Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

Jmoore50

Nevada

2.83/5  rDev -35.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

I have been waiting to try this one for a while. I don't really understand it, just like I did not understand Perfect Storm. I have had a few barrel aged barelywines, but this one is too hot. Not balanced, and muddled. It is the 2009 vintage. It needs about four more years to develop into something special. Potential is there, just not yet.

The appearance is nice, with a great brown copper color that has a great clarity. It has a few bubbles and a film is present on the top.

The aroma is brown sugar, whiskey, sweet malts, brown sugar, and lots of ABV. The smell burns the nostrils, and not in a good way. Does have hints of a good barleywine.

The taste is of solvents, fuel, sweet caramel malt, low quality bourbon and wood, peat. It has some strong rubbing alcohol burns, with wood make it very interesting. It has a presence of a barleywine base, but is so overwhelmed by the barrel that it makes it confusing.

The mouthfeel has a few sharp heat characters, strong wood, sweet sugars. This needs a few years to shape up. If you have the most recent batch, in my opinion it would be a good idea to put into the dark corner of your cellar and forget about it.
J

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 01:01:39 | More by Jmoore50

mentor

Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

2009 release has a bottlecap which says "Alabama". WTF? Tried the orignal batch in 2005 and loved it. A friend picked up this bottle for me at the end of 2009 and brought it here to me in Colorado while visiting over the holidays. Pours a soda pop head that quickly disappears over a fairly clear ruby brown liquid. Smells bourbon, almonds, coconut, vanilla, cherry, and clean alcohol. Some brown malt character is carried on the alcohol as nutty or faint chocolate. Some dark fruits, which I suspect will develop more as time goes by.

Tastes almond, chocolate nutty, cherry sour, rounded vanilla, and a strong drying wood character with a strange waxy component. Strong, but very clean, alcohol. Caramel and prune way beneath and found only with searching. Dominated by the wood and bourbon with too much alcohol to allow the malt to show through. It's potent, like in a quality cognac. Mouthfeel is md-thin and drinkability is sure to improve.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 05:50:50 | More by mentor

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Review # 200. I love the Barleywines and have been looking forward to this for a long time. Let's give this big beast a go. 2009 Vintage 12oz bottle split with my beer bud...

A: Deep murky butterscotch brown with no head and a tiny lace atop the brew. Kind of looks like liquid caramel. Very good.

S: Heavy bourbon blended awesome with toffee. Some thick dark fruits in the middle. Apple, grape, plum, raisin. Heavy booze bite on this. Super hot smell. I get some walnut and almont scents on the backend. Good.

T: Holy hot burn Batman! Immediate dry alcohol bite blended with some bitter hop on the back. Hints of toffee / caramel in the middle. A lot less complex than I expected. The boozy bourbon just melts all other flavors away. Hard to pick out many different tastes with such a boozy bite to it. Man, did this disappoint. Ok.

M: Super thick dry body. Leaves some decent flavor on the palate. Good.

D: Eh, as easy as drinking Petron straight. Warming, but not an easy one to get down.

All in all, man, this one started good and went downhill from there. This is like drinking straight hard liquor. I'm not even sure if age would help settle this one down enough to improve it. This, to me, is not a good example of a good barleywine. Strong barleywine? Yes. Not too complex because all of the flavors are buried by the liquor. I'd say that this one was definitely not worth hunting down. Don't bother here. You will trade a lot and get a little. Only try once if you have access. Otherwise, don't bother.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2010 01:13:02 | More by steve8robin

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2010 version, from the 2010 Winter Solstice, something like $7.50 each if I remember correctly. I brought this to a little tasting on a Wednesday night in northern OH.

It pours very clear, with a nice dark amber color and a fairly thin head. The smell is really strong and sweet. Someone mentioned sugary cookie dough and I think that fits pretty well. Almost sickly sweet, with brown sugar and lots of malt, also a barrel component that stays in front of the aroma.

