Good Barleywine Introduction

Like some others said , Brooklyn Monster ale . The Bottles I've seen around here are all 2012 . 12oz bottles and it's drinking great . Hate to see it go .

 

It's all good. I love DFH, but all of their beers with a neon cap (WWS, Fort, Olde School) are way too hot fresh for me (and even with a few years on them), except for maybe the 120, which I liked fresh for some reason (on tap at the brewery) but not with like 2-3 years on it. Keep in mind I haven't had Raison D'extra, but I bet it is tasting quite good now.

 

Judging by your name i would suggest locally brewedOtto's Old Fugget English barlywine.

 

Old Guardian is boozy as hell. It'd scare