch of bourbon and a huge sweet dark fruit component. I get booze soaked raisins and figs and plums. I get toffee, butterscotch, molasses, vanilla, marshmallow, and caramel. Now this is one hell of a nice smelling beer!

Taste: First sip had me reeling and I said out loud, this is fantastic! I taste initially the sweet toffee, caramel and vanilla. This yields to the dark fruits noted in the smell and then the alcohol and bourbon take hold on the finish and linger in the aftertaste. The barrel character really shines at the end and in the fantastic aftertaste with some wood notes rounding it out. A sweet beer for sure but does not get cloyingly sweet as everything seems to be in harmonious balance. Let me note that at 13.5% abv I would like to know how it is so well hidden? A slight burn but very enjoyable because it lets me know I am drinking a well crafted beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium to reaching for a full feel. I think it is the sweet sticky like quality that gives it the feel here. No carbonation really to cut the sweetness but I don't care. Sticks to my lips and tongue with syrup like consistency that has me craving more.

Overall: First time for me with this one and I have to say it has lived up to it's hype. I find this to be a fantastic sipping beer with absolutely everything I look for in this style. I am now on an indefinite ISO for this beer. I truly can not say enough good things about this beer. Hits all the marks for me! Well minus the appearance but honestly who the fuck cares what it looks like when it smells and tastes this good!!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 02:43:23 | More by sleuthdog

Mavigo

Michigan

4.7/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 5

Drove out to Kuhhenn's in Warren, wanted the 2012 4D but was also offered the bourbon barrel version, opted four the bourbon. Provided in their own Kuhnhenn tulip glass.

A: What a sight, a deep almost opaque cloudy/murky maroon/brown color, with not much much head, limited to a lighter color brown hugging the sides of the glass with bits of lacing here and there.

S: Smells delicious, caramel, brown sugars, malts, yeast, honey, and booze.

T: Wow. What a taste, such sweetness, honey, brown sugars, caramel, toffee, malts, yeast, all contrasted by that kick in the teeth bourbon/whiskey after burn along with that booze. What a mix, that was incredible. To be enjoyed in a slow and un-rushed fashion.

M: Rich, medium body beer right here. Medium carbonation. Sumptuous and complex flavors, rich sweetness paired with the jaw jacking bourbon backlash. It was intense and strong after taste, but none the less, very good.

O: This was outside the box, the unexpected. Paid $8 for the tulip, fairly reasonable for what I got, some city bars charge $8 for bud shit lights, this was worth every penny and then some. Kuhnhenn is an incredible place to be and an incredible brewery, I recommend visiting the brewery if you can, as well as trying this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2012 07:13:47 | More by Mavigo

dubinsky

California

4.23/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 Vintage poured into a tulip. This was included as part of the 8 Crazy Nights BIF, by rjm217.

A – This beer pours murky, almost muddy raisin color with absolutely no head. Swirling the glass barely creates some light bubbles that form at the edges. I finally understand what people say when they describe legs on a beer. This one coats the sides of the glass and then slides down slowly.

S – Woah! Huge bourbon aroma, with oak, rum soaked raisins, prunes, vanilla and hints of cocoa round out the nose. I’m not a huge fan of “Olde Ales” usually due to the overbearing aromas and extremely high ABV, but this is a wonderful smelling beer.

T – This beer starts off extremely sweet, with sweet booze soaked raisins, dark stone fruits, fig, vanilla and leather. The finish has a slight coffee like bitterness, but is still very sweet.

M – Thick and slick with very minimal carbonation. For the 13.5% abv, this beer isn't as warming as I would expect to be. For the style of beer that this is I would expect nothing else.

O – As I mentioned, I’m not the biggest fan of the style, but this is a great beer. Very drinkable for the high ABV. Really a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 20:30:15 | More by dubinsky

Patrickbrusil

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Going live on this one:

2010 bottlng. A dark murky brown pour that is like a swamp after a flood. Not pretty but to the style.

The smell conjures up coffee, toffee, and booze. Kalhua almost. My father says high surfactant-ness on the brew. Good luck knowing what that is.

The mouthfeel lacks cabonation. Who cares once you get into the old ale stuff, especially aged this is par for the course.

