Kuhnhenn Bourbon Barrel Barley Wine - Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on-tap at Kuhnhenns.

appearance- brownish and no visible head upon serving. slight lacing along the sides as i drank.

smell-mostly bourbony as expected. other than that I smelled vanilla and some toffee maybe a little bit of weaker fruits such as figs.

taste- the bourbon is definitely the strongest and the first taste but it is quickly followed by the vanilla and the barleywine style. toffee and vanilla are the most prevalent. the alcohol comes in strong in this brew but it is expected and balanced well by the other tastes

mouthfeel- medium to thicker body and low carbonation. its not to thick for a bourbon barleywine and not overly sticky. overall it felt very good as a sipper.

overall- great beer. not dominated by the bourbon but not understated. a good and tasty bourbon barleywine. the strength in taste comes as bourbon but the vanilla and toffee catch up easily. my first kuhnhenns and definitely not my last! a good and balanced bourbon barleywine. easliy worth the price i paid (~$8 per 12 oz)

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2012 04:11:49 | More by SportsandJorts

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap @ The Great Taste of the Midwest (Madison, WI) on 8/14/10. Dispensed from a little keg carried on the back of "Spaceman Todd" during the event.

Pours a murky brownish caramel color, with (to be expected) just a very light smattering of bubbly off-white head which quickly scatters and leaving just the tiniest smattering of light spotty foamy down the sides of the glass. The aroma has a lot going on with it. Cocoa, some dark fruit, burnt smelling molasses, vanilla, and brown sugars notes all make an appearance. There's a good bit of woody tannic character present from the barrel which lends this a green feel in the nose. Unfortunately, the warmth of the barrel is also VERY strong here and threatens to overpower some of the flavors in spots. You gotta' dig deep to get to the goods in this bouquet.

The taste is fairly similar to the nose and if anything, runs maybe even more intense with flavors of chocolate, toffee, fruit, and those unmistakable notes of vanilla and burnt molasses from the bourbon barrel. The woody character is also VERY strong here, giving the overall profile an earthy tannic feel that blends in effortlessly with some very light herbal hop activity that hangs in the background. The mouthfeel is chewy, thick, and hot, and to its credit I guess, it's tough to figure out if the extreme heat is coming from the ridiculous ABV or the obviously very fresh barrels that these were aged in. I'm betting more on the fresh barrels, which is a credit to the depth of flavor here helping cover up the high alcohol in the body.

Still too young and raw to really call this world class, I can definitely see though why the aged 2005 vintage is so highly sought after. Let some of that heat mellow off and this stuff will be outstanding in a couple of years. I'm going to have to seek a bottle or two of this out.

Serving type: on-tap

08-19-2010 19:35:29 | More by Kegatron

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Kuhnhenn Brewery, 12.27.2009.

Just stopped in to pick up one of the remaining bottles of Fourth Dementia (thanks to all the BA's who pointed this out in the Great Lakes forum), and we were lucky enough to catch the 2009 version of this on tap at the brewery.

7oz pour into a mini snifter.

A: Dark caramel with some closer-to-gold hues. Bronze and a small off-white slash tan head. Moderately transparent, and somewhat of a glow. Minimal lacing.

S: The smell is immediate bourbon. Underneath the bourbon comes a malty balance including caramel, raisins, a bit of dates, hints of vanilla, toffee, and a wee bit of oak. The bourbon was definitely one of the dominant flavors, but didn't quite overpower like it does with the Perfect Storm.

T: Much like the smell, and the complexity really hits you, with each sip revealing more flavors. As the beer warms, the bourbon mellows through, and out comes a bit of malt sweetness, some nice caramelization, toffee, and a bit of woodiness. A touch of spiciness as well.

M: Quite full bodied and the alcohol doesn't come through nearly as much as would be expected from a 14% beer. Nice and chewy throughout.