IMO this is NOT an English Barleywine, this is a STRONG tasting American style barleywine. Not so much in liquor, the barrel presents more with vanilla oaky flavors. Loads of sweet sugary malts, sweet to a fault really. Everyone else seemed to like it more than me, guess I don't have the correct disposition for this beer style. The alcohol is pretty noticeable too which is another negative for me.

Light carbonation, decent body but who cares. The massive flavors are the draw here. I think this could definitely benefit from a few years of mellowing.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2011 04:05:30 | More by TurdFurgison

n2185

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a dark mahogany with almost no head that vanishes with no lacing.

S: tons and tons of caramelized vanilla and toffee. Some oak, smooth vanilla, and slight cocoa as well.

T: similar to the aroma, tons of caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Some bourbon toward the finish as well. Light alcohol burn.

M: thick body with low carbonation, this beer is sticky sweet.

O: a pretty decent beer. It's very sweet and sticky with a significant alcohol presence, but still tasty enough. Definitely a beer to be drank in small quantities.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:41:05 | More by n2185

beertooth

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

2009 bottle poured into a goblet glass.

This beer pours an almost still burnt amber with a tiny collar of white bubbles.

The nose is fairly complex. HUGE bourbon and alcohol notes burn the nostrils and burnt sugar, stone fruit, and dates follow suit. I think I'm picking up on some cardboard-esque oxidization. Far from the rich fruits and oaky notes I was expecting.

Very boozy and hot in the taste. Some mildly sweet malts mix with barrel and bourbon. Bourbon overpowers most of the beer. It's just not doing it for me. I love bourbon barrel aged barley wines, but this is falling short. Not enough complexity to back up on the booze.

Mouthfeel is a bit on the thinner side for the style with a very low level of carbonation.

Big thanks to Masterski for tossing me this bottle. I'm glad I was able to try it, but it wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe the batches vary. Maybe I should've let this cellar a bit longer.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2010 06:39:19 | More by beertooth

seeswo

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 bottle.

Pours a real reddish amber with virtually no head. Maybe a tiny tan ring. Looks - bourbon barrel aged ;) Nose is a caramel, dark fruit, booze bomb. I don't get much barrel or vanilla, but I get straight alcohol. There is just enough sweetness in the nose to not make this offensive. Taste is mega booze, dark fruit, caramel, generic sweetness, maybe a touch of vanilla. This isn't pulling strongly positive qualities out of the barrel in the same way that a good barrel-aged imperial stout lays a canvas for the barrel-aging. That being said, this beer is pretty good, but could use some time. Not as good as MOAS was fresh. Neither was as good as they will become. Mouthfeel is medium thick and picks up some carbonation, though it is low. Drinkability - well, this beer is almost 15%, which is crazy, and yet isn't offensively boozy. That being said, it is pretty darn boozy and doesn't try to hide it. I will go out on a limb and say that despite my willingness to call a strong beer very drinkable, this one is not so much. Much like fresh MOAS, 2 years could make this beer an A+.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 05:18:06 | More by seeswo

marvin213

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Among the darkest barleywines I've poured, it's more menacing than inviting. NO head to speak of suggests this one's a bruiser! It looks thick like coagulated mud. Should I sip...or spoon? As an aside, I find cheap foil wrappings a tad on the tacky side.

It smells like bourbon barrel-aged formaldehyde...I mean, it smells like death. The nose is SO potent and it's off-turning like a waft from a liquor bottle. I know it teeters on 15%, and I like the big-hitters, but I'm not sure how imma handle this one. Objectively, the nos is bourbon and alcohol with tinges of toasted caramelized toffee. The burning raw strength is an abrasive weakness.

The taste is more palatable than expected, despite (because of?) the burnt nose hairs. An odd, toffee caramel corn provides a sweet and buttery feel. It's oily. I wonder what more carbonation would do. The buttery taste is NOT creamy. I'd love to try it on tap! How crazy would nitro be? It's like that initial tongue touch has a candied appeal, but the gasoline burn makes it a serious sipper. Tastes like butter oil but burns like gasoline--I wonder if I could put it in the popcorn popper.