More toasted coconut, burnt toffee, dark roasted mocha coming out. Caramel bomb shining through as it opens.

Overall well enjoyed.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2012 01:26:51 | More by Patrickbrusil

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to whoever brought this to the Dec. '12 Philly suburbs bottle share.
I do still have a bottle of this in the cellar (thanks, Matt), and one day I plan on opening it side by side with the regular 4D.

Dark brown pour, nearly opaque, surprisingly (considering the ABV) capped with a relatively substantial beige head that receded to a thin wispy layer, leaving oily streaks on the glass. The aroma was so much of what I enjoy in this style, creamy caramel, vanilla, bourbon-soaked oak, dark fruit, brandy-like booze. The taste reflected the aroma, thick caramel and brown sugar, vanilla, woody bourbon, plums, raisins. Great, though unlike some other big old ales and barleywines, the flavor seemed to fade a bit as it warmed...maybe it was just my palate adjusting and/or numbing to the alcohol, which was definitely present, but relatively well-hidden. Smooth, full mouthfeel, low carbonation, appropriately, and a great sipper overall. Looking forward to trying it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 05:14:35 | More by Rifugium

divineaudio

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2010 bottle poured into my founders snifter.

a - pours a gnarly looking, murky brown with no head whatsoever. kinda looks like swamp water. leaves a single, fine ring of lacing around the edge of the glass.

s - carmel, leather, vanilla, bourbon.

t - massive carmel malt with lots of other little things going on. notes of raisin and fig, vanilla, faint leather. still has ample hop bitterness to counter the malty sweetness. finishes boozy and very dry.

m - full bodied. slightly chewy, lacking in carbonation, finer co2 profile, big alcohol warmth.

o - pretty good, but doesn't hold a candle to beers like hotd adam. nice flavor but lacking in some other areas, and still pretty hot after almost two years. looking forward to this years batch. will likely revisit this review with a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 02:11:15 | More by divineaudio

hooliganlife

Missouri

4.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

big thanks to sean for this

dark brown and murky, little head. very dirty looking.

lots of vanilla and dark candy. rich and sweet, light bourbon.

sweet and smooth, bourbon barrel aging is very apparent. very sweet malt body, and loaded with candy and fruit.

lower carbonation, but very smooth and full.

this was just too good.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 01:21:14 | More by hooliganlife

iadler

Minnesota

3.64/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Thanks Mista for sharing this bottle! I've been wanting to try this for some time. '11 bottle.

A- Pours a cloudy dark brown with a thin cap that dissipates almost instantly, with no lacing.

S- Bourbon is prominent with notes of oak, coconut, caramel, vanilla, burnt toast and a bit of dark chocolate

T- Bourbon hits the palate first followed by some sweetness with caramel, cherry, coconut and maple as well as a hefty dose of roast at the finish.

M- Low carbonation with a syrupy body that finishes a bit hot

O- This is a big beer in regards to ABV as well drinkability. It took me some time to get through my 3 oz pour. This could use a couple more years to potentially smooth out since it was quite hot and bourbon heavy.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 16:39:51 | More by iadler

Phelps

Arizona

4/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a tulip. Aged for a minimum of nine months in used bourbons barrels.

Pours a deep, syrupy burgundy. Milky with yeast. Not many bubbles arise; a hard pour delivers a quarter inch of light tan head. Not the best-looking brew.

But the aroma. Oh, the aroma. The most intense caramel/toffee/bourbon/vanilla. I'm looking at the glass three feet away on the table and can pick out nuances. Crazy-rich. Brown sugar and maple come out upon closer inspection, with softer milk chocolate.

A two-step flavor. The front is all toffee-covered in chocolate. Tangy cherry as well. The swallow brings the rich heaviness I expected. Maple syrup, melted chocolate, vanilla bean, bourbon. Sweet, heavy.

Velvet-smooth and full-bodied, like heavy cream. The alcohol is giant and unavoidable, arriving at the swallow with heat in the throat and fire in the nostrils. A light tingle of carbonation.