D: Very, very drinkable. It was quite sad running out of this, and I would absolutely love to get my hands on a bottle to see what a few years does to this one. As it is, I'm quite glad we were lucky enough to catch this one in time--props to my parents for deciding to move to MI and give my wife and I an excuse to stop by and try this one out.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2009 22:31:48 | More by Thorpe429

waltonc

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed a few glasses of this with JoeySchlitz on tap at Kuhnhenn last night. Fantastic stuff. Served too cold in a snifter glass, this poured hazy caramel without much head. At first I wasn't very impressed by this beer, but once it warmed to a proper temperature, it was great. Smells and tastes of bourbon barrel aged goodness, with woody, caramel, toffee, and vanilla notes, as pretty much every bourbon barrel aged barleywine does. But where this really shined in my view is the simple fact that it is so well done - clean, polished, not too much bourbon, not too sweet, not too thick or thin. Everything is just right. And it's really high in alcohol. JoeySchlitz and I were pretty tipsy upon leaving Kuhnhenn last night. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2009 14:50:36 | More by waltonc

tjthresh

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours murky muddy brown with large bubbled brown head. The nose is huge with loads of toffee, hops and oak. The flavor is a fantastic blend of toffee and booze. The mouthfeel is thick but very drinkable. The heat from the booze lingers just for a bit.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2009 18:31:09 | More by tjthresh

nyctreal

New York

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$6 for a wine glass serving at Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn, NY. Apparently it was illegally trucked in by an anonymous individual. Well kudos to that individual and to the folks here for letting us in on the secret. Pretty sure when this one is kicked, that's it. By far one of the best Barley Wines I've had, with the bourbon barrel in no way overpowering the original flavors of the beer. So I'd clearly recommend getting over to try it out. And of course this is privileged info to be kept between you and me, and any one else who would use the knowledge for good.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2008 06:06:18 | More by nyctreal

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Clark's Ale House.

An incredibly mellow brew. The main flavor and aroma I got pineapple hops. The malt profile was a little too mellow, but there was no trace of alcohol. It was just a smooth sipper. At the end I got some vanilla flavor, but really, the pineapple dominated.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2007 05:35:42 | More by tempest

montageman

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Did a tasting of 4 beers yesterday evening over a few hour span. This was the first. Brought to me in a 10 oz tulip. The color is gorgeous - deep red almost like blood (it's necessary for survival) and a small tan head that disspates leaving lacing around the sides of the glass. Smells like bourbon (of course), caramel, chocolate, dark fruit/grapes - no messing around here. Taste is sweet, almost cloyingly so, also some port character, brown sugar, bittersweet chocolate, and alcohol. Mouthfeel is thick & rich, almost chewy with some little carbonation. Aside from the sweetness, this a drinkable BW - very complex. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2006 14:46:45 | More by montageman

francisweizen

Australia

4.9/5  rDev +11.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

From a fresh 64oz growler, thanks Mentor!

Rusty-nail brown with a very nice espresso coloured head that makes this beer look absolutely appealing! The aroma of this beer is absolutely amazing. I smell bourbon soaked dark fruits, caramel, oak, vanilla, nice malts, a bit of roastiness and a slight hint of smokiness also come through. Wow, can you say complex? The taste is even more complex with the alcoholic dark fruits hitting first followed by the luxurious notes of oak, vanilla, carmelized sugar, and more. The middle is sweet and dry and the finish is warm, coating, and wonderful. Mouthfeel is thick, and this stuff grabs, and sticks to every tastebud on your tonuge. Drinkability is excellent for a barleywine of this abv, and I beleive that this is only a 2004 vintage of this stuff. Dry-hopped and aged in bourbon barrels this is another masterpiece from a brewery that I will soon visit!

