Southern Tier Back Burner

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

Dark brown with a formation of frothy bubbles but no real head. The aroma is caramel, sweet tart fruit, and hoppy. The flavor starts with a dry mildly harsh bitterness, along with some caramel flavors, burnt toast and earth. The finish isn’t as sticky as expected. I actually liked this better than I anticipated.

Bouteille 2007 (650ml), courtoisie de Hogtownharry. De couleur rouge-brune foncée et transparente. Nez malté de caramel toffee sucré légèrement rôti, de houblon citrique (pamplemousse) aux petites notes herbeuses et terreuses, fruité (raisins, prunes, léger d’agrumes, petites notes de figues), léger d’alcool et de biscuits ainsi que des notes de sucre brun. Moyenne-ronde en bouche avec un pétillement moyen-bas et une texture moyennement crémeuse et sirupeuse. Goût fruité (moyen de raisins et de prunes, notes d’agrumes, traces de figues) et accompagné d’un goût moyennement amer de houblon citrique (pamplemousse) et aux notes terreuses (présent toute la gorgée) lors de l’entrée en bouche auquel se rajoute un goût malté de caramel toffee bien sucré et moyennement rôti ainsi qu’un léger goût de biscuits et de faibles notes de sucre brun et de chocolat noir parallèlement à un moyen goût d’alcool doux et un peu réchauffant puis en finale l’on assiste à un regain d’amertume de houblon légèrement plus terreuse et herbeuse ainsi qu’avec des petites notes résineuses. Post-goût long, moyennement amer de houblon citrique, légèrement herbeux et terreux avec un moyen goût rôti, fruité (moût de raisins, zest d’agrumes) et également un léger goût d’alcool.

Southern Tier Back Burner is a clear, dense, ruby ale with a thick, lumpy, yellow-beige head that has outstanding retention and lacing. It has a strong, sweet aroma that’s grainy, tart and grassy. It’s full bodied and very smooth with a dry, delicate finsh. It’s very sweet. The grassy hops are present. It’s not super bitter, but it’s pretty American tasting. There is a long aftertaste of whiskey and juniper and perhaps peat. 22 oz. is a lot of this. It looks like this is the "FIRST BREWED OF TWO THOUSAND & EIGHT".

Bomber bottle...Mahogany in color with a creamy light tan head...smells quite malty and sweet....some caramel aromas as well mixed with raisins and chocolate....silky thick lo carbonation texture...wonderful aromas are lost in the flavor profile...taste is grains, like a hearty cereal...sweet upfront with a bitter finish consisting of mile grapefruit...its good, but expected more going by the aroma...head lasts through consumption and lacing is present, but dainty...a stickinesses is left on the lips

This poured a clear copper to amber in color with a moderate beige head. The nose gave off aromas of caramel and malt, orange rind, citrus and spice. In the mouth it is medium-bodied, smooth and oily with good flavor concentration. The flavors were quite caramelly with roasted malt and chocolate. This is nice and round now without much structure to make me think this will improve with time.

Bottle purchased at Sam’s in Clybourn. Appearance is a dark amber hue, thin layer of off-white head dissipates, sticky lacing. Smell is dominated by hops [floral, grassy, citrus], sweet brown sugar, toffee, dark fruits, and alcohol. Taste is initially caramel malts and alcohol, transitions to pepper and bitter pine hops, then comes dark fruits and toffee, finishes sweet and pepper spicy. Mouthfeel is medium/full-bodied, thick and chewy texture, prickly carbonation. Drinkability is fair, but the alcohol presence and pepper distracts from the overall taste profile, this is a super-hoppy barleywine, slightly unbalanced but decent overall.

Pours a deep ruby, amber colour with a solid one finger head that retains well and leaves densely spotted lacing. The nose consists of piney hops, citrus rind, vinous barley, and weak caramel. The alcohol presence is high, but not 10% high. The flavour is vinous, piney and has a peppery bite, most likely from the booze. The caramel malt backbone is not as strong as I’d prefer, but its definitely there. As for hop flavour, I’m not so much a fan of armarillo and the tropical citrus flavour it produces. The chinook piney bite is nice though. The texture is oily and is softly carbonated.

Pours an amber color with a medium white head and lots of lacing. Aroma is caramel, toffee, and hops. Taste is hops, sweet hops, caramel, toffee, and a bit of alcohol. I would say this is the definition of a barley wine - not too chewy, not fruity or well-balanced, a defining BW. Good!