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Vintage Ale
Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- From:
- Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Michigan, United States
- Style:
- American Barleywine
- ABV:
- 17%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.88 | pDev: 10.05%
- Reviews:
- 42
- Ratings:
- 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:
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
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, 2011Pours 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.
More User Ratings:
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
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, 2015Appearance: 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
Reviewed by Alieniloquium from Florida
3.36/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
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, 2013Appearance - 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.
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina
3.88/5 rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
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, 2013Reviewed by tectactoe from Michigan
3.86/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
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, 2013I 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.
Vintage Ale from Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
75 ratings
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