Old Backus Barleywine
Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence, Kansas, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Regular|
Score
7.65
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A special treat that only comes once a year but keeps giving years beyond, this Barleywine is perfect for extended aging at cellar temperatures. Pick up some for the here and now along with a 4-pack to savor next year.
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7.3/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Deep brown color, thin head, mild fermented ripe fruit aroma. Taste is a complex blend of sweet malt, cherry of other overripe fruits dark fruits, and hop bitterness that sneaks up at the end. Very mild alcohol burn aftertaste.
Tried
from Draft
at
Free State Brewing Company
on 24 Feb 2025
at 01:14
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at Free State, pours a clear dark amber with a small beige head. Aroma brings out big sticky caramel malts, bready malt, and resinous hops in the background. Flavour is rich, with a really good balance of caramel malts, some resins, and bready malt. Certainly on the sweet side, but it's got good hops too. Balanced and reasonably complex. There would've been a time where this was one of the best in the country. While still great, it kind of pales in comparison to the higher bar being set now elsewhere. Still, glad I got to finally try this.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Dec 2022
at 18:21
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
From a 12 oz bottle. Pours a mostly clear mahogany. Aromas of caramel and toffee. Flavors are sweet raisins and caramel. Smooth and robust. Nice one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 10 Jun 2022
at 03:51
6.9/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle from RobertDale poured into a glass. Hazy brownish red with off-white head. Aroma is bread, medium body, lower carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is bread, malt, some anise, and a little fruit.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Oct 2018
at 00:06
6.5/10
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Appearance 4
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft/Fest. A- Oak, stone fruits. A- Mahogany color, cloudy liquid, off white head. T- Woody, rotten fruit, pear, peach. P- Full body, average texture, average carbonation, bland finish. O- I’d say this one is a bit overrated, but it’s not entirely bad by any means. Just not the complexity I think it should have to make me say wow.
Tried
from Draft
on 28 Feb 2016
at 19:49
8.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8
12 oz. bottle provided by GrandaddyKC, much thanks Brad. 2014 Vintage. Label states 10% ABV. Light mahogany color with still some head retention. Aroma is sweet caramel, dark fruit, and hop fruit notes as well .
Flavors follow the nose with notes of molasses and a strong amount of hop bitterness to cut some of the sweetness. Again with the fruity hops. Full body mouthfeel with a slightly oily texture. Almost no warmth from the alcohol. The flavor is very nice. I see this aging well but it is really nice right this second. Extremely nice barely wine!
Flavors follow the nose with notes of molasses and a strong amount of hop bitterness to cut some of the sweetness. Again with the fruity hops. Full body mouthfeel with a slightly oily texture. Almost no warmth from the alcohol. The flavor is very nice. I see this aging well but it is really nice right this second. Extremely nice barely wine!
Tried
from Bottle
on 25 Dec 2015
at 16:39
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
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.
Tried
on 13 Mar 2015
at 21:02
7.2/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
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.
Tried
from Growler
on 09 Mar 2015
at 16:42
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
On tap. Tan-dark copper. A-raisen/dates/brown sugar-medium malt, some citrus. Taste follows.
Tried
from Draft
on 12 Nov 2014
at 12:56
9.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
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
Tried
on 02 Nov 2013
at 16:05