Very rich, very sweet. Maybe a touch too much sugar. Not a ton of depth, but a ton of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 04:27:05 | More by Phelps

matttttYCE

Arizona

4.43/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Murky dark brown color, with a creamy one finger tan head. Aroma is very pleasant. Lots of dark fruits, figs, plums, etc. with candi sugar, sweet dark malts, bourbon, vanilla, coconut, toffee, and caramel. Taste is sweeter than the nose alluded to. Plenty of the dark fruits, sweetness, toffee, peanut brittle, butterscotch, caramel, bourbon, light alcohol heat, vanilla, coconut, light notes of dark chocolate and toasted marshmallow. The carbonation is light-medium, body is medium-full, consistency is full and filmy, and the finish is mellow compared to the flavor.

Overall quite a nice beer. I'm not sure it's the best bourbon barrel aged old ale I've had, but still very good and definitely one that's worth a try if you can get your hands on it.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2012 23:09:04 | More by matttttYCE

cfrances33

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2011 bottle thanks to gratefulbeerhead, poured into a HF stem.

Pour: An incredibly ugly muddy brown with barely a head. Yuck this beer looks awful. But screw it,

Smell: Really awesome bourbon up front, followed by some nice chewy dark fruits, including figs and raisins. Really awesome toffee and caramel mix in.

Taste: Incredibly complex. The barrel aging comes on strong, but gives way to awesome vanilla, butterscotch, and toffee. Chewy raisins follow, with a lot of figs. Almost a sweet breadyness as well.

Mouthfeel: Pretty hefty bourbon warmth, but I'm okay with sipping this. Really relieved this is not too sweet either.

Overall: Awesome Old Ale. They nailed everything here, don't be fooled by the looks.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 03:09:13 | More by cfrances33

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

appearance: Deep mahogany. Nearly opaque except for cola highlights. Not much head on the pour, some messy lacing.
smell: Rich and decadent! Sweet caramel up front. Loads of complexity. Bourbon and dark fruit.
taste: A bit drier than expected but plenty of richness. Dark fruit forward. Again, lots going on.
overall: Outstanding. Lots of characteristics of other great barrel aged brews but a unique one.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 21:10:01 | More by cindyjeffsmith

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

355ml bottle 13,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
2010 Vintage.

Appearance: BB4D pours out thick and viscous and appears dark brown in the glass, with a back light showing the body to be moderately opaque and deep red in colour. A rough pour yields a small tan coloured head. The head lasts fairly well and leaves a few spots of lace, while a swirl coats the glass in heavy alcohol legs.

Smell: The initial nose offers a massive blast of delicious bourbon, sweet caramel and vanilla. As the beer begins to warm the base beer begins to emerge, with notes of: Dark fruits (figs, plums, dates and raisins), dark brown sugar, dark bready malts, dark treacle, toasted malt, some milk chocolate and a light earthy note.

Taste: As with the nose, the flavour offers a ton of bourbon up front, as well as some warming alcohol. As the beer warms, the base beer begins to emerge, but it remains very bourbon forward. Notes include: Sweet caramel, toffee, vanilla, butterscotch, brown sugar, dark fruits (plums, figs, dates and a touch of raisin), some toasted notes and a touch of molasses.

Mouthfeel: As with the standard 4D, the mouthfeel here is absolutely perfect - full bodied and fairly sticky, with a medium-low level of fantastically smooth carbonation.

Overall: BB4D is a fantastic barrel aged old ale, but I am not sure that the barrel aging has vastly improved the base beer. I love the bourbon character, but it seems to hide a little of the complexity that was on offer in the flavour of the base beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 11:57:37 | More by Thehuntmaster

Jules11788

California

4.75/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a cloudy muddy brown; no head, no lacing

S: Smells of sweet sticky malts and bourbon-soaked wood

T: Amazingly smooth flavors of toffee, caramel, sweet malt, sugary bourbon, smokey oak, and tons of dark fruits/raisins/figs. Absolutely incredible

M: Medium viscosity, barely any booze at all. Super smooth, it's incredible that there's this little amount of booze for such a high abv beer

O: This beer is beyond fantastic, by far the best old ale I've ever had. I need to start hoarding more of this stuff for years to come. I would give my firstborn for a case of this

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 20:54:52 | More by Jules11788

SummitVA

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Small hiss as I pop the cap. Pours deep brown with light, but steady carbonation. No lasting head to speak of for the most part. Lovely auburn highlights on the sides of the glass. Legs apparent as I swirl the glass. This is a big beer.

