Free State Old Backus Barleywine
Like great friendships, barleywine is meant to evolve over time. From the first brash encounters, to the mellow complexity that age will bring, this is a beer to be savored early and then revisited with the passage of time. Share our tribute to friendships new and old.
The aroma starts with some malty, caramel notes like a sprinkling of brown sugar. Fruity overtones from the fermentation build on the inviting sweetness and add to the complexity. A bright hint of lemon from the hops tops it off.
Malty sweetness creates the first layer of flavor and on that foundation, fruity flavors of plums, pears and a touch of apple pie develop. The hops again serve to brighten the finish and add a balance to the malty sweetness .
Over time these flavors and aromas will deepen and continue to develop. Undertones of raisons, figs and prunes will add maturity and the hops will continue to soften until they become but a faint background for the sweet, fruitiness of the malts. Of course, that means you have to save some to find out!
Just as you might gently warm a winter brandy, let your barleywine come up to around 50-55° to allow for the best appreciation of its flavors and aromas.
Old Backus gains complexity from a blend of American and English Pale Malts as well English Crystal Malt and Amber Malt. Generosity is the name of the game with just over 1/3 of a pound of malt in every pint
Where complexity serves in the malt bill, focus and simplicity is the key to our hops. Domestic Nugget and Crystal hops add some balancing bitterness and a hint of citrus to the aroma
O.G. 24˚P/1.100
IBU - 50
2016 vintage 10% abv
The aroma starts with some malty, caramel notes like a sprinkling of brown sugar. Fruity overtones from the fermentation build on the inviting sweetness and add to the complexity. A bright hint of lemon from the hops tops it off.
Malty sweetness creates the first layer of flavor and on that foundation, fruity flavors of plums, pears and a touch of apple pie develop. The hops again serve to brighten the finish and add a balance to the malty sweetness .
Over time these flavors and aromas will deepen and continue to develop. Undertones of raisons, figs and prunes will add maturity and the hops will continue to soften until they become but a faint background for the sweet, fruitiness of the malts. Of course, that means you have to save some to find out!
Just as you might gently warm a winter brandy, let your barleywine come up to around 50-55° to allow for the best appreciation of its flavors and aromas.
Old Backus gains complexity from a blend of American and English Pale Malts as well English Crystal Malt and Amber Malt. Generosity is the name of the game with just over 1/3 of a pound of malt in every pint
Where complexity serves in the malt bill, focus and simplicity is the key to our hops. Domestic Nugget and Crystal hops add some balancing bitterness and a hint of citrus to the aroma
O.G. 24˚P/1.100
IBU - 50
2016 vintage 10% abv
4
257 reviews
Lawrence, United States
Community reviews
Bottle. Reddish somewhat purple pour with a small ring head. Looks kind of beastly, actually. Killer aroma of rich caramel and toffee with a hint of a welcome booze note. Slick smooth palate, sweet taste with a nice hop balance. Dark fruit notes. Damn, this is amazing.
12 oz bottle, dated 2014. Pours hazy reddish amber with a medium creamy off white head that retains well and leaves some lacing.
The aroma is sweet caramel and toffee malt with lots of figgy fruit and some cardboard notes.
The flavor is sweet caramel and toffee malts with lots of dark fruit and a little roast and a bit of sherry like alcohol and some harsh bitter alcohol. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with smooth carbonation.
Overall, there’s a lot going on, a bit too much. I bet this would improve with a bit of age to blend it all out better.
Bottle. Clear Amber orange. Aroma is syrup, caramel, malt and sugar. Flavor is sweet, wood, sugar and syrup. Easy finish.
Pour is a murky brown with an average white head. Aroma is some sweet malt and brown sugar with maybe a bit of rye. Flavor is a nice dark fruit to start then come some brown sugar and the finish has a hop presence lingering there. Not overly heavy mouth feel but just enough to make this a bit chewy. This is a decent and flavorful barleywine with the alcohol masked by the sugar and caramel malt.