Serving type: on-tap

01-18-2005 00:34:01 | More by francisweizen

mikeys01

Colorado

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served from a growler recently procured at the Kuhnhenn Brewery. Color is that of a dirty, crusty, many years old penny, murky brown with just a bit of light coming through. No filtering here whatsoever, I can tell this is going to be one filthy beast of a barleywine, I love it already. The huge aroma is sweet and fills the air with boozey bourbon and soft rotting fruit, sweet and just a bit tart. Notes of sticky molasses and vanilla. I can’t pick out anything singularly hoppy in the aroma, but I know they’re buried somewhere in the melee.
Taste starts out with a rich blend of bourbon soaked plums, raisins, dates, and over-ripe fermenting autumn fruit, once it’s started to brown and fall from the tree to be beset upon by bees. Fruit notes taper off in a perfect tartness as sweet caramel syrup begins to drip off your tongue as the murky malt mixture takes over in the middle. Body is just a bit on the heavy side, consistency is thick enough to make this almost a meal in itself, chewy and delicious. Finish stokes a slowly building fire out of smoldering oak logs, leaving you with a nice warm burn and bewilderment as to how they packed so much complex flavor in this amazing creation. Bourbon is present throughout this beer but perfectly complements rather than dominates the malt and hop flavors. Drinks dangerously smooth as well. Excellently crafted, Kuhnhenn amazes me once again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2004 19:12:32 | More by mikeys01

BeerBuilder

Minnesota

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours to a murky dark brown, almost black color with a light brown head that leaves spotty lacing. The aroma is unbelievable!! Dark fruits, malty, sugars, candy coated raisins and dates...breads. Nice!! The flavor is sweet dates and raisins with candi sugars and fruits and malts and....and...!! I cannot do this beer justice! It is so easy drinking for such a high octane. Damn!!! I don't want it to end. Thanks Stub-ob for this boozing, alcoholic, malty...tasty brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-18-2004 05:35:44 | More by BeerBuilder

walleye

Michigan

4.53/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

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

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2004 22:23:03 | More by walleye

mdaschaf

Washington

4.41/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a clear brown/burgundy color with very little head, just a few bubbles forming. No retention or lacing at all.

S: The aroma is quite strong. Lots of caramel with plenty of the bourbon coming through, vanilla, toffee, a little molasses.

T: Fantastic, the flavors are blended together nicely. Brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel dominate with bits of oak/wood.

M: Medium to full bodied, extremely smooth. Low carbonation.

O: Lived up to the hype, really enjoyed this barleywine. Smoothness helped a lot.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 22:07:20 | More by mdaschaf

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.8/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to Noah1 for the bottle. 2011 Vintage.
12oz bottle to tulip.
Sampled 07MAR13

[A] Pours a very dark crimson - just a few shades away from black. Rather still in the glass, there is a nothing more than a single strand of fine bubbles arranged around the edge of the glass. No lacing.

[S] Rich, plump, overly ripe dark fruits with a hint of earthy soil and old leather. Surprisingly low alcohol presence. A faint tea-like herbal quality comes through as well, probably due to the age more than anything else. The bourbon barrel made the invite list but is not the star of the party.

[T] The sugary malt sweetness displays amazing depth. Buttery caramel, dark brown sugar and dark molasses - just a phenomenally complex balance between sweetness and bitterness. Incredibly smooth and easy to drink. How in the world did they manage to remove nearly every last trace of alcohol and heat? It's dumbfounding honestly.

[M] Easily a 5. This is one of the thickest, chewiest mouthfeels I've ever come across. Gentle carbonation starts at the beginning of the palate and helps to lift the the slick and syrupy texture. Completely cloying...just the way a big, 14.5% barleywine should be. I absolutely love it.

[O] This beer is nothing short of world class. And I want more.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:32:44 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Alieniloquium

Florida

4.4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

12 oz. bottle poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter. 2011 bottle.

Appearance - Poured vigorously with just a few khaki bubbles. Mostly flat otherwise. Deep red brown with a bit of sediment at the end of the pour.

Smell - Excellent barrel character. Bourbon, lots of charred oak, vanilla. Deep brown sugar. Oxidation has started, but it adds instead of detracts at this point.

Taste - Immediate bourbon alcohol bite. Lots of brown sugar and vanilla. Oak even more present here. There is a slight acidic twang from the barrel, too. Just a little bitterness in the back.

Mouthfeel - Well it's nearly flat. It's also boozy, but I don't mind that so much.

Overall - An immense beer in every respect. Incredible.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 03:05:16 | More by Alieniloquium

scottfrie

California

4.28/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 bottle into snifter. Thanks for sharing Justin.

