Southern Tier Backburner

Southern Tier Brewing Co.   Lakewood, NY

Notes:

American Barleywine

22oz Bottle

9.6% ABV
DOB 02/28/13

Appearance:  Pours a light brown, mahogany, amber color…fairly transparent, I can see a few bubbles in the middle…head is a light khaki, starts pinky thick and settles to a nice top layer…a good lookin’ brew…(4/5)

Smell:  Candied strawberry and dark cherry sweetness right off the bat…it’s very malty, with hints of caramel and toffee…there’s some earthy yeast notes in there as well…no hops bitterness to really speak of…it’s not overly complex, just a sweet, inviting barley wine…(3.75/5)

Taste:  Sweet dark cherry and candied strawberry flavor up front…very malty, with tones of earthiness, caramel and toffee…there is very little sign of hops, though I do get a light airy, citrus feel late…there’s also a noticeable earthy, oak and musty yeast flavor playing background roles to all that sweetness…a hint of alcohol heat is present too, giving the brew a bit of a cough medicine feel…still very enjoyable…(3.75/5)

Mouthfeel:  Medium body with medium to lots of carbonation…it fluffs up bringing tons of candied sweetness and earthy maltiness to the palate…it’s rich, syrupy, creamy and mildly chewy…sweet malt lingers well into the after taste…(4.25/5)

Overall:  This is a pretty good brew…the flavor isn’t anything too exotic, but it is solid and very drinkable…it’s close to a winter seasonal minus the warming spices…I’d put this at an above average brew, worthy of purchase, but won’t blow any minds…Southern Tier makes some very tasty beers and this is another in that long line…lately, I’ve been fancying the barley wines lately and Backburner will only continues that trend…scoop one of these up and enjoy your evening! (3.75/5)

Score:

(3.89/5)