Oak-Aged Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Lost Abbey tulip, bottled 2/15/12. Pours a orange red, with a one inch off white head, that leaves some solid lace. Smell is hard candy, vanilla, dark fruit, biscuit, carmel, grapefruit, and brown sugar. Taste is really well balanced, lots of vanilla, carmel, burnt brown sugar, and sweet grapefruit in the finish. Body is thinner than expected, the amount of carbonation you would expect, not really dry, and drinkable for its heft. This is a good and different tasting barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 03:34:04 | More by SawDog505

tut2528

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

poured into a FFF teku

A: pours a dark ruby color, almost brown. there is also some transparency and when held up directly to the light the ruby really comes out. there was very minimal head formation and I feel that the 1/2 fingers worth that did form was more forced carbonation. the edge of the glass does have a slight film

S: oak and toffee really sweeten this one up, and is complemented by vanilla, alcohol soaked figs. I also pick up on some slight grassy hops. there also seems to be a peppery spice present as well. quite complex, and its all in a nice balance.

T: the hops make there presence known more here than in the nose. still get the big oaky, toffee aspects, along with barley, brown sugar, pepper spice, alcohol, figs, and sweet vanilla finish. again, very nice complexity.

M: medium bodied, but on a the lighter side of medium. it leaves a big sweet and sugary note on the palate well after the finish, with a slight touch of at the back. wish this was a bit more viscous, but still nice.

O: its a pretty nice all around BW. really enjoy the oak aged aspects, along with the big vanilla. like BW's it has the complexity to make this one intriguing and enjoyable. Solid.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:17:10 | More by tut2528

weeheavybutdieting

Georgia

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz Bomber from Ale Yeah, Roswell GA.

Quick disclaimer: I am a softee for Quads, Tripels and Barleywines. Yes totally different, but that is my deal...

A: Got all of the skills needed for a good BW. Has a nice dark yet golden look, enough not to see through but transparent enough to not scare you away. Surprisingly carbonated along the lines of a champagne. Very light lacing left over.

S: You know it is a sweet barley wine. Nice caramel notes with just a hint of that oak aged differentiator.

T: Yes. No really. It is exactly what I want out of a barley wine. The front end has the caramelicious taste and coating of the tongue. Then comes just enough hops to wipe the palate. Lastly I am left with just the right amount of sweet and sticky requiring me to take yet another sip.

M: Again, just what the style asked for. Deep enough to coat but not so heavy to cover up the nuances of the barrel aged notes.

O: I am a big Southern Tier fan, they just do it right. I am a big Barley Wine fan. This is a beer that meets the style and lives up to the Southern Tier level of quality and uniqueness.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 01:46:09 | More by weeheavybutdieting

beerdrifter

Germany

4.43/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

My sister picked this up for me at the brewery. Beautiful clear mahogany pour with two finger off-white head with decent retention and great lacing. Huge sweet oaky nose with hints of caramel, butterscotch candy, booze, vanilla, and toffee. The taste is complex and the oak is once again the star. Nicely complemented with hints of caramel, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, dark fruit (specifically figs), toffee, and just a touch of orange zest, licorice, and coconut. The mouthfeel is slightly syrupy but surprisingly smooth with a subtle bitterness and alcohol warming on the finish. With that said, it's really pretty drinkable for a 9.6% ABV beer! Had this on tap at the brewery earlier this year and it's even smoother and more drinkable than the bottle version. Probably my favorite Barley Wine...

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2012 21:41:33 | More by beerdrifter

BasterdInABasket

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bottle, DOB 2/15/12 (8 mo. old) poured into Tulip glass
A- Mohogany-colored with red highlights, Very Hazy, About 1.5 finger off-white head, little retention, some spotted, whispy lacing
S- Oak, Caramel malts, dark fruit, Vanilla, sweetness, slight hoppiness, alcohol, (something strange here: get some citrus smelling straight from the bottle but none really from glass, hmm..)
T- Tastes similar to nose, The oak is present throughout but not overpowering, some booziness, overall good not great flavors
M- Full, Could be bigger, Pretty Smooth and a little creaminess, coats the mouth some
O- Nothing really jumps out to me in this beer but overall its solid. Have had better barleywines for sure but this is a worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2012 05:00:29 | More by BasterdInABasket

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer is a very dark amber, with a moderately sized beige head. Good lacing, OK retention.

