Southern Tier Back Burner - Oak Aged

Southern Tier Back Burner - Oak Aged

“Evanscent Oak Character” Long ago, British farmhouse brewers made special ales using the first runnings of the mash. These beers, now called barley wine, are brewed in the tradition of days past. At Southern Tier this long awaited brew is placed on the back burner until the start of the new year. Back Burner Barley Wine is a celebration of things to come and things remembered. It’s conceived in three small batches, using voluminous amounts of barley and hops. The process starts early in the morning and ends late into the night. We hope this rare brew reignites your spirit for another trip around the sun.
3.8
157 reviews
Lakewood, United States

Community reviews

4.6 Bottled, 0.65l, courtesy of CanCrusher. Pours hazy dark brown with thin creamy light brown head and nice lacing. Aroma of dried fruits, caramelized malt,cask wood and some alcohol notes. Taste starts with smooth and rich maltiness, following is sweet and fruity with warming mouthfeel and moderate bitter finish. Full body, creamy texture and average carnonation in palate. Superbly bold brew for cold winter days...
5.0 0,65L. Sharing this one with Kita. Hazy amber red colour with creamy light brown head., that goes down fast and leave nice circle. Strong aroma of dried fruits, roasted malts, honey, cask wood and a bit of alcohol. Bittersweet taste with long lasting aftertaste. Smooth in mouths, full bodied, oily with soft carbonation. Excellent beer!
3.0 large offwhite frothy gead. flat thick dark amber body. good lacing. mostly diminishing. aroma: moderate malty, mate tea, moderate hoppy, caramel. if: moderate bitter light sweet salty. ff: moderate bitter sweet, salty; long duration. palate: medium full body, metallic heavy alcoholic finish, lively carbonation, oily texture. the odd experimental bitterness has nothing to do with the style, spoiling it big time. 80s 60r
4.2 On tap at Yogi's in Bloomington. Pours amber with a decent head and some lacing. Nice bourbon aroma that's not too strong when you drink it. A quality barley wine.
3.8 Pours deep amber into a snifter. Off-white head with good retention recedes leaving spider lacing. Oak and vanilla aromas. Sweet caramel and toffee upfront turning to oak in the lasting resin finish.
4.3 22 oz. bomber. Pour is hazy amber rust with a modest off white head and ok lacing. Smell is very earthy and bready with wood and caramel notes as well as raisin, orange and pineapple. Alcohol present and some piney hops as well. Taste is heavy malt with caramel sweetness, oak is prevalent, the raisin and pineapple along with dark fruit also shine through. A hop profile gives the perfect bitterness and slight citrus finish to achieve balance. Mouthfeel is chewy and robust. I love barley wines and this one’s pretty good.
4.1 A: Deep Amber Hue, Passes Some Light, Mild Brown Head, Decent Lacing S: Caramel, Vanilla, Raisins, Sweet Malts T: Caramel, Raisins, Sweet Malts, M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Sweet Overall, a nice barleywine that isnt over powering and the oak aging takes some of the sweetness away and mellows it out.
3.9 southern tier vs. founders at tap and mallet score 1 for southern tier. Pretty nice. candied oranges in the aroma waft out. Palate is complex. Sweet, malty. Sticky, thick. Dry oak finish. Very decent. Glad to finally find this.
3.9 Maple syrup colored with 2cm of dense, off white head. Aroma is sweet with juicy plum and butter baked pineapple notes. Taste is the same but more attenuated with drying oak notes, that aren’t as smooth as I’d hoped. I think I’d prefer the bourbon barrel version.
3.9 Dark reddish-brown pour with a tan head. Aroma of oak and dark fruit invites you to take that first sip. Taste is oak, creamy, little dark fruit, sweetness of caramel malt, and it has a dry oak finish. Alcohol is well balanced. Great lacing.