S - Huge bourbon, vanilla, coconut, molasses, and burnt sugar. A beautiful, inviting nose. Just divine.

T - As the nose suggests: Sweet dark caramel, vanilla and coconut, more molasses and burnt sugar flavors. Sweetness gives way to a firm hop bitterness, sweet alcohol heat, and tannins that dry the finish off wonderfully. Booziness lingers in a delightful way.

M - Full bodied, of course, but with a dangerous crispness on the end.

O - Have been waiting to try this for quite some time, and I'm really happy to have had the chance. This beer's reputation is well deserved. One of the best BA beers I have ever had. Just perfect.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2012 00:26:48 | More by SummitVA

BrewerB

California

4.38/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

2011 version

Cheers to the ever generous aasher for sending this over in a trade. Thank you, Al!!

Pours a clear, dark stained chestnut with reddish highlights at the edges. Head formation was next to nil, likely affected by the 13.5% ABV. Big booze evident in the aroma along with molasses, caramel, and chocolate covered raisins. Flavor skews heavily towards malty sweetness. Nods at chewy caramel candies, dried prunes, and sugar cookie. Not as chewy on the palette as some examples and carbonation is modest.

Definitely a sipping beer with heavy malt sweetness and slowly unraveling depth of flavor. Digging it. Thanks again, Al!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 04:29:13 | More by BrewerB

pepsican

Iowa

3.9/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rust brown with no head. Bourbon, cherry, chocolate, and caramel aroma. Flavor was dominate bourbon, cherry, booze, chocolate, foot, tobacco, toffee, and caramel. No carbonation in the finish. Very boozy, dry, a bit of sweetness. This was good and had a bunch going on in it, but at the same time it had the similar "barrely" flavors that the BA barley wine had, and I really didn’t care for that one at all. This worked a bit better, but it just misses world class for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 04:31:11 | More by pepsican

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

12oz bottle poured into tulip

Pours an opaque toffee brown color with a thin beige head. Fades completely into a bubbled collar with little to no lacing.

Intense nose with a complex blend of toffee, caramel, toasted bread and barrel character. Plenty of syrupy bourbon with residual vanilla and oak tannin. Touches of dark fruit with burnt sugar and raisin.

Swirling mix of toffee, caramel and dark fruit up front. Raisin and burnt sugar with bourbon heat and decadent sweetness. Candied notes with rich layers of roasted dark malts. Intermittent notes of vanilla and toasted bread with brown sugar. Finishes with heavy boozy warmth and syrupy sweetness.

Fuller body, decent carbonation, sticky and chewy on the tongue. This is a phenomenal barrel aged beer exploding with wonderful flavors and scents - I wish this was the norm and not the exception.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 21:13:55 | More by xnicknj

hardy008

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

2011 vintage poured into a Darkness snifter.

Pours dark brown with a small, light, tan head which vanished quickly, leaving no lacing, as expected. The aroma is very nice, and I could pick it up without needing to bring the glass close to me. There is bourbon, toffee, vanilla, raisins, and brown sugar.

The flavors come together beautifully. The beer is sweet as expected, but is not cloying in the least. Just like the aroma, there is bourbon, toffee, vanilla, raisins, and brown sugar. The bourbon is not hot in the least. It meshes perfectly with the other flavors, and produces a beautifully made beer.

Medium to full bodied with light carbonation. Somewhat creamy. The alcohol is very well hidden for 13.50 % abv, and as I mentioned earlier, there is no alcohol heat. Wow, this is a great beer. Try it if you get a chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 02:33:38 | More by hardy008

oline73

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a Unibroue snifter. The bottle says this is a 2010 bottle.

Appearance: Pours a dark mahogany color with some light coming through the pour. There is just a small layer of light tan head that goes away very quickly.

