Fourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

Fourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-AgedFourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
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From:
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Old Ale
Ranked #1
ABV:
13.5%
Score:
100
Ranked #102
Avg:
4.55 | pDev: 8.57%
Reviews:
449
Ratings:
2,073
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sunday at 02:19 PM
Added:
Dec 14, 2006
Wants:
  1,731
Gots:
  448
This is our 4th Dementia Olde Ale that has been bourbon barrel-aged. This ale has an intense sweet caramel malt flavor and aroma that develops into a toffee and toasted marshmallow-like character. Brewed every year.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ehammond1:
Photo of ehammond1
Reviewed by ehammond1

4.79/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Bottle (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, whartontallboy!

(Aged for 1+ year)

Murky dark brown and dark copper in color with a very small light brown head. Leaves the glass with an oily sheen, and only small specks of stick. Appropriate, though not particularly pretty, though that isn't exactly expected with a beer of this style.

The aroma is superb, and one of the best I've experienced within the style. Layers of caramels and toffees, earthy and vanilla-forward bourbon, some oak, along with marshmallow create something truly exceptional. A bit of an alcohol in the aroma prevents this from reaching perfection.

The flavor is, however, perfect. As with the aroma, the complex layers of caramels, toffees, marshmallow, bourbon, vanilla, and alcohol combine for the ultimate drinking experience. Such a delight.

Medium to near full in body, with moderate though creamy carbonation. Exceptionally drinkable.

The ultimate benchmark within the style. Perfection.
Feb 03, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Roy_Hobbs
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut

4.32/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
2018 vintage

In the glass, this is fairly unremarkable, but the actual pour out of the bottle makes up for it. There's a beautiful red tint that adds a certain brilliance to this as it pours out of the bottle. In the glass it disappears and just becomes a meh dark brown with a little bit of head, but man was the pour itself attractive.

Molasses lead the way on the nose, with some faint fig like notes lurking underneath. It's very rich smelling, but in the best possible way. Perhaps rethinking my decision to enjoy this in the morning vs. evening, but there's never a wrong time to drink good beer, right?

Raisins & figs are more prominent on the tongue than the nose, particularly early in my first few sips. Caramel and toffee start to take a more prominent role with subsequent sips, emerging even more on the long finish. Wonderful subtle alcohol warming, and this coats the mouth very nicely.

Overall, this is excellent.
Sunday at 02:19 PM
 
Rated: 4.55 by SayBoom from Ukraine

Mar 08, 2024
 
Rated: 4.04 by Gemini6 from Michigan

Jan 29, 2024
Photo of stortore
Reviewed by stortore from Illinois

4.27/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce bottle into a snifter. 2022 edition, had 12/23/23.

Pours a semi opaque dark amber, with a short head and light foamy cling. Aromas of bourbon, caramel, figs, raisins, malt, oak, brown sugar. The flavors almost match: bourbon, caramel, figs, brown sugar, malt, oak, light raisins, a little cherry. Smooth, a very good medium body, appropriately carbonated on the low side.

The barrels and the caramel and fig notes stand out. Very enjoyable, but kind of thought it would be better, after hearing about it for so long. However, the cap came off with almost no resistance, so maybe not at its best. Have one more bottle to adjust my attitude.
Jan 20, 2024
 
Rated: 4.4 by beersgud from Kansas

Jan 16, 2024
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

4.26/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
2022 vintage

A -- Deep tawny brown in the glass with near total clarity and just a scant tan head produced with aerated pour. Minimal retention and some lacing
S -- Herbal hop, leather, smoke, toffee, musk, oak, dark roast coffee, char, nori seaweed, port wine. Got this real old cellar character. Many layers of complexity
T -- Tobacco leaf, molasses, caramel, wet bourbon, roast, astringent herbal hop, black licorice, and a hint of diacetyl on the back end
F -- Very full but low viscosity. Astringent finish. As expected for the style and the barrel aging
O -- A style I don't have all that often and this makes me wish I did more

