Free State Brewing Company Old Backus Barleywine

Old Backus Barleywine

 

Free State Brewing Company in Lawrence, Kansas, United States 🇺🇸

  Barley Wine - Barley Regular
Score
7.65
ABV: 10.5% IBU: 100 Ticks: 31
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
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
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
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
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
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
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!

Tried from Bottle on 25 Dec 2015 at 16:39


7.1
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
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
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
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