Like each of the few brews I've had from Kuhnhenn Brewing, it's a nice novelty, strongly sweet bear of a beer. Do they make a pale ale? I respect going big, and I seek out the barrelly influenced (bourbon on the taste here is nearly an afterthought), but I'm still uncertain about these liquids from Warren, MI. Gosh, there are so many beers from MI....

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2012 18:50:06 | More by marvin213

pwoods

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. brown bottle poured into a Russian River tulip.

A: Pours a ruby garnet with decent clarity considering the barrel aging. Moderate head on the pour with a bit of retention and not much lacing.

S: Under a decent amount of bourbon and barrel, molasses and toffee... I get a faint but distinct aroma of my grandmas and mothers Christmas cookies. Butter cookies with home made icing. Doesn't smell overly sweet, either. Maybe some oatmeal cookies and walnuts, too. Bizarre.

T/M: The bourbon is there and not as over powering as I was expecting, but it's not quite melding with the BW like I did expect. Plenty of barrel, vanilla. A bit more sweetness than the nose implied. Alcohol heats up quite a bit as it warms. Maybe the slightest hint of the Christmas cookies, but I might be reaching. Body is only about medium and the carbonation is mild to medium.

D: After the aroma I was expecting great things, and I've rarely been let down by Kuhnhenn... but things just didn't quite add up. A decent beer but I was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2011 04:53:41 | More by pwoods

wagenvolks

Texas

3.6/5  rDev -18.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2009 bottle courtesy of jconrick1. Shared with trep; my half poured into a Maudite tulilp.

'Alabama' on the bottle cap, and BBBW chugs into the glass with a dull, copper-brown body--murky with yeast. Despite the care on the pour, lots of dark yeasties swirl at the bottom of the tulip and become an unappetizing distraction with each sip. A faint, effervescent tan head tries its best to matriculate with a swirl, but given the ABV, I'm surprised there's even the least bit of foam. The aroma is buttery...an auspicious start. I mean this thing is REALLY buttery: butterscotch, burnt toffee, and maple syrup. Lots of hot booziness to back it up, but the sweet buttered note is distracting, and nearly clouds all traces of the bourbon-aging. Not necessarily bad, but just not even close to how I thought this would smell.

The flavor cranks up the booziness and thankfully shows off more of that signature bourbon heat that Kuhnhenn does so well with their barrel-aged beers. A bit medicinal at times, but the buttery presence is nearly non-existent on the tongue. Body feels sticky and chewy with a hot, syrupy finish. Still, surprisingly smooth for the ABV. The BBBW is the first real "miss" I've had from Kuhnhenn. The buttery aroma was distracting, and the rest of the beer was verging on a hot mess. Not something I'd look for again, but this brewery's track record is impressive enough for me to want to try every last beer they produce.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 17:27:30 | More by wagenvolks

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From notes.

The color is a ruby caramel brown with a transparent tan edge. A small off-white cap leaves only an island after a few moments.

The aroma is sweet, deep, and complex. Bourbon, caramel, lots of vanilla, and oak.

The flavor unwraps slowly, bringing out new layers as it warms. Caramel, toffeet, and a bit of bready malt contribute to a sweet front. There is some oak and vanilla next. As the sip comes to a close, a bourbon presence really steps up and dominates. It causes some tingling of the tongue, burn in the back of the throat, and warming of the stomach. I can handle a strong bourbon presence, but this is almost over the top. It might get better with some significant age on it.

Other than that, this is a big-bodied barleywine, with enough booze and intensity to take on the strongest beer aficionado.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:07:25 | More by KickInTheChalice

dougofthefuture

Minnesota

3.7/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed blind as part of Blind BIF #5.

A - This pours a muddy brown/red that is hazy under the light. Just the smallest bit of head.

S - As soon as I popped the cap I'm thinking barrel aged barleywine. Central Waters perhaps? It smells of sweet bourbon, warm alcohol, and dark fruity malts. This is going to be a nice afternoon...