Growler at RBWG. Pours a cloudy copper with small tan head that lasts. The aroma is caramel and vanilla. Medium mouth with strong vanilla, nutty malt, light booze, very good.
Clear amber pour with an off white head. Caramel malt aromas. Caramel malt and dark fruits dominate. Some bitterness from the hops. Average body and mouthfeel.
Bottle - pours thin amber. Burnt, caramel, candy sugars nose and taste. Some booziness. It’s a little too harsh for me.
This may well be the first time that the commercial description and the glass in my hand have been in complete agreement. A good example of the style.
это пиво очень вкусно. я бы, конечно, рекомендую его всем. пожалуйста, обратитесь его. очень хорошо!
Ruddy mahogany pour with dark copper edges and a two finger, creamy tan head. Aroma is caramel, toffee, dark fruit, green raisins, orange peel citrus, sweet stone fruit and a little grassiness. Flavor is big caramel, cooked fruit and toffee up front, then sweet crusty white bread, grainy barley, toast, cooked sweet stone fruit, a little pine and sweet orange. Heavy body, very creamy, chewy feel throughout, light to medium carbonation and just a hint of boozy warmth. Really good stuff, just a sweet and hearty, yet easy going Barley Wine.
Color is beautiful reddish light mahogany. Thin head. Cold, the aroma was minerally metallic, I was a bit worried till I tasted it, and wow it was good. As it warms, some hops and plummy rasion notes come out, a bit of leather and oak. juicy sugar. Any other fruits than dark fruits are masked by all the other barleywine character (dark fruit/dark sugars), Seems to be a sharp tart citrus that is behind also.Yeah, almost a sourness. Perhaps the yeast. Taste is nice smooth, creamy, slick, fairly sweet but balanced nice and with minimal alcohol heat. Plum, raison caramel is strong with some light hop flavor and good bitter, balanced well for its sweetness but not cloying sweet. oak, leather, a bit of tartness or maybe citrus. The faint sour in the background adds nice depth to the sweet and bitter. As it warms further some alcohol heat shows in finish. Pine in the bitter, moderate bitter linger. Has some nice mild roast as well, pretty complex. Very nice taste and drinking barleywine. Good finish, great in taste, really nice.I would like to see how this ages.
A fantastic barley wine. Sweet and delicious. Pours a beautiful dark amber. Aromas of grapes and dried fruit. Flavors are so good.. Sweet grapes, oak, grains, a bit of musk, and a touch of hops. Perfectly balanced and delicious.
Bottle from my secret santa from California. 2014 vintage. Pours clear deeep amber with a red hue, small head.Aroma is shy, fruity malts. Taste is sweet malty, not too sweet, balanced with alcohol and fruits, a beer to enjoy in small sips.
Spicy aroma, lots of hops and booze heat. Some malt balance can be detected but still, a strong smelling ale. Brilliant dark amber color with a small white clingy head. Tastes hoppy, citrus like but not overly bitter. Strong malt backbone to balance things out. Great slick palate that coats the mouth. Overall very good. I can't wait to see how it tastes aged. Drinks like a DIPA as much as a barleywine.
Deep amber pour from a 12 oz bottle. Nice off-white head and some lacing. Nose is vanilla, caramel and malty, with just a tinge of citrus. The taste is quite nice - strong malt backbone with a nice dose of hops - though a bit harsh and boozy on the finish.
Enjoying a 2014 bottle. Mellowed a bunch. No harshness. Just a hint of booze in the finish. A hint of toffee sweetness in the finish. Yum.
12 oz bottle. Pours dark amber with heavy red hues. Aroma of molasses, dried dark cherries, caramel, vanilla. Flavor of molasses, wood, raisin, cherry juice, brown sugar, lemon. A nice mix of sweetness, but with a stiff bitterness. Slightly dry in the finish.
12 oz bottle. Clear purple orange with light froth. Nose is banana, caramel and rum raisin. Slick and sticky with airy carb finishing a touch resiny. Taste is citrus honey, grass, watermelon and dried fig. Fruity with a hint of hops. Nice stuff.
