DEVILS BACKBONE TECTONIC BARLEYWINE 2016: EARTHSHAKINGLY GOOD
DEVILS BACKBONE TECTONIC BARLEYWINE 2016 Abv 11.6 IBU 50
Devils Backbone has received as much press lately for its acquisition by AB Inbev as it has for its continuingly adventurous yet drinkable beers. Head brewer Jason Oliver, one of the best in the business, says he’s actually benefitted from the resources AB Inbev can provide and that the big company has in no way compromised his brewing. His word is good enough for us.
So are the beers. This big boozy gift grows out of a blend of six malts and enough British hops to balance into a smooth moreishness even as it shakes the ground under your feet. We tasted it at the Mad Fox Barleywine Festival in Falls Church, Va. a couple of weeks ago. In a crowd of 40 good to very good barley wines, this one stood out for its drinkability. The problem with a moreish 11% beer, of course, is that you want more than you can responsibly have. Well, that’s what Uber is for, isn’t it.
Tasting notes: Big rich very clean malt starts it; none of the six malts stands out enough to intimidate the others. The huge booze throws a shadow of turpentine in the finish, but its quickly erased by enormous hops. East Kent Goldings, Northern Brewer and Fuggles aren’t often used in powerhouse beers, but they work well here, giving a slightly spicy British accent to the beer that results in a exceptionally even ending. It can’t quite escape the metallic alcohol as it drinks but it stays astonishingly clean. We can’t help but wonder how Jason avoided a stuck mash on this one
Food Pairings: I’d want to eat before I started sipping on this one. Still, it has the depth and balance to fulfil barley wine’s original purpose of replacing wine at the table. A full flavored cheese would sing with this and an after dinner cheese plate with a glass of Tectonic might be as close to heaven as we need to get in this world. Review #0082 20170310