Pours a near flat caramel color without any head or sign of bubbles. Caramel, vanilla, leather and tobacco fill my nose with a decent splash of bourbon. Taste follows suit with very smooth flavors. Tobacco and bourbon are warming in the aftertaste. The alcohol is hidden very well despite being nearly 15% and this drinks crazy well. A rich, smooth and sweet (but not cloying) barrel aged sipper. Thanks again Justin.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 17:01:38 | More by scottfrie

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

Chaney

District of Columbia

4.93/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Presently, this is the #9 ranked English Barleywine here on BA.

2010 Vintage served in a snifter.

A: Poured a saturated, caramel color, with a bit of ruby highlights poking through. The slight, marshmallow looking head was but a mere ring around the brew, but had tremendous staying power.

S: Just flat out awesome! Sort of a caramel-nut-butterscotch combo. The nuttiness was obviously the bourbon. This definitely was designed as dessert fodder, completely devoid of pine, citrus, and anything that might be considered a solvent.

T: Caramel-toffee and then some, with a bit more hoppy bitterness than I was expecting, but that worked its magic in terms of cutting through the intense sugariness. Strong for sure, yet quite delectable.

M: I've never tasted this fresh, but I have a hunch that it was quite a bit sweeter than this. Sure, this was post dinner fare, but I certainly wouldn't classify this as an outright sugar bomb. The carbonation had only a tinge of prickle and some lacing was left behind after a gentle swirl.

O: This is truly one of the best brews I've had all year, possible in the last few.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 00:14:44 | More by Chaney

Jules11788

California

4.65/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

A: Pours a murky mahogany brown; no head, no lacing

S: Smells of sweet sticky bourbon-infused caramel/toffee; strong woody notes pervade the background with hints of bananas, figs, and leather. Smells incredible

T: Deliciously sweet bourbon-y maple syrup, candied dark fruits, smoky wood. The flavors are strong and perfectly balanced

M: Med-thin viscosity, oily, slick; very slight hint of booze on the tongue, but warms nicely as it goes down. This is the only aspect of this beer that falls short, as I would have liked a thicker, chewier mouthfeel

O: This beer is beyond fantastic, definitely the second best barleywine I've ever had behind King Henry. Highly recommended

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 19:16:19 | More by Jules11788

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.08/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed this blind, thanks to abraxel... 2011 vintage...

A: Pours a murky brown, with absolutely no head at all, just some thin whisps across the top of the beer. No lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is sweet of malt, caramel, figs, dates, and vanilla. It’s a nice mélange of those notes.

T: It’s sweet to start, with the beer getting a little funky in the middle (but in a good way). I get malt and caramel up front. I get the fruit notes (fig and date) in the middle, and I get some seaweed like funk in the back end. Seaweed notes tend to turn me off, but this is actually really pleasant.

M: Full bodied beer. Sweet and syrupy, coating, and mild linger on the back end. Not an easy drinker, but it’s very enjoyable.

O: Really nice beer. I’d have to be in the mood to want to open this beer, but it’s really good.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 13:31:37 | More by trxxpaxxs

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

***2011 Vintage***

Thanks to Masterski for this one.

Poured from a 12oz. bottle and split with my wife.

Appearance: A rusty brown body with minimal head though it does leave a nice slick sheet as the glass is tilted.

Smell: Intense, sweet fruit notes, pungent plums and apricot, bourbon is a nice compliment and it's not too boozy.

Taste: I taste a wave of flavors: bourbon, oak, dark cherries (no tartness), sweet berries, smoky wood, coconut. There's probably more but this is really good.

Mouthfeel: First sip lets you know what this is as it is a bit boozy but not overly heavy. Ultra smooth in the palate remarkably.

Overall: A top notch barleywine. Could use a few of these for the upcoming winter :)

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2012 11:10:38 | More by papat444

joefuzz

New York

4.83/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours deep brown with a red tint with a very small light brown head that fades to a ring of bubbles clinging to the rim of the glass.

Smells of sweet bourbon and vanilla pods with plenty of malt.

Tastes has a lot of raisins and over ripe plums up front that fades to a vanilla bourbon and some slight char, slight warming down the throat from the alcohol.

Mouthfeel is pretty thick and carbonation is very low...but it fits this beer perfectly.

