Backburner (Imperial Barley Wine Style Ale)
On-tap at Cask Republic into a tulip. A: Crystal clear ruby-brown body under a finger of tan foam. Great retention and lacing. Lovely. S: Sweet, fruity caramel malt; dates, raisins, and citrus; spicy alcohol. Not great, but pretty good. T: Dark fruits are dominant, followed by bready malts + citrus hops. Pretty tasty, but far from memorable. M: Hugely carbonated, with soft fine bubbles exploding throughout the (maybe) medium body. Intense, but overdone. O: I enjoyed this beer, but it doesn't really stand up well to the myriad of great barleywines available. While I was a fan of the citrus fruitiness of the hops, I didn't feel that they added enough hoppiness or bitterness to contrast meaningfully with the fruity sweetness of the malt. Completely solid, but completely forgettable. Cheers!