Tørst Back Room
Evil Twin Brewing

Tørst Back RoomTørst Back Room
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From:
Evil Twin Brewing
 
New York, United States
Style:
English Barleywine
ABV:
11.2%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 11.08%
Reviews:
14
Ratings:
63
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 09, 2017
Added:
Feb 27, 2013
Wants:
  16
Gots:
  4
Port Barrel Aged Barley Wine
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Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by biboergosum:
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

4.12/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
330ml bottle. Ok, I got through the front room, now on to the unknown pleasures of the back room.

This beer pours a murky, very dark reddish brown hue, with one skinny finger of bubbly, slightly foamy beige head, which leaves a few iotas of bowling pin lace around the glass as things sink out of sight.

It smells of musty caramel malt, biscuity toffee, subtle fortified red wine notes - dried grapes, alcohol, and nutty flor yeast - bittersweet chocolate, cherry cordial, prune juice, and the suggestion of hops wearing sterilized rubber boots. The taste is more port wine fruitiness - with a lesser focus on the booze and mustiness - dark sugary molasses, caramel and toffee malt, black cherry and plum (doused in rum), a hint of woody vanilla, soft notes of baker's cocoa, and a plucky drying earthiness that I'm going to attribute to some sort of hop.

The bubbles are rather laid-back, underwhelming, and presumed AWOL, the body a sturdy and generally airtight medium weight, and smooth enough amongst the tightening alcohol noose. It finishes off-dry, the caramel, vanilla, cocoa, and well-aged red wine fruitiness barely tempered by anything one might imagine.

Well, it looks like the Back Room beats out the Front in this little one-off. More complex, apparently less sweet from its barrel treatment, and just more barleywine-like, overall. It does have a certain age-worthy essence, which almost justifies its heady retail price around here.
Nov 13, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4 by paulish from New York

Apr 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.5 by ConradKenney from Maryland

Aug 17, 2015
 
Rated: 3.44 by JMBSH from Colorado

May 04, 2015
Photo of bgold86
Rated by bgold86 from New York

4.5/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Less sweet than Front Room, more carbonation, a more traditional aged barely wine.
Apr 15, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by aasher from Indiana

Apr 11, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by liamt07 from Canada (ON)

Mar 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by nathanmiller from New York

Feb 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.41 by LightnerLiquorKS from Kansas

Feb 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3.83 by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

Feb 24, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Feb 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by twelveinches from Washington

Feb 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.93 by Nat1975 from Indiana

Feb 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 15, 2014
 
Rated: 4.1 by wethorseblanket from California

Dec 09, 2014
Photo of CalgaryFMC
Reviewed by CalgaryFMC from Canada (AB)

3.85/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Well, I've had this in the cellar for a stretch. Here goes. A very dark murky brown brew poured into a snifter. Almost no head to speak of, just a ring of dark beige bubbles around the glass. Aroma is sweet malts and fruit, golden syrup and molasses dredged over grapes and prunes with a whiff of herbal, woody hops. Palate is thick, rich, and fruity, with my brain undecided as to whether the raisins/prunes or molasses/toffee hold ultimate sway. There's an undercurrent of cherry pipe tobacco and perhaps thick red wine. Butter brickle and peanuts. Fig cookies. Its an interesting combination, leaving me at a loss regarding how everything can hang together so well without unpleasant clashes. I am getting coffee liqueur, toffee, and roasted barley late, particularly in the semi-sweet finish. Any obvious grain flavors reveal themselves late but they certainly show up for the soiree. There is some booziness but this is rather refined in its power. Very syrupy and thick, top end of the body spectrum. My bottle is approximately a year old. All in all, a sweet treat that captures this style well, with minimal woody flavors from the barrel aging and a corresponding well preserved sweetness.
Nov 15, 2014
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

4.31/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
In a taste of ale that rival the strength, complexity and savory character of the most hardened wine, Evil Twin's barleywine gets back to its British roots to celebrate all of what's best about barley- unlocking all its sweetness, power, hearty nuttiness and its complementary role to yeast esters and patient aging.

Its dark tawny, ruby and garnet hues give the ale a stately austere. Its dense lather of foam swirls about the rim, giving up its potent aromas within. Dark, dried, pitted fruits of the raisin realm tether throughout deep toffee and buttery maple sweetness.

As the ale seeps deeply into the tastebuds, its sweetness locks in. Heavily caramelized malt becomes sweet with syrup and molasses- a perfect complement to the date, raisin, fig, cherry, apple and plum flavor. With a rummy spice flavor acting in balance, the ale remains succulent with those fruitcake and figgy medley.

Full bodied and syrupy, its near-cloying body backs off so that the ale can be enjoyed as fine port or cognac. Its spicy alcohol applies a stern but controlled heat that thins the malt and signals closure to taste even though decadent nutty malt flavors lurk well after.
Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by DanGeo from Michigan

Nov 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.35 by Hendrick24 from Wisconsin

Oct 09, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Corson from Canada (AB)

Sep 24, 2014
Tørst Back Room from Evil Twin Brewing
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 63 ratings