Lots of oak in the nose, along with caramel malt, vanilla, some dry dark fruit. Nice smell, the oak is strong but blends in well.

Taste consists of caramel, oak, raisin, vanilla. Some bitterness from the hops, and perhaps a bit of grass and citrus peaking through the rest of the beer. The hope and the barrel leave the beer not as sweet as it probably would be otherwise (which I think would be quite a bit, given how my mouth is getting dried out).

Beer is full bodied, but a little thinner than expected. Moderate carbonation. Dries out the mouth in a big way.

Overall, pretty good. Glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 18:09:54 | More by jrenihan

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jmgrub for sharing this one at Benny’s tasting.

Pours a clear brown with a foamy tan head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, caramel, citrus zest, and alcohol. Taste is much the same with a medium citrus zest bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp but medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty but really doesn’t come across as oak-aged in the aroma or flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 01:33:33 | More by UCLABrewN84

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This was served from the tap at Tap and Mallet in Rochester, NY into a Great Lakes Brewing snifter. The brew glowed a golden ruby red, holding a two finger tan head of tight bubbles. This left spotty froth around the glass as it went slowly away. Carbonation appeared light, and no haze or sediment was noted. The nose blows your socks off!! There was the deepest butter and oak, mixing and flourishing with freshness and robustness. It was musky, yet warming and spicy. There was maple syrupy sugars and thickness, and light booze to the back. Our first impression was that it was boozy and buttery, but not nearly as good as the nose. The flavoring opened with light caramel grains and syrupy sweetness. The booze cut everything, moving to the peak with unforgiving fusel bite. Black pepper, oak, paler malts, and faint honey flowed on the back. The booze really killed a lot of any remaining flavoring, leaving booze, wood and caramel to the very end. The aftertaste rumbled on with vodka, nail polish, plastic phenols, and more even oaky musk. The body was thinner than expected, with medium carbonation. There was light coating, but ultimately fusel bite to suck the palate bone dry. There was nice slurp and smack, but thin on froth or cream. The abv was appropriate, and the beer was very slow drinking.

Overall, by far the best thing about this brew was the nose. This is the closest nose we’ve found to be nearly as oaky and smooth as the Bourbon County series. The rest of the tasting falls from there drastically. The flavoring is hugely boozy throughout, with fusel fire burning away the rest of the palate, and decimating all flavor. The feel was also thinner than expected, again, taking away from the experience.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2012 20:33:00 | More by TheBrewo

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

2.93/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Southern Tier brewery.

A - Poured a mahogany brown with a thin cream cap. Very pretty beer.

S - Lots of oak, buttery caramel, vanilla, rich candy toffee, burnt raisins, licorice, alcohol.

T - Super dense malt, oak was very heavy, vanilla, burnt brown sugar, candy toffee, burnt raisins, pine and hints of citrus.

M - Full body, creamy feel, low carbonation, warming.

This beer is either way too young or just doesn't work. Very raw and powerful flavors all around. Nothing seemed to mesh well. I'd like to try a bottled version with some time on it.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2012 23:38:14 | More by StaveHooks

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear amber/orange with a small head and bits of lacing.

Smell is on par. Slghtly sweet, caramel malts, burnt sugar, light booze, light floral hops, some pine.

Malt forward..oak comes through more in taste with some spice notes..figs, more sweetness, little bitterness, little booze.

Easier to drink than many of this style

Nice BW, falls into its style.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 02:53:04 | More by TheMultiYeast

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 Oz bottle poured into a Duvel tulip

A- Crystal clear deep dark ruby red. About one finger of a white/tan head. Pretty good alcohol legs on the glass.