86/100
Dec 29, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by shelby415 from Oregon

Dec 21, 2023
 
Rated: 4.4 by Duncian from Pennsylvania

Dec 18, 2023
 
Rated: 4.57 by Nyoder

Dec 17, 2023
Photo of drdiesel9483
Reviewed by drdiesel9483 from Ohio

4.34/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
2022, poured December 2023
Look - Super dark brown with a big thick tan head and sticky.
Smell - barrel, leather, caramel, molasses and date
Taste - barrel, caramel, toffee leather, slightly sweet, slight bitter
Feel - medium full body slight creamy very light Carb.
Overall - interesting and more bitter than I expected.
Dec 13, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by akopczyk from Ohio

Dec 05, 2023
Photo of The_Snow_Bird
Reviewed by The_Snow_Bird from Michigan

4.75/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Pours a dark brown color into the glass with no head. Has a dark fruit and licorice smell with a hint of the barrel. Feels very thick when drinking with licorice taste. No way of telling this is a boozy beer when drinking.
Dec 02, 2023
Photo of Whyteboar
Reviewed by Whyteboar from Michigan

4.58/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75
Poured all the world like cold brew coffee with as much carbonation. Wee bit of sediment but not enough to taste.
The aroma was lost on me. Stupid Covid.
The taste though, is all dark fruit; figs and raisins and plums. Leather and spices follow up the fruit and oaky flavors round out the finish.
The feel is viscous, almost chewy. Almost perfect for the style.
OA, amazing old ale. I really need to try more of them.
Nov 26, 2023
 
Rated: 4.35 by mig100 from Texas

Nov 24, 2023
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.45/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing opaque black in the glass with a thin, light khaki head that dissipates to patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dark biscuit malt, bourbon, molasses, dates, raisins and nuts; bourbon forward. Flavor is dark malt, bourbon, dry caramel, dark rye bread, molasses, over-ripe dates and leather. Leathery bourbon finish.
Medium bodied with moderate creaminess, nice mouth feel, although slightly light in carbonation. I can taste the fine base Fourth Dementia in this ale and it really shows its bourbon barreling, although mostly bourbon flavor and not that much wood or oak. The base flavors seem more concentrated and melded, which makes sense for something aged for a while. Rich and flavorful. I have to admit, as a malt fan, that I think I actually like the base better; the malt takes second place to the barrel in this one and it was exquisite in the base Dementia. On the other hand, it's a fine old ale with bourbon treatment, which is a great thing in itself. I hope to get an opportunity to get these again in the future; I'll grab both versions. Wish there were more old ales around.
Nov 19, 2023
 
Rated: 4.38 by micada from New York

Nov 06, 2023
Photo of DIM
Reviewed by DIM from Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Comparing with the regular version I had last night.

Well the barrels killed the lovely, large, lumpy head, all I got with a hard pour was a small ring. The body is darker too, kind of a deep muddy brown.

On to what really matters, how does it taste? It is lovely and I slightly prefer this over the non BA version. The black tea notes here but bitterness is largely blunted by a lovely boozy butterscotch flavor. I don't get as much potpourri or baking spice, but both are in the periphery. Dark fruit and tangy cherry come out towards the finish. What a wonderful beer.
Oct 22, 2023
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
(12 oz bottle of the 2022 vintage; purchased cold in Aug at the brewery... shared between two tulip glasses)

Absolutely delightful, and somehow better than their standard non-BA version... tons of dried fruit in techicolor... prune, fig, brown bready cookie... if they could infuse some subtle funk into this, it shant be touched in magnificence... boozy malt nectar concentrate... this is the beer that'll draw me back to the brewery hopefully sooner than later... the empty bottle still contained its intoxicating scent days after... a fantastic achievement (2236)
Oct 12, 2023
 
Rated: 4.33 by MaximumYuks from Oregon

Oct 05, 2023
Fourth Dementia - Bourbon Barrel-Aged from Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Beer rating: 100 out of 100 with 2073 ratings