Smell: Just a touch sweeter than the regular version. Lots of dark fruit, caramel, and brown sugar. The bourbon is definitely there, but the overall smell is incredibly smooth. Some toffee and vanilla show up as well.

Taste: This one is incredibly smooth. Sweet caramel up front with some dark fruit notes. None of the tart notes show up as they did in the regular version. Some heat from the alcohol and bourbon. Some oaky notes in there too. The finish is hot and just a little bitter.

Mouthfeel: The body is just on the thick side of medium with mild, tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: I enjoyed this version a little bit more than the regular version. I thought it was slightly under carbonated, but the depth and complexity of flavors was very nice. I'll definitely have this again given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 02:06:53 | More by oline73

tarheels86

California

3.78/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

355mL red wax. Older batch. 2008? Pours a cloudy amber with not much of a head. Aroma is huge toffee, gold raisins, tiramisu, rich chocolate, vanilla. Very nice. Taste is gold raisins, toffee, spices, very barleywine like. Some of the 11% starts to show through in the finish. Sweet, thick, sticky. 4/5/2010 8/4/7/4/15=3.8

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2012 19:26:36 | More by tarheels86

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

4.64/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Quite hazy deep brown. Tiny bit of loosely distributed head vanishes quickly.

S: Tootsie rolls, toasted coconut, vanilla, dark buttery caramel, booze, dry cocoa, a hint of smokiness. Big malt fruitiness. Very inviting, sweet, smells amazing.

T: Sticky toffee, slightly maple-ish, sappy sweet malts, fruity esters. Leaves my lips smelling like caramel corn afterwards, absolutely delicious.

M: Almost flat but perfect for the style and size of this beer. A great beer to sip over a few hours.

Slick, huge, boozy, delicious and unique.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 16:14:03 | More by mattsander

stxSS07

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into a snifter.

A- Pours a dark muddy river water brown with no head to speak of. Leaves a film/legs, but no lacing. 3

S- Caramel, marshmallow, toffee, vanilla, sweet sugary malts, roasted notes. 4

T- Follows the nose with decadent flavors of vanilla, caramel, and toffee. Vanilla and some spicy booze mingle with barrel notes. Finishes with more caramel/marshmallow sweetness. Tasty. 4.5

M- Thick and rich with lower carbonation. Almost syrup-like. 4.5

O- Just a fantastic beer all-around. I wish I could get this with regularity. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 04:58:00 | More by stxSS07

eatabagofbooger

Oregon

2.63/5  rDev -42.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

A: Murky, rusty, syrupy pour with just a few stray bubbles-not even enough to call a head. Possibly the most viscous pout I've ever seen. It's like olive oil, but the color of used motor oil. Really clings to the glass when you swirl it.

S: Holy diabetes, batman, this smells like marshmallows, maple syrup, and brown sugar with hints of oak, alcohol, and leather. I'm honestly scared to taste this!

T: Much better than I expected from the nose, as the bourbon comes through much stronger. Prunes are an addition to the flavors listed above. Still too cloyingly sweet by far.

M: Here's where this beer shines, or at least gets points for being unique and impressive. The only beer I can compare it to in thickness and consistency is bcbs. In that beer, though, it works really well with the heat and roasty bitterness. Here, it enhances the sense that you are drinking syrup from the bottle. Still impressive.

O: I'm more than a bit disapointed with this one, but I did have pretty high expectations. Still, for an old ale, I'd like to see more leathery, oxidized, and/or tannic flavors to balance out the sweetness. I guess if you have a real sweet tooth, this beer is for you; otherwise steer clear.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 00:32:20 | More by eatabagofbooger

kscaldef

Oregon

3.85/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2011 Vintage

A: Vigorous pour yields little more than a wisp of foam. Dark garnet body.

S: Intense toffee and vanilla, with moderate wood and bourbon.

T: Sweet and caramelly and chocolatey, finishing with wood and light roast.

M: Syrupy and rich with minimal carbonation. Some alcohol burn, but it's pretty well masked.

O: Intense is the word here. Delicious as a dessert. Way too much to drink very much of. I'll work my way through this bottle, but it's going to take a while. FWIW, I think calling this an Old Ale is a mis-characterization.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:56:56 | More by kscaldef