Southern Tier Back Burner

Brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Lakewood, New York USA

Deep ruby tinted copper coloured body with a thick tan head - beautiful. This is how a barley wine should look! Aroma of perfectly fresh hops, pine cones, alcohol, malt and oak - very nice. Full-bodied; Strong assertive piney and citrusey hops noticeable up front with alcohol, pit fruits, caramel, oak and more hops tucked in. Aftertaste is well-balanced with a lot of malt for all the hops in the mix. Overall, a good and actually mild barley wine - the alcohol definitely comes out, but it isn’t horribly warming and shows well. I’d recommend this one without a secound guess, except for one thing. I hate American brewers only making certain beers available in 65 cL bottles - ESPECIALLY big beers. I think it’s a stupid enough thing to boycott certain beers - but I obviously have purchased this one. I’d rather have this in a 33 cL bottle at MAX, preferably a 25 cL bottle. Aside from that, it’s a good beer by a fairly consistent brewer! I sampled this 65 cL bottle purchased from Whole Foods in Clarendon (Arlington), Virginia on 06-February-2009, sampled at home in Washington on 20-April-2009.

bomber form premier gourmet. purchased july ’08. 2007 vintage. pours deep red with a small tan head. big fruity malt aromas with lots of hops there too. big full flavours. classic american barley wine in every way. nothing to complain about but not mind blowing either. id always have this on hand if availible locally.

Strong aroma of fruity hops. Bitter hoppy flavor that carries through strongly and covers up some of the fruit/citrus flavors. Perhaps aging this would mellow some of the bitterness.

2008 Bottle - Thanks phhd! - Pours a beautiful ruddy copper with a small off white head...aroma is very hop forward, with some mellow fruity tones and a bit of cotton candy...flavour follows closely, and the hops are present, but it seems to get its bitterness from somewhere else, like a burnt sugar bitterness....finish is biting, but leaves a nice malty taste without any burn...different but solid...

Pours a nice orange amber color with a white head. Aroma is hops, and yellow fruit, peaches, apricots, but a lot of hop character. Citrus hops mostly. Flavor is very sweet, but also very hop forward. Alcohol is well hidden, but the hop kick at the end of this one was just abit harsh. Good barley wine though.

Bottle at home. Clear orange red coloured with a medium sized off white head. Sweet and fruity aroma of peavhes and apricots, hops, dried fruits and alcohol. Sweet flavour of fruits, dried fruits, hops and liquorice with notes of caramel, alcoholc and grape fruits. Dry hoppy and warming alcoholic finish. Well balanced.

Pours a hazy amber with a dense medium head. The nose is sweet malts, mellow hops and a little alcohol. Comes across the palate as sweet malt, hops, caramel and fruit. Its a tad on the bitter side, hopefully it will fade with age

Bottle. Reddish brown color. Lychee, peach, pineapple, red berries and some oily flowery hops in the aroma. Loads of grapefruit, red berries and pineapple in the malty sweet, but also oily earthy hopflaor. Alcoholic. Loads of everything. Overwhelming beer.