3.4 22oz bottle (repeatedly poured) into a snifter. A: Pours a dark chestnut color with a beautiful glow. Given the small glass size, there isn’t much head - just a thin off-white film, and even that retains itself poorly. The beautiful shade gives it a few extra brownie points. S: Lots of caramel, toffee, and earth in this one. The hops seem faded at this point (not unexpected) with only faint notes of melon, peach, and lemongrass. I also pick up additional oaky, vanilla tones as it opens up in the glass. Competent without bowling me over in any way. T: This opens very fruity on the tongue. There are still some front-loaded hop flavors (it’s almost like a lemon cake, in a manner), without any obnoxious bitterness anywhere on the palate. Finish is subtly oaky, but more dominated by sweet, buttery vanilla - and after some time, some boozy touches. The end result is a very sweet brew best suited for dessert, but with a surprising drinkability level. Not amazingly complex, though. M: It’s thick yet soft on the palate - as a barleywine should be - though perhaps a bit too prickly at times. Once carbonation softens, the full texture is allowed to shine through. Oak helps to dry the finish up slightly; this is why it’s relatively drinkable. O: This seems to strike a middle ground between the hoppy American barleywine and the sweet, desserty English barleywine - and truth be told, I’m more reminded of the latter here. Oddly for the style, this is best when it’s very cold; it becomes rather imbalanced and even harsh when warmed up sufficiently.
4.6 Pours amber-brown - surprisingly clear - with a thin light tan head. Aroma is roasted grains and oak. Combined with the alcohol, the aroma is reminiscent of whiskey. Taste is nice. Molasses & grains up front with a brief, but noticeable flash of alcohol in the mid palate, then smoothing out to a nice oak infused heavy malt finish. The oak really refines this barley wine. Really nice.
4.5 One of my new favourites. Pours a dark toffee colour with creamy off white head. Heady aromas of bubblegum, caramel, and vanilla. Sweet caramel flavours. Tonnes of vanilla and oak. Just enough bitterness on end to keep it from being cloying. Holy cow this is good. Much better than the original in my opinion.
3.9 5th January 2013 Almost clear amber - brown beer. Tidy cream coloured head. Palate is semi soft with fine carbonation. Creamy malt with a little oaky vanilla but nowhere near as much as other Oak Aged Southern Tier beers. Some alcohol aniseed but no heat. Nice mellow hops - orange with a touch of mint. Finishes semi dry with jammy fruits coming to the fore. Hangs together very well. Very drinkable.
3.3 22oz bottle. Medium beige head atop crystal clear copper body. Aroma is moderately sweet, caramel, some grapefruit/pine, wood, toast, light vinous. Taste is moderately sweet, caramel, toast, grapefruit, some wood. Sticky medium-full body, low carbonation.
3.5 bottle from the local grocer. grocer shelf whalez bro! pours light mahogany amber with a tan head. nose has toast, oak, and booze. taste is same with a bold body. booze burn on the finish. yay!
3.9 22oz bottle. Clear amber with a foamy beige head. Aroma of toffee, vanilla, caramel, oak and some citrus hops. Flavor is caramel malt, dry oak, bitter hops and some mild alcohol. Medium body with a soft mouth feel. Great barley wine, the oak goes great with the base beer.
3.5 Draft at shortys . Deep brown color. Taste is sweet of toffee and smokey taste. Little boozy with a nice aftertaste.
4.5 From a 22 oz bottle...probably a few months old. Poured in a medium Duvel glass. Dark amber with small head & lace. Light malt aroma. Significant carbonation and big mouthfeel. Flavors of dark roasted malts, caramel, oak barrel, sweet malts, milk chocolate, dark chocolate, powder sugar, molasses. Big and bold, strong, rich, robust with a prominent malt body, and for me, balanced and very tasty.
3.8 650 ml bottle courtesy of Jesterdeal. Thanks. Pours a roan brown color with a small beige head that slowly recedes to a fine film. The nose is somewhat pungent with classic barleywine aromas of toffee, roasted grains, sherry, vanilla and some oak. The taste features toffee, caramel, earthy hops and a touch of sherry. The mouthfeel was uneven starting thin but building to a pasty conclusion, and the carbonation was soft. Finishes medium in duration and dry. Overall: A decent BW that should age well.