S- This is one hoppy smelling barley wine. The hop profile is showing signs of aging but is still rather pleasant. It is citrusy, has an overly ripened feel to it. A little caramel sweetness. A slight vanilla oakyness. Really nice smelling barleywine.

T- Big beer. A big bitterness is the first thing here. Followed up by that really hoppy profile. It is astringent and citrusy. The flavors are pineapple, raisins, grapefruit. Sticky feel from the malt load. The malts carry a lot of caramel and toffee. Really helps balance out the bitterness. Not as much oak as I was expecting, it does bring a dry vanilla taste with it. Some alcohol taste but hardly noticable.

M- Big and bitter. Drinks about as easy as you would expect. Leaves behind a lot of the hop taste. Nice sized mouthfeel to it.

O- This is a solid Barley wine. Its very hop forward which leaves me to think that this was only aged for a few months on oak chips. If it was aged for a longer period of time The hop flavor would have completely disappeared and I think the oak would have been more present. But, a great beer and for 7$, it is a steal.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 23:38:32 | More by TwelveOunces

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in a snifter)

A- The slightly dense deep aged copper body has a sticky light beige film on top that last a bit.

S- The soft rich buttery toffee aroma has papery oak notes and some cream and dry hops notes in the finish. There is some raw oak aromas with green raisins and vanilla that come through as it opens.

T- The pine wood pungent hop flavor dominates the slightly sweet malt notes that follow in the finish. There is a soft raw oak, paper straws and green raisin hint that comes through in the finish.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with no alcohol heat noticed.

O- This beer is a bit dry and most of the flavors are very soft but the big pungent hops seem to dominate everything. The raw oak notes do add a nice character to the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 15:59:28 | More by rhoadsrage

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clean orange-ish to amber color with a light tan head. In the aroma, mellow bourbon, small dark fruits, and alcohol. In the taste, alcohol to oaky bourbon, dark fruit, and licorice. An alcohol bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry bourbon, vanilla, and alcohol like aftertaste. Too big, like a shot inside a barleywine. It's just too much for me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2012 14:51:58 | More by OWSLEY069

korguy123

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle into tulip.

A- Clear, dark mahogany pour with red highlights. Half finger off white head. Lacing is minimal.

S- Nice sweetness, dark fruits, oak, vanilla, brown sugar and a touch of bitterness and alcohol.

T- Oak right up front, brown sugar, vanilla, date, figs and some pear. Nice roasted malts. Bitterness is quite low for an American, seems almost English inspired. Very mellow in the finish with a touch of alcohol.

M- Light to medium body. Very chewy, slightly warm in the finish.

O- I've never had regular Backburner so I can't say if this is better or worse, but I can tell where the oak really shines through and helps this beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:19:14 | More by korguy123

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.3/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured a dark amber color with good carbonation leaving a small dirty white cap, some bubbles and a light amount of lacing

S: Nice and sweet. Notes of caramel, oak, vanilla, pine resin are most evident

T: Wow. Me likey from the first sip. A nicemalty sweetness with some wood tannins, toffee, caramel, liht raisins and light vanilla kick with booze. The beer is a bit sticky, sweet and coating but drinks well and super tasty. The finish is a little sticky but very persistent on the oak.

M: Medium to full bodied with light-moderate carbonation. A bit slick, sticky

O: I will drink this again and again. My biggest inital complaint with non BA version is that it super bitter, like Bigfoot, which I can not stand. The oak really rounds out the beer and makes it very plesant and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 16:10:13 | More by barleywinefiend

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery. Served in a goblet. 

A- deep chestnut hued red brown. Thin layer of cream head. Nice lace. 

S- citrus and floral hops, sugar, vanilla. 

T- so smooth! Big hops but smoothed out by the oak. Caramel, biscuity malt, vanilla. Only hints of the near 10% abv. Long smooth sweet aftertaste. 

M- medium to full feel. Nice dose of carbonation that makes the flavors tingle. 

