Old Backus Barleywine
Free State Brewing Co.

Vintage: 2018. It pours a pretty much clear amber color with a small light tan/off-white head that slowly reduces to a thin layer yet still leaves a bit of lacing. The nose gets a dose of alcohol and dark fruit. The mouth gets a swift kick of alcohol and then a nice mixture of dark fruit and roasted malt.

Single bottle from Harrison8

 

 

2016 bottle courtesy of JohnnyHops.
~4 yrs old at this point.
L: mahogany brown. Min/mod light tan head.
S: raisins/dates, earthy, fruity, vanilla.
T: dates, caramel, vanilla, multiple fruits, maybe some citrus flavor.
F: medium, slick, low carbonation.
Overall: Great example of the style.

 

Plum and raisin sweetness are balanced nicely by spice and bitterness from the hops. Carbonation is perfect for the genre. The fuller body and higher alcohol content distinguish it from its West Coast cousin, Anchor Brewing’s Old Foghorn. That said, given the more pronounced bitterness of Old Foghorn (at least in the 8.2% ABV version to which comparison is made), I think both qualify as British Barleywines.

Drink this if you want more body and less bitterness. For more nuance and bitterness, Old Foghorn’s lower ABV iterations May be a better bet.

 

Bottle as part of a 4 pack. Currently the #1 beer in Kansas:

Syrupy amber malts dominate. Hints of caramel. Ample malty sweetness...it's a bit too sweet for my tastes.

No overt hop notes or off-notes. Not quite dialed-in balance-wise.

Mouthfeel is a bit gooey, certainly thick & full-bodied, and a biteen chewy. Smooth and wet otherwise. Unrefreshing but not boozy.

I don't find it to be a very great barleywine even compared to your typical always-on-the-shelf barleywines from other states. Best beer in Kansas? Not in my book...but even if it were, respectfully - we're still talking about Kansas.

C / AVERAGE

 

 

 

 

2015 bottle has held up really well. this is a nice barleywine, not overly complex, not barrel aged, not trying to do too much, just a good old fashioned strong ale that is perfect for the late fall and early winter stages of the year that we are in now. deep reddish amber color, frothy tan headed, bubbly for the style and its age. the aroma has a little wet cardboard oxidation, but i always think that flatters a barleywine. the hops have held up, or else this was insanely hoppy when it was fresh, it still has a nice piney and orange peel character to the aroma, and plenty of bitterness as well. caramelized and long boiled grain sugars, a light maple or brown sugar note, and a warming booze nose. the flavor is the same, but its just so well integrated all of it, the hops are not just in the finish but all the way through, and the malts are rich without ever being sugary to me. the age has helped this mellow i would think. its warming but not hot on the alcohol and has a long bready finish, very much a barleywine of the old school, but but a beer i really enjoyed in this seasonal context. i hope to be able to try it fresh sometime...

 

 

 

Very good barleywine. Has a beautiful copper color, very malt forward nose and taste.