Vintage Ale
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company

Vintage AleVintage Ale
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From:
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
17%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.88 | pDev: 10.05%
Reviews:
42
Ratings:
75
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 06, 2017
Added:
Dec 22, 2007
Wants:
  35
Gots:
  20
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by cavedave:
Photo of cavedave
Reviewed by cavedave from New York

4.42/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This beer is not retired I can assure. Enjoyed 5-21-11 as world was supoosed to be ending.

Pours a nice amber color, pretty clear, with some fleeting foam, and some sticky lace, more than you'd expect from a 17% brew for sure.

Wow, a hit of alcohol and citrus, lemony grapefruity zing, some caramel and candi, hints of grassy and just a touch of tart yeast. Unexpected and delightful.

The taste is also an unexpected treat. It is all the flavors of the nose amped up and presented on a stream of high alcohol warmth and spice that wafts them across the palate, deposits them on the taste buds, and propels them into the pleasure centers of the brain. Not the most complex, but absolutely delicious and unique.

Very thick, but the alcohol is so much less apparent than the ABV would predict that it is also easy to drink, perilously so. A very nice finish that could use a bit more bitter to really excel.

Overall this is one of the most surprisingly great beers I've had. My fourth try from this brewery and they have floored me all four times. Not likely you will have opportunity to get this, but grab it if you see it, I have two more in cellar for trading, but may be consumed instead.
May 22, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.68 by dfhhead25 from Pennsylvania

Jan 06, 2017
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Summer Solstice 2011 bottling

Appearance: Pours clear and copper with a very modest head; leggy, but not a lot of lace

Smell: Boozy caramel, vague apple tones

Taste: Boozy from the outset, with caramel and apple tones building through the middle; perhaps some fig appears after the swallow, but the boozy burn overwhelms the development of any complexity

Mouthfeel: Full bodied, low carbonation and hot

Overall: I have tasted a number of beers from Kuhnhenn and have generally been impressed but not this time
Oct 09, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Docrock from Illinois

Jun 01, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

Apr 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bum732 from Lesotho

Jan 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Jas45678 from Michigan

Dec 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by ShanePB from Pennsylvania

Dec 11, 2013
Photo of Alieniloquium
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida

3.36/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle poured into a snifter. 2011 vintage.

Appearance - Amber body. No head. Looks flat after a while.

Smell - A little appley. Boozy. Caramel.

Taste - Apple fruit malt flavor. Tons of caramel. Dry and boozy. Bitter.

Mouthfeel - Harsh. Very alcoholic. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Monotonous caramel and apple malts. Way over the top.
Oct 22, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by FrankHammer from Michigan

Oct 21, 2013
 
Rated: 4.75 by ygolordned from Michigan

Jul 26, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by mborden from New York

Jul 19, 2013
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle into signature tulip glass, Winter Solstice 2011 bottling. Pours hazy deep orange amber color with a 1 finger dense cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of caramel, toast, apple, raisin, peach, plum, brown sugar, honey, floral, light pepper, and earthy yeast esters. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of malt and fruity notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toast, peach, raisin, plum, apple, pepper, honey, light brown sugar, floral, spicy alcohol, wood, and earthy yeast esters. Good amount of earthy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toast, peach, light fruits, pepper, floral, honey, light brown sugar, spicy alcohol, wood, and earthy yeast esters. Very nice balance and complexity of malt and fruity flavors; with a good balance of bitterness and no cloying flavors after the finish. Light-medium carbonation and very full bodied; with a slick and moderately sticky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden for 17% with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very nice barleywine. Nice balance and complexity of malt,hops, and fruity flavors; and very smooth to sip on considering this is 17%. A very enjoyable offering.
Jul 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by illidurit from California

Jun 25, 2013
Photo of tectactoe
Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan

3.86/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
On tap at Kuhnhenn for Summer Solstice '13. This was the 2011 edition. It pours a surprisingly light color; golden-amber that exhibits mild clarity. It's topped off with a thin, white film that quickly spreads out and bunches up to a mere ring around the glass. Not a lot of action coming from this one, but that's to be expected.

I was a little shocked at how "light" and subdued the aroma was, considering the sheer potency of the beer. It didn't jump up and sting my nostrils like I was expecting, and in that, I'm almost a bit let down. What's there is pretty nice, though. Honey, clove, toffee, brown sugar, and a noticeable amount of bready yeast. Sweet overall, but still a little less powerful than it could stand to be.

Luckily the taste is a bit more forward - lots of alcoholic warmth hits the palate right away, and at 17.5% ABV, who am I to complain about that? It never gets hot, but it is definitely something you'll have to respect by sipping it slowly. Malt contributions are huge (obviously), and the flavor profile is quite nice; honey, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and lots of generally sweet maltiness.

There's a very nice counterbalance of almost-tart fruits; mainly apples, but also a bit of cherry and plum. The slight tart aspect cuts adds a third element alongside the boozy warmth and the malty sweetness that lets the beer expand and grow in its complexity. Much like Kuhnhenn's Extraneous Ale, the alcohol doesn't go unnoticed, but it still doesn't burn like you'd think 17.5% ABV would.

The body is quite thick, although not massive enough to become cloying or cumbersome. Creamy, oily, somewhat sticky, and robust, with minimal carbonation, aiding in the smooth mouth feel. The alcohol leaves a nice warmth in your gullet while your palate can still taste hints of sweet caramel, brown sugar, and apples.

I'm definitely glad I got to try this - it really is another great offering from Kuhnhenn. I prefer things like 4D and Extraneous Ale to this, but it's still a nice offering. It's a "lighter" take on the old ale/barleywine style with not as much dark fruit, and more light-skinned tartness. Hats off to these guys for creating such ridiculously high ABV beers and still keeping them so damn drinkable.
Jun 24, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by DanGeo from Michigan

Jun 22, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by ajzy from Wisconsin

Jun 12, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Photekut from Tennessee

May 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by Scout11 from Michigan

May 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.75 by spycow from Illinois

Apr 27, 2013
Vintage Ale from Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 75 ratings