Overall this is a amazing example of the style it is everything I could ask for in a BA barleywine and it comes in a 12oz awesome sipper.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2012 02:31:54 | More by joefuzz

brystmar

New York

4.38/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2011 opened next to Bligh's. My last bottle :(

Much darker body than Bligh's: dark brown/black, minimal beads of white head & lace. Boozy, complex aroma showcases the bourbon character amidst sweet malts. Alcoholic, yet age-y and fantastic.

Plenty of bourbon against the barleywine backbone. Tons going on here: caramel sweetness, bready, barrel character, boozy warmth. Among the best barleywines I've ever tasted; I actually prefer this over KH. Truly unfortunate that I don't have any more of these :(

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 00:12:14 | More by brystmar

raveskdr

District of Columbia

4.13/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Finally got a chance to try this. Big ups to Thorpe429 for getting me a bottle. Served in a FFF Teku glass.

A - Mahogany brown with some reddish undertones. Slight carbonation that recedes to the edge of the glass.

S - Sweet caramel and the bourbon from the barrel dominate the smell. Slight vanilla as well.

T - Sweet caramel up front, from the barrel and from the malt. Vanilla in the mid palate and on the back end. Slight alcohol burn, which is to be expected.

M - Very velvety and smooth. Good carbonation for the size of the beer, and a good lingering sweetness.

O - I really like this one. Just a super solid bourbon barley wine. Definitely up there near my favorites. This is from 2011 so it has a bit of time. On the second tier of BBBW (only 1st/god tier BBBW is King Henry, imo).

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:19:20 | More by raveskdr

jegross2

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4.5

Reviewing the 2011 vintage of the Bourbon Barrel Barleywine from the Kuhnhenn Brewing Company out of Michigan.
Score: 96

2011 vintage bottle served in a Three Floyds teku glass and enjoyed on 08/13/12. A huge thanks to Ben for hooking me up with a bottle of this majestic beer.

Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany, burnt chestnut color that is translucent with a ruby caramel hue and a gorgeous yellow to chestnut brown fade when held up to the light. Absolutely no head at pour save for a thin tan bubbly ring around the glass at pour, even though I tried hard pouring this beer. Minimal oily lacing with good spotty cling. 4.5/5

Smell: Holy moly! This one instantly reminds me of King Henry. Huge notes of bourbon soaked raisin, vanilla, brown sugary caramel/molasses, and dark fruit. The vanilla flavor is light and fluffy and dessert like, but it is bold and perfectly complementary to the dark fruit aromas of the beer. Some toffee and even a little milk chocolate comes out as the beer warms. There's a very subtle woodiness in the nose too. The nose is incredibly malty and sweet, but for it's just so...inviting! The beer never seems "too sweet" at any point. There are ample bourbon notes in the noose that are rich and robust. Seriously, this aroma is just as good as King Henry's.5/5

Taste: Taste is the same as the nose but with a little more brown sugar and bourbon flavor upfront. The flavors are big, bold, malty and delicious. The sweet maltiness of the beer gets a little boozy as the beer hits room temperature, and I found the beer best enjoyed slightly chilled. The beer is less balanced on the palate than it was in the aroma, but the blend of desserty vanilla and sweet raisin flavors here is absolutely unreal. For all the malty booziness that comes through on the tongue as the beer warms up, you would never guess this one was nearly 15% ABV. I could imagine that a little more time to smooth out the "booziness" of this brew could turn this into something even better. 4.5/5

Mouthfeel: An absolute lack of carbonation is the great downfall of this beer. I expect my heavy ABV beers to be low in carbonation, but Kuhnhenn seems to be trying to rival the Lost Abbey's "psst"-less bottles here. Full bodied with an oily and viscous mouthfeel that seems to border on "syrupy" based on how sticky it feels at times. Malty sweet finish. 2/5

Overall: A big and bold barrel-aged beer -- which is just how I like them! This beer would likely rival King Henry for the crown of best barleywine that I have ever had if it had even a modicum of carbonation. I really need to try this one on tap.

Recommendation: Seek this one out and enjoy with friends. This beer is likely a bit too bold for the casual beer drinker.

Pairings: Filet Mignon.

Cost: $8 for a 12 oz bottle.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 08:07:10 | More by jegross2