Aroma is fruit, floral, malts and a hint of alcohol. The flavor is fruit, citrus, malts, slick texture and a mix of sour and lingering alcohol in the finish.
36cl, Vintage 2014, at 10%Vol, exclusive American brew, thx alot to Dirk for sharing!, complex brew, malty/fruity/sweet and slightly spicy/bitter, yet not too heavy, very balanced, hazy, nearly no head, very good brew
On tap. Tan-dark copper. A-raisen/dates/brown sugar-medium malt, some citrus. Taste follows.
Thin amber highlights stream through crimson midtones over mahogany beneath a light khaki, creamy smooth, half inch head which slowly falls to a thin, solid ring, and eventually completely dissipates
Layers of gradiating citrus and vanilla frame flowing complexities of cherry, dark fruit, coffee cake, and nuts merging to create lightly spiced fruit cake and apple pie on a smooth, creamy, medium plus body with medium tact offering a tight, candied after of the fore mentioned components conjuring cinnamon and red licorice bittered by medium roast coffee and spicy alcohol accents finishing out a controlled, lasting residual
Displaying impressive finesse for such a young barley wine, approachable and complex with brightness and richness
12 oz bottle of fresh 2014 served into 16 oz Spiegelau Soiree brandy snifter, review #300
Wow, this is one hell of a beer. This is such a well rounded barleywine that it just totally made my dinner that much better. Perfect balance of malt, slight sweetness, just enough citrus and floral hops, and tons of dried fruits to make for one hell of a drink. Best beer I have had at Free State.
The color of this beer is a brownish ruby with a large off-white head. The aroma blends toasted and biscuit malts, molasses, earthy hops, and vanilla, and the taste is mildly bitter from the malts, mildly umami, a touch sweet, and a touch sour. The mouthfeel fuses an oily texture, medium body, soft carbonation, and a long, malty finish.
Fresh serving from grand opening of Old Chicago in Garden City, KS: super rich malting as fades into raisin. Hops bitterness present but not overwhelming. Very drinkable barley wine at such a young age.
Growler share thanks to Homer321. Pours a slightly hazy deep amber color, minimal head. Mild hope aroma up front, floral and fruity, citrus like with some faint caramel malt notes. Hoppy, citrus, fruity floral flavor. Decent amount of bitterness in the finish. Hops are fairly dominant throughout.
Growler thanks to RobertDale. Minimal head and a slightly hazy reddish brown color. Nose of candy, honey, toffee. Some biscuit and bread notes. Taste is initially sweet with a moderate hop bitterness. A slightly tannin like harshness. Moderate body with minimal carbonation. A semi sweet finish with some notes of alcohol warning. Would drink again
32 oz growler. Clear dark brown pour, light ring fo lacing and an aroma of bitter caramel and nuts. Flavor is peppery caramel, heavy malt and very warm and herbal on the finish. Really liked this and would love to try on tap.
Howler from RobertDale, thanks Bob!! Aroma has fantastic notes of caramel, dark dried fruits like raisins and prunes, vanilla, Porto and faded floral and citrus hops. Very nice! Keeps getting better as it warms. Murky medium/dark rusty amber with a small fully diminishing off-white head that left little lace. Flavor is very sweet and bitter. Palate is very full bodied and oily with soft carbonation and a nice long finish. Overall a fantastic Barley Wine. Very complex nose and velvety palate with everything coming together and being well balanced. Bravo Free State!
Howler. Bob, you rock for this! Pours cloudy chestnut, medium fizzy tan head, dissipates quickly, residual laces well. Aroma is malty, lots of dried fruits, toffee, burned sugars, oak, vanilla. Flavor is the same, sweet and complex with light bitterness, some zest, pine resin on the finish. Full body, creamy mouthfeel. Nice effort. Edit, the more i drink, the better or gets. Nearly perfect for the style
Massive thanks to Bob for hooking me up with a howler. Very much an english style barleywine. Carmel apple, brown sugar, reminds me of an imperial ESB a little bit, very thick, completly transparent. One of the better non ba barleywines ive had. Very good stuff.