O- one of my favorite barleywines that I've tried. Robustly hopped and so smooth with the nice blended flavors of oak. Excellent and highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2012 23:09:19 | More by ThickNStout

Thickfreakness

New York

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- A dark chestnut brown/cherry wood pour into my Bruery tulip. The light tan head fades rather quickly, but leaves some nice sticky lacing that doesn't want to let go. Shines a beautiful ruby red when the light hits it.

S- Caramel, vanilla, figs, prunes, toasted and charred wood. Little hints of cherry lollipops, subtle sweet, candied citrus, and black licorice. This is deeper than a Leonard Cohen lyric.

T- Licorice covered in caramel... sweet and citrusy! Some grapefruit, orange peel, and vanilla. Wonderful dried fruits! Notes of cherry, plums, figs, and red grapes. Some hints of melted buttered popcorn and toasted oak.

M- Bitter/citrus/sweet/licorice... but with a buttery feel. On the thick and oily side which is nice! No sign of carbonation, and the alcohol doesn't really show it's head.

O- Silky smooth, sweet, bitter, citrusy, with enough notes to keep even the best playing!!! Awesome blend of caramel sweetness, bitter citrus/pine, licorice, and buttered popcorn. Nice mouthfeel! Nice stickiness!!!

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 23:45:59 | More by Thickfreakness

jtingue

New York

3.95/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Growler fill from the brewery. Poured into a pumpking chalice.

Appearance. Copper brown in color. Pours with 3 fingers of off white head, which dissipates quickly leaving some nice lacing down the side of the glass. A thin, frothy layer of head remains for a while.

Smell. Caramel and toffee are joined by a faint toasted oak and some mustiness, which I often recognize in Southern Tiers oak aged beers.

Taste. Starts off with a semi-tart grape flavor. Some of the more sugar-sweet flavors of caramel come in. This is balanced, and eventually overtaken by a slight oak soaked bitterness. The oak, however, is not as musty as I found it to be in their other oak aged beers. The slight fruity tartness comes back, this time soaked in rum. The finish is dried a bit by the alcohol presence, and contains a lingering ripe berry flavor.

3.5Mouthfeel. A moderate to thick body is broken up and made light by a moderate amount of loose carbonation.

This one really benefits from the aging, in my opinion. The original was dominated by a persistant presence of the yeast that was used, while this was much more balanced by the oak, fruit and caramel flavors.

Serving type: growler

05-28-2012 22:25:55 | More by jtingue

CloudStrife

New York

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 02/15/12.

A: Pours a ruby copperish-red with a puffy 1.5 finger slightly yellowed head. Beer is fairly clear with a small amount of visible carbonation. A little lacing after the 2nd pour from the bottle.

S: At first I got hop but there is a lot of carmely malt in there as well. Hints of oak come through. Lots of dark fruits like fig, raisin and plum make an appearance. Alcohol is fairly hidden behind the fruit and oak.

T: Smooth flavor of dark fruits and hop with an oak backing. Pretty mild flavors that collaborate well together. Hops are bold but don't overpower, malt is sweet but not overly. Oak kicks in to mild out the booze.

M: Fairly thick on the palate, low carbonation. Nice and warming in the stomach. Real easy drinking for 9.6%

Overall a fantastic barley wine made better with some oak additions. A must for anyone who likes barley wines or for those who dont think they like the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 21:44:12 | More by CloudStrife

rlee1390

Indiana

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Clear amber, two finger head that tries to be tan

S-Oak caramel, toffee, hops are present.

T-Oak, caramel, darker malts, some bitterness, grassy, raisins and chocoalte.

M-Medium bodied, chewy with some carbonation

O-I've had the regular Back Burner but never reviewed it. Should seek it out for comparison.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 00:43:45 | More by rlee1390

crossovert

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

650ml bottle. DOB 02/15/12

It pours a clear reddish brown with a quickly-dissipating off-white head. It leaves some decent lacing.

The smell is nice. Very American-tinged which I usually appreciate in the aroma of barleywines. Nice hop smells, though not super hoppy with some candied orange sort of smell. It pairs with just an amazing malt smell and beautiful oak notes. This brew smells amazing imo.

The flavor is good too. More earthiness, more cloying caramel-like sweetness, but overall nice. Fruit notes creep in after a few quaffs. I feel like the oak doesn't shine as much in the flavor. I think my tolerance for alcohol flavor is strengthening because this one doesn't seem to bad, at least i a not getting any annoying alcoholic notes like others have had.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 18:57:37 | More by crossovert

prototypic

Ohio

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Oak Aged Backburner pours a darker copper color. It’s clear for the most part. Looks a little red when held to light. An off-white head tops it. It rises to about a finger and a half in height before falling back to a surface covering. Held there for a bit. Lacing was on the lighter side.

The nose is good. It features a pretty sweet caramel malt scent up front. There might be a hint of chocolate there, as well. Oak is very much in the mix. One whiff reveals it adds a lot of character. Dark fruit notes of raisin and plum are apparent. There’s a hint of a spirit, but it’s tough to tell what it is exactly. Hops are noted. Grapefruit is the most notable hop scent. Alcohol is held in check for the most part. It’s not all that noticeable. Smells good.

The flavor is likewise good. I like it. The malt base is mostly caramel. It’s sweet. Chocolate malts are also noted. Tastes like cocoa. Dark fruit flavors of plum and raisin are easily noted. The work very well with the malt base. Oak definitely adds character and quality depth. The oak flavor is quite good. Hop flavors of grapefruit, pineapple, and pine are all noted. It tastes a little bitter, but it’s negated quite a bit by the strong malt presence. Alcohol is blended pretty well. Doesn’t seem like 10% territory. Finishes sweet and oaky with a touch of citric hop flavor.

Oak Aged Backburner has a medium body that is definitely smooth. Carbonation is light and restrained. For a big Barleywine, this is surprisingly easy drinking. I’ll polish off this bomber with ease.

I’ve always been a big fan of Backburner. Needless to say, an oak aged version was very intriguing to me. It definitely delivers, but it isn’t quite as good as Backburner. I think the oak flavor tends to mask some of its dark fruit and hop flavor. It’s still very good though. Definitely a worthy endeavor. Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 04:30:01 | More by prototypic

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appears a dense mahogany with a small white cap that slowly fades into a gentle cap. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of dense caramel, fruit, vanilla, oak, whiskey, peaches, pineapple...sheer sweetness.
Taste is of the aromas with a candy sweetness that lingers with heat.
Mouthfeel is full bodied, chewy, sweet, and hot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2012 23:58:06 | More by weeare138

philbe311

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - A finger and a half worth of khaki colored fluff with lots of big chunky bubbles sitting on top... Modest retention gives way to a full slightly fluffy lacing... The color is a medium brown... Lightly carbonated with only a couple stray bubbles rising at various paces...

S - Caramel... The oak character stands out as well... Dark fruits... A bit of booze... Some subtle woody notes... Very nice... Very complex... Each whiff reveals something new...

T - Wood, oak, and booze to start... Brown sugar... Caramel... Walnuts... Very light dark fruit notes... The booziness and oak linger on the palette and punish the tongue in a rather pleasant way...

M - Medium bodied yet surprisingly light.. Light carbonation... Sleek... Smooth... The finish is a bit chalky...

D - Very nice offering here from Southern Tier... I wasn't even aware I had purchased the oak aged version until I took my first sip... Lots of good things going on here, but perhaps a bit too young... A little time in the bottle could round this one into elite Barleywine contention...

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 01:17:56 | More by philbe311

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: tan/rust body, trace white head,
dainty lacing ring

S: oak, barley, mild whiff of caramel/toffee

T: sweet caramel, big oak, solid barley, malt,
little boozy, oily/mild bitter finish.

M: med body, oily/mild tongue prick mouth
smooth

O: Usually LOVE every bomber by Southern Tier,
but this one was just above average.
I would get again, since it is one of my fav styles.

NICE, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 15:36:55 | More by BeerLover99