Free State Old Backus Barleywine

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Lawrence, Kansas USA

Growler, courtesy of Gregis. Thanks, Greg! Pours a murky, deep amber-brown color; small, khaki-colored head with patchy lacing. Very dense, chewy aroma showing dried red fruits (cranberries), caramel, leather, and a solid bitter citrus character; dense with reserved bitterness. Intense, chewy caramel and dried red fruits upfront in a full mouthfeel; some tea-like malts - an almost tannic presence; enormously full and generous barleywine with a solid hop presence and emphasis on tea-like malts and caramel at the core. Lengthy, caramel and tea through the finish.

Duane had a growler of this sent his way and shared some with me. Thanks! Mahogany colored pour with a slight bit of a head around the edge of the glass. Aroma of caramel, sun-dried fruit, and sugary malt. Detected just a bit of alcohol as well. Flavor was similar, but with lots of very fresh hops present. Some slight alcohol warmth on the finish. Glad I got to try this one.

Many thanks go to Tim for the trade and Chris for helping bottle this!! I’m not going to lie about being stoked about this beer..

Poured deep plum-accented brown with a fleeting beige head that is easily resurrected. The aroma picked up an interesting array of fresh herbal and grassy hoppage over a seductive sweet base comprised of plums, aged caramel, and brown sugar.. warm, yet alcohol never becomes more than a supporting/strengthening factor.. overall this was green, but still awesome!

The flavor did not dissapoint.. warm caramel and an array of dark fruits wash over the tip of the tongue, again with greener hops (grassy and floral primarily) making a major showing.. grainy dark fruits take up most of the middle and carry through the finish.. caramel and chocolate add support on the back-end.. alcohol provides warmth and amplification, but no more than it should at this ABV. Lower carbonation and a heavier body on the palate.. grainy on the middle with a warm, bitter, satisfying finish.. flowed decently.

This beer was incredible, and I hope to have another shot at this vintage in a few years, when I think it will be even better!

2007 vintage, 64 oz growler, shared by mreusch, enjoyed at my Holiday Mini Tasting. Pour is brown ruby with pretty much no head. What exists is tan, and clings to the edge of the glass. Aroma of pure Barley Wine sweet caramelly goodness. Some hop brightness in the nose. Taste is beautiful, really hoppy initially, then the great maltiness through the middle and finish. Hoppy bitterness picks back up in the after taste, cleaning the palate. Despite the young age, there really was hardly any noticeable heat in this one. Thank you Free State, and thank you Matt for grabbing this one.

Original Rating: ’07 Vintage, on tap at the brewpub. Ah, Old Backus...at last we meet.

Pours a deep, chocolate brown, with a ruby hue, and a creamy, light tan head. On the nose are plums, brown sugar, biscuity malt, fruity hops and alcohol. Medium to full-bodied and slick with fine, yet assertive (almost prickly) carbonation, the palate segues into a dry, hoppy, bitter finish. The flavor is of big, malty, sweet caramelized brown sugar and dark overripe plums with a conclusion that features solid alcohol warmth, a dry Popsicle-stick woodiness and a significant hop bite. I am not generally someone that likes hoppy barley wines, and this one certainly brings the goods with 150 ibu. But unlike fresh Bigfoot, which I find a bit "rough", this youngster is quite tasty. I think that given a year or so to mellow, this will be an amazing barley wine. Fresh, it’s just merely exceptional. :) Original #s: 8/5/8/4/16=4.1

If you enjoy hoppy barley wines, this is certainly one worth seeking out while it’s still young. If not, I’d recommend waiting for when they bring out one of the older vintages.

Rerate from 3/22/08; ’06 Vintage, on tap at the brewpub Pours burgundy brown with a thin, creamy, off-white head and nice lace. the nose is of roasty raisins, dark fruit and brown sugar with mild, spicy hops in the background. Medium bodied and oily-slick with a bitter hopped finish. An additional year of time to mellow has improved the palate from good to great. The flavor is a nice blend of dark fruit, some brown sugar and spicy/piny hops (much like the nose). Sweeter, better integrated across the flavor profile and the palate and more "mellow than the ’07 (which I sampled a few months back), this brew only seems to improve with age, and it is pretty impressive when fresh. If you get a chance to try this beer don’t hesitate.

Date: April 18, 2007
Mode: Growler
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2003
Appearance: muddy brown, scant head
Aroma: huge sweet dark caramel malt aroma with lots of dark fruits and earthy hops
Flavor: rich sweet and fruity flavor, lots of dark fruit character, winey maple sherry sweetness, light tartness, some muddy yeasyness from the bottom from the growler adds even more fruity character

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

Date: February 25, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Vintage: 2005
Appearance: cloudy dark amber, wispy beige head, drippy lace
Aroma: dark caramel aroma with a robust earthyness
Flavor: sweet dark caramel flavor, touch of fruity character, big earthyness, light bitterness

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

Growler from mreusch, VINTAGE 04, 5/27/07: Chestnut Brown w/ a lasting, but again thin, light beige head. Very turbid and unfiltered, and has alc. legs on the glass. Caramel and sherry oxidation and a bit of a tomatoey oxidation as well. Bready malt, brown sugar notes, and candied date fruitiness. Very little hop, as to be expected from a beer that’s possibly 3 years old, but it is still herbal at this point. Well balanced but just to malty sweet; hints of bitterness creep into the lingering finish that is herbal hop flavored well into the aftertaste. Caramel and toasted malt w/ hints of sherry and figs round out the mid palate. The overall finish is semi sweet. Well hidden alcohol, fuller medium body, low carbonation. Nicely aged BW that should continue to age well for a while longer. Perfectly suited for a roaring camp fire on Memorial Day weekend! The like the fact that it is not a hop bomb and that the hops only play a supporting rolls to balance the malts in this one at 3 years old. Now that I read the description, I’m guessing it was quite bitter young!

’99 Vintage courtesy of csbosox. Aroma is tons of raisin, fig, and malts, really nice. Medium brown with no head. Medium palate, low carbonation. Taste is sweet malt, caramel, raisins, with some oxidation present. This is on its way downhill at this point. Looks like the ’02 is the way to go.