Back Burner
Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York, United States 🇺🇸
Barley Wine - Barley Regular|
Score
7.40
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“first brew of the year”
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.
10% abv. • 15ºL
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.
10% abv. • 15ºL
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8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
A dense off-white head over an iridescent mahogany/red body. Big, fresh taste elements leading with apricots, toffee, citrus hops, malt, honey and dark berries. Sweet, but the additional elements round it out nicely. Very slick and slightly cloying. A lovely rich BW nonetheless.
Tried
on 23 Sep 2025
at 20:12
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Sweet malt, bitter hops and slightly burnt toffee on the nose. the body is sweet and rich with buttery toffee, caramel malt, apricots, raisins, astringent citrus hops and some dark berries. Thick and a bit sticky with a bit of booziness. Not bad at all.
Tried
on 23 Sep 2025
at 20:11
7.2/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottled. Copper colour with a small off-white head. Aroma is fruity, floral, some alcohol, mild ripe fruits as well as some burnt sugary tones. Flavour pretty much consists of the same elements as the aroma. Yet rather smooth.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Sep 2023
at 23:37
8.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
650ml bottle, vintage 2009 @Brasserie 4:20 (Rome). Miele di castagno, brillante, limpidissima, schiuma ecrù media. Al naso splendida ossidazione, pan di spagna bagnato al passito, ciliegie sotto spirito, nocino. In bocca è dolce, con note di caramello, vinosa, frutta rossa, spettacolare. Corpo medio-pieno, carbonazione leggera. Ma che spettacolo di evoluzione ha avuto!?!
Tried
from Bottle
on 06 Nov 2020
at 17:55
7/10
Tried
on 21 Sep 2018
at 00:23
7.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(bottle, 65cl) De facto clear, ruby brown colour with a beige and short foamy layer. Distincively nutty toast-malty aroma with notes of chocolate, chestnuts, traces of alcohol and a mildly spicy hoppy background. Moderately sweet and delicately bitter flavour, full bodied with a soft carbonation. Nutty and moderately toasted malty taste with caramel, hints of marzipan, chocolate and chestnuts, as well as mildly hoppy spice from behind; lasting nutty malty and moderately spicy hoppy finish. 22.IV.15
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Aug 2018
at 02:13
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Unexpectedly nuanced barleywine from a brewer known for punching you in the forehead with over-the-top flavors. Caramel, toffee, dates, and candied cherries on the front, while the back brings up warming booze, a bitter hop backbone, and restrained maple syrup and molasses notes that don't really peak until late in the fade. Pours a thick, oozy brown with a thin beige head and modest lacing. Caramel and maple syrup on the nose. Warm and thick and oh-so-barleywine-ish feel works. Very nice pint.
Tried
from Can
on 17 Jan 2018
at 21:41
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Converting ticks to ratings. Had this back in Januari '12, at the Beer Temple. Very sweet beer, malty, berries, some chocolate, raisins, alcohol, resin. Medium to full bodied. Decent.
Tried
on 01 Nov 2017
at 07:37
8/10
Tried
on 15 Oct 2017
at 12:36
7.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Shared bomber. The molasses and maple syrup were used effectively with neither giving the beer an overly sweet or syrupy character. Molasses on the nose, along with brown sugar, dark fruit, toffee and more. Smooth on the palate. The ABV sneaked up on me as it warmed while I sipped.
Tried
on 11 Mar 2017
at 15:56