Southern Tier Back Burner

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

First Brew of Two Thousand & Eight, per the bottle. Light brown with orange and ruby colors sparkling through when held to the light. Minimal head, with a ring of tight light tan bubbles and a few small isles of lace. Thick malt and hops aromas. Caramel, figs and hint of dates. Barley Wine, IIPA, Imperial Double Red; I think I would go with the later. While simple, I do like the scent, a nice balance of malt and hops in an evidently strong brew. Toffee, caramel, grapefruit are all there in the front. This dries out significantly as it moves to the linger. Mild nuttiness in the middle; and light pine and oak in the finish. Dry grain linger along with a touch of alcohol and grapefruit zest. I seem to catch Hop Whompus and Double Bastard in this one. Not as flavorful as the Hop Whompus and not quite as strong feeling as the Double Bastard. Perhaps not a barley wine, but I like it.

Yet another big winner from Southern Tier. A nice hoppy barleywine. Good feeling roasted taste to it. A touch darker than most of the style, that must contribute to the burnt taste. Only one bottle of this makes for a happy night at a tasty price.

Whoa! Big ole hoppy bitch here gang. 22 oz. brown bomber bottle. No freshness date seen, but none needed at this high an ABV either. Columbus hops assault your nose as soon as it’s opened. Poured out a deep amber color, sticky tan head, exceptional clarity. It has to be filtered. Too bad, because that means it won’t age worth a shit. Better drink it young. Aromas include Columbus hops, sweet malts, some yeast. Flavors are of sweet malts, burnt sugars, hops. Medium mouthfeel, average for a Barleywine. No burning alcohols, bonus points for that. Finished well balanced, which surprised me entirely.

Sweet, sugary aroma with a hint of hops and higher alcohol. Dark brownish red body that is clear when held to light. Large, creamy, off-white head. Initial mouthfeel is very high alcohol. This is clearly a barleywine, which is refreshing considering the dumbed down versions I seem to have been stumbling across lately. Very rich, malty brew, but very nicely balanced with a considerable hop presence that is less hoppy and more a weave of bitterness flowing through the rich malty sweetness. Wonderfully balanced and beautifully crafted. This is an outstanding brew, which keeps my streak of outstanding Southern Tier brews at 9 for 9. Underrated.

Mahogany in color with off white head. Nose is full of sweet malts, dried fruit and hops. Flavor had a good malt backing up some nice piney hops. Caramel sweetness, some citrus overtones and a mellow alcohol warmth. Very drinkable barley wine, but the 10% ABV can catch up on you, not that there is anything wrong with that!

Bottle shared by Robert at SL. Color was light brown, decent head. Smelled sweet. The flavor was floral hops/citrus and pine. It also had a great fruity taste to it. It was really carbonated. Good Barley wine. Thanks Robert for letting me try this!

Bottle shared by Robert at SL. The pour was light ruby-brown, nice head. Aroma was floral and citrus hops, some caramel and fruity malt character. The flavor followed the aroma, floral hops at the fore, citrus and even pine in the background. Caramel was the primary feature flavor beyond the hops along with some fruity elements. Body was moderate for the style, far from sticky, pretty carbonated too. A nice BWine, on the more drinkable side of things w/in style. Thanks, Robert!

Clear but dark ruddy copper, with a good sized, lasting off white head. Nose is fairly sweet with caramel notes, and a strong piney, grassy hop profile. Flavor is quite sweet, with a bit of tobacco, plums, raisins. Quite bitter, but nicely balanced. Good, creamy mouthfeel.