2.5 Pours a translucent brown with minimal head. Aromas of sugar plum fairies, spices and christmas trees. Tastes sweet with little appreciable hop bite. Molasses, brown sugar. Sticky. Dessert in a glass. Not a fan.
4.3 s/o to DrSilverworm for the share. pours cloudy dark brownish orange. Red? Purple? Who’s been fucking with my medicine? 1.5cm head recedes quickly to a tiny tiny ring. agitation restores it to a thin pancake. Creamy fruit and molasses in the nose. This smells gooooood. Mmmmmmmmm That is juicy. Extremely smooth and creamy. Fruity and sweet- molasses, too. Oh dude- thanks for sharing this one. It is good. 2012 vintage.
3.6 The aroma is a fairly light combination of clove and caramel malts, and the color is a cloudy dark orangeish red color with no head. The taste is slightly sweet, slightly bitter, slightly umami, and mildly sour, and the palate mixes an average carbonation, medium body, oily texture, and a long finish.
3.3 65 cl bottle @ home. Pours clear reddish amber with a white head that leaves a little lacing. Aroma is caramel, toffee, oak, and vanilla. Flavour is caramel, toffee, vanilla, and some warming alcohol – with a slightly dry finish.
3.7 Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle. Red-amber pour with a tan head. The aroma is full of oak, vanilla, caramel and maple. The flavor is similar with some strong caramel and oak notes, as well as some sweet maple, vanilla and a touch of alcohol. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
3.4 Bottle to snifter at World of Beer Tioga. Pours a reddish brown, clear, with nearly no head. Aroma of sweet hard candy, but if hops but heavy of the caramel malt. Flavor is toffee, biscuit, hard candy, dry oak, vanilla root beer. Plenty going on but super sweet. Slick mouthfeel with lowish carbonation. Not bad.
3.7 Whoa! Deep caramel color. Dense but small taupe head. Aroma is toffee with some caramel and oak. Flavor is woody, sweet, resinous alcoholic malt, but smooth. Rhubarb comes to mind. Very smooth and strong. Start, don’t finish with this.
4.0 Serving: 22 oz. bottle from State Line Liquors. It pours a deep orange color with a thick and dense off white head. The nose is powerful with tons of overripe orange, lighter oak, and a little caramel sweetness. The flavor starts off with a bit of caramel but segues quickly into bold citrus notes, vanilla, oak, and a solid bitterness on the back end. Full bodied with lots of soft carbonation and a lasting finish. I couldn’t get over how much orange and citrus was in this brew. It worked really well overall and I would recommend this one.
4.1 Wow! What a looker this is! Bold, dark amber in color with some vicious carbonation that lifts slowly off the bottom of the glass, then by the middle of the glass it begins a violent rush to the surface. This rapid carbonation produces a wickedly dense, foamy off-white head that looks like frothed milk. Softly sweet in the nose, it only hints at an alcohol presence. It’s very smooth and pleasant in the mouth, dense in malt chewiness but not cloying - the alcohol and almost earthy, candy-like hop and malt combo gives it a touch of dessert beer, while the yeast and ,alts keep it real. It’s a very nice balance of sweet/sticky and hearty, and very much like an old ale to be honest. The sweet malt stickiness really hangs on the lips for quite a while. Heavily caramelized malts, a candy-like experience on the palate... the mouthfeel of an old ale, and the hopppiness of an American Barleywine. What more could you want? It’s hard to pull out any oak from this, and perhaps it’s so subtle that it only adds to the softness. A pretty slick, classy, sweet barleywine with an English body and an American edge. Perfect.
3.9 Southern tier tasting at coles. Pours a dark red Amber with an off white head that laces and sticks around. Smell is hoppy and complex with flowers and definitely a big oak presence. Taste is immensely smooth. Oak brings everything in together. Mellowed out hops, caramel, light bitter finish.