T&M - TONS of alcohol here. Maybe it is just because it is the first beer of the day, but this hits hard. I feel it in my nose. The carbonation is low and body is a bit weak, so not much of the complexity I thought I could smell really comes out in the flavor. It finishes much more harsh than warming. It is barely afternoon - is that throwing me off, or is this beer really 15%? As it warms, I pick up a bit more of the malty depth, but this seems over-attenuated for a barleywine. I like a bit more thickness.

O - Wow, that's a big glass. I'm warming up to it as it warms, but this is just too overpowering without enough complexity to match the booze. This would definitely be a better beer at the end of the night, but I guess I'll enjoy an afternoon nap instead...

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 18:20:35 | More by dougofthefuture

vacax

California

3.73/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2009. Thanks Andrew. Chestnut brown in color, slight cloudiness, and little head, only a few strands of bubbles. Smells of molasses, hot buttered rum, and cheddar cheese. Tastes of hot buttered rum, with corresponding alcohol heat, chocolate malts, and overall clean flavors. Finish is warming and brings buttery brown sugar. Medium bodied, much lighter than expected, with a light carbonation that goes with the alcohol heat. This is a tasty beer, some good clean flavors here, but the flavors and body don't seem to stand up to the alcohol content.

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2010 22:25:21 | More by vacax

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

2010 Vintage

Appearance -- Pours a claret hue with a mild haze that catches light beautifully. Slim sudsy beige head quickly fades to a purity ring. Nice.

Smell -- Caramel buns, toffee, dark fruit, vanillin, bourbon, and some alcohol harshness. The aroma makes me think this is a bit rough around the edges, but still pretty good. Nice malt complexity.

Taste -- Again, a bit rough. The bourbon is a bit tart/harsh and the perceived alcohol is high. That said, the base flavors are great: dark fruit, toffee, vanilla/caramel, and with mild earthy hops to stop this from seeming cloying. Well-balance in terms of maltiness. Lingering flavors of bourbon and sugar cookie.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-full in body with milder carbonation. Nowhere near still, but pleasantly smooth. If the body was slightly fuller this would've been perfect.

Overall -- Honestly, this didn't live up to my hopes/expectations. This one definitely needs time to mellow. I love how the base beer hits all of my favorite barleywine/strong ale sweet spots, but the alcohol needs to soften before this is can be considered exceptional.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 01:42:12 | More by yeahnatenelson

SpeedwayJim

New York

3.83/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to Jeff (ipa247) for this one. 2009 vintage. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a Darkness snifter.

A: Extended pour yields a single layer of off-white colored coarse bubbles that dissipates quickly, forming a single ring along the side of the glass. Beer is a cloudy brownish mud/clay. Lacing is stringy and with no stick.

S: Bourbon barrel aging is prominent in the nose. Big oak and vanilla upfront. Caramel, toffee, brown sugar, and roasted malt. Some prunes in there also. Rather subtle but rich and sweet at the same time.

T: Caramel, chocolate, brown sugar, and toffee upfront. Roasted malt. Very rich with a strong malt backbone. Relatively hot. Prune and raisin in the background with a nice, subtle, dark chocolate bitterness. Finishes with an alcoholic spiciness. Pleasant brown sugar and caramel aftertaste.

M: Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation. Bubbles are detectable but oily and dense on the palate overall. Smooth going down with a detectable bit of heat. Finish is accented and aftertaste lingers.

D: A very solid representation of the style. Notably, what sets this apart from the best in its class is that lack of richness and integration of flavor. This one's a bit rough around the edges and all the ingredients don't seem to have melded with one another yet. Bal-aging also seems to imparted a bit too much heat. Still, a very good beer and I'm glad to have had the chance to try it.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2010 21:39:51 | More by SpeedwayJim

Halcyondays

California

3.83/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

From a 12 oz. bottle, excited to try this, 2009 Vintage,

A: Pours a murky unfiltered brown with a mild head, for an aged barleywine it's solid.

S: Brie and bourbon, it's cheesy definitely a unique smell, off putting at times, but it'll make an impression.

T: Taste is much more straightforward. Sweet bourbon and malt, vanilla, full-flavoured though it is really that one flavour, but the one flavour is very good.

M: Full-bodied, rich, smooth, very mild carbonation. Ethanol is very well hidden, I had no idea this was 14.5%

D: Definitely a good beer, my first from the legendary Kuhnhenn. Definitely has it's good points, I would love to see where this is fresh.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2011 04:47:45 | More by Halcyondays

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Mondiale 2007. Dark brown body with amber highlights. A great soapy white head. Very fresh tasting, vanilla and caramel. A very good bourbon barrel effort, and a great matchup of barleywine. 14.5% was extreme and it was a good thing this was my last beer of the night. Had the 2010 and was good though not best, great aroma though coconut dominated taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2007 00:12:54 | More by northyorksammy

SacoDeToro

California

3.88/5  rDev -12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Carlos for sharing @ the Ballast Point 12th!

Poured a deep ruby with a small off-white lace.

The aroma was full of rich caramel malt, bourbon, oak, and vanilla. Some alcohol was present.

The flavor of the beer had a rich caramel maltiness appropriate for the style. It was well infused with prominent notes of bourbon, vanilla, and oak, which added tremendous complexity. Some medium dried fruits came through in the palate as well. It did, however finish too sweet, IMO. This bottle was a tad past it's prime. I prefer just a tad bit of oxidation in my American barleywines, but this had gone past that point. The hoppiness was too low for the style.

The mouthfeel was pretty heavy. The body was full and creamy. The carbonation was delicate and was appropriate for the style.

A solid barleywine that exhibits a good barrel character, but not the best example I've had.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2008 15:40:16 | More by SacoDeToro

Spider889

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Per the bottle: Winter Solstice 2010. 15.1% abv.
Thanks to iceicebaby for this bottle.

Live review.

Beer is a hazed ruddy orange color with hints of aged wood. The carbonation is low, but I was able to produce a small head that was relatively short lived.

Smells of bourbon alright. Lots of wet oak and vanilla as well as some citrus notes. Heavy caramel malt flavors, quite sweet smelling. Doesn't smell really hot or astringent as some higher abv beers can sometimes be.

The flavor is much more alcohol forward, though I still am surprised at the 15.1% abv listing. Seems much less boozy than, say, BCBS. Bitter hops push through to mid palate. Meanwhile dry grainy oak and caramel apple are also quite potent. The bourbon is well integrated but also liquor-heavy.

The mouthfeel is extremely dry. Dry, dry, dry.

Overall an excellent beer. I'd be happy to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 06:53:30 | More by Spider889

Urbancaver

Ohio

3.93/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a very pretty reddish maroon. A bit of white head around the edges. Very good looking beer. Smells a bit oxidied but very nice. A touch of bourbon on the nose but the oxidized aromas. Tastes sweet but dry. Roasty and bourbon heavy. The malts are oxidized but still nice. Overall solid but disappointing with regards to the oxidation

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 01:56:41 | More by Urbancaver

sweemzander

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. bottle poured into a snifter. 2010 Vintage. Thanks to steebo777 for the bottle!

(A)- Pours a deep reddish sienna brown color. Produced a surprising cap of tan foam despite the massive ABV level of the beer. Even some lace showed up.

(S)- The bourbon barrel has pretty much dominated the aroma. A sweet yet dry alcohol burn with bits of oak and vanilla. In the far background is some brown sugar and toffee.

(T)- Similar to the smell; without a doubt this is definitely bourbon barrel aged. The bourbon flavors are not timid in this beast. Some sweetness of caramel, toffee, and brown sugar, but this is very much mostly an oaky bourbon with some subtle malty notes. I like it though for what it is.

(M)- This is where the beer starts to fail in my opinion. It has a nice mellow carbonation level, however, you feel and taste every single % of that huge 15.1%ABV. Its not necessarily off-putting, but very potent, so you really need to like straight bourbon to appreciate this beer to the fullest.

(D)- I have mixed feelings with this beer. It looked great and I enjoy the flavor it offers, but it very much oozes bourbon heat from every molecule. Its definitely a sipper if there ever was one. I did enjoy it however, but I definitely took my time and savored it over a few hours. I do look forward to seeing what a few years of time will do to this.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 16:35:11 | More by sweemzander

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.95/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz. bottle courtesy of Seeswo. 2010 vintage served in my Old Stock snifter. Pours a translucent mahogany with a loose, half-inch off-white head that quickly disperses towards the shoulders, forming a thin, bubbly band. There's also a residual oily slick across the center of the glass. Nose expresses milk chocolate, a trace of dark fruit and a pleasant buttery vanilla character. Only the merest suggestion of bourbon presents itself. Taste expresses toffee, butter candied fruit and a slightly acrid ethanol character that lingers at the back. Mouthfeel is medium-light (but closer to light) with a slightly coarse carbonation and quite a bit of residual heat that lingers on the tongue and at the back of the throat. All and all, a pretty good barleywine that could use some time to allow that alcohol presence to dissipate. That said, if the alcohol does in fact dissipate, the thinness to the body would be more prominent. I'm not sure if a lot of age will improve this beer, but another year in the cellar might reveal a decent balance.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 03:34:20 | More by Jwale73

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Thorpe429 and Amyliz4. Thanks Mike and Amy!

Served in a blind taste test with Alpine Great and Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Barleywine.

A: This beer appears brown and hazy, with a thin, wispy head that leaves a few random traces of lacing on the glass.

S: Bourbon, sweet malt, toffee, caramels, oak.

T: Sweet raisins, plums, toffee, and dark fruits, all soaked in alcohol. This is a potent brew, and well done.

M: Medium-thin in body, with a fairly low carbonation level.

D: A great beer for sharing, or slowly sipping over the course of an hour or two. Perfect for a rainy, wintry day.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 21:31:39 | More by Huhzubendah

AgentZero

Illinois

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From the 2010 Winter Solstice.

A - Beautiful deep red color that goes amber/yellow on the edges. One finger of white head that instantly disappeared and left a loose ring on the outside. Miniscule traces of lace randomly and sparsely left on the glass.

S - Big caramel smell on this, with deep notes of vanilla and barrel. A lot of brown sugar and roasted malts, with some dark fruits.

T - Nose follows the taste, as it is a caramel and brown sugar bomb. There is a really big nut taste to this, not sure where that is coming from. Vanilla is big on the end, with some oak. Alcohol is buried.

M - Pretty close to full bodied and smooth. Lower level carbonation.

D - Super easy to drink at 15.1% (what this batch says on the bottle). This is a great beer, but having had an earlier version, not nearly as good or complex. Maybe it just needs a bit of time.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 05:45:06 | More by AgentZero

DefenCorps

Oregon

4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thank you for this long time want, Alex! This is the 2010 version, clocking in at 15.1%. In true Kuhnhenn fashion, the label did not deal with being refrigerated very well.

Decanted into my snifter, this is a clear, ruby red with an off-white head that recedes to a ring rather rapidly. Swirling the beer in my glass leaves some coating. The nose is rather excellent.Plenty of brown sugar, plenty of booze, bourbon and tannins, all really powerful, and a little bit of vanilla as well. Surprisingly fruity, there's a blend of candied orange peel and a light floral character. In addition, there's an almost brandy-like character here. Excellent stuff.

The palate opens rather monstrous - big, boozy, hot and sweet. A friend of mine once commented that he likes his barleywines like he likes his women - hot, boozy messes. Well, this definitely does fit the bill. Brown sugar, maple syrup, a little toffee are present on the malt front, but in all honesty, this is almost entirely about the barrels - hot, bourbony, almost alcoholic burn are present, and it is quite fitting on this rainy, late-winter night. Tannins appear, lingering on into the finish, this does add a light nutty character. Vanilla is moderate, but there's some honey, light and fruity. Full in body with soft, creamy carbonation, this does beer does feel very smooth on the palate. Dark fruit character is quite light, this is more along the lines of a young JW Lees. Warming, this is great stuff, though not the most drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 00:05:59 | More by DefenCorps