Free State Old Backus Barleywine

Had on tap at the brewpub while visiting the university. Aroma is all sweet with a big hint of booze. The flavor is English, all sweet, a dash of yeast & spice, but no hop bitterness or flavor really. I can’t help but wonder if this didn’t ferment down - too sweet. Almost syrupy/sugary with a dash of booze.

Sampled via hand bottled during Dark Lord Day ’09, 2007 vintage. Pours a semi-hazed cooper amber brew with an average sized off-white head that slowly dissipates to a fine film top. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, some vanilla a touch of vanilla, and a hint of raisin. Taste is medium bodied with a thin carbonation and flavors of semi-dry caramel malt, a touch of raisin and some flowery hops and vanilla. Finish is slightly dry with a mild bitterness and sweet malt aftertaste.

4/25/2009: Free State Old Backus Barleywine is a deep amber-colored beer. The sweet, cirtusy hop candy aroma has a hint of tobacco in it as well. This barleywine is malty, balanced, and really good! It is super drinkable without being overly heavy.

Sample from bottle at Dark Lord Day 2009. Rating #142 for this beer.

growler - thanks bvc for sharing and theisti for bringing; pours dark amber with quickly fading white head; huge bourbon and vanilla nose; thick, warm and fuzzy; musky, woody and full bodied; killer texture and glad we had a growler full to enjoy; sugary, raisins, dank fruit, hops; lots of bourbon, but in a good way; terrific overall

Bottle courtesy of Storm. Pours a dark amber color with a small off-white head. Has a spicy malty caramel aroma with hints of dark fruit and alcohol. Sweetish warming malty dark fruit and caramel flavor with some spicy hints and also some weak hints of licorice. Has a long warming spicy dark fruit finish.

growler thanks to my trading buddy out in kansas. 2005 vintage....pours a dark mahogany reddish-brown with a thin frothy film of just off-white head.... dark fruit and caramel sweet aroma. barely noticeable hop presence. somewhat oxidized.... flavors of sweet caramel and dark fruits with some hops left in the life of this brew that really comes through late. carbonation level was fairly low and has an average body yet still kept pretty smooth. wasn’t too keen on this brew at first but got better as it warmed up.

Shared by bvc. 150 ibu? Really? Apparently this was the 2006 version so it had mellowed a bit. Nose of toffee, caramel, dark ripe fruity sweetness, sweet boozey notes, and some aged floral hoppiness too. Pours a dark reddish brown with a thin white head. Nice sweetness comes through with notes of dark ripe fruits, brown sugar, caramel, woody floral hops in the finish. Drinks nicely for 10.5%. Really malt heavy English Style, this aged very well and I liked the smoothness to the malty goodness.

On tap at Free State for the 20th anniversary. 2005 version. Pours a dark, muddy opaque, brown sugar body with a nice mahogany, fluffy head that dissipated slowly and remained minimally laced. Lots of prunes and bourbon in the aroma. Vinous and rugged malts with a sweet oakiness. A bit of hoppiness to it, but the big boozy-oak aroma really pushes everything else to the side. Really nice. Flavor is great as well. Lots of dark fruit and sweet bourbon oak. Semi sweet caramel and a bit of smooth nuttiness. Soft hops throughout and a very mild linger. The aftertaste is more woody than bitter and very warming. Palate is rather thin, but very smooth and sticky. Minimal carbonation. Overall, a great barley wine. Probably one of the thinnest I’ve ever had, but really packed with flavor. If I put together a "flavor to body" ratio list, this would be towards the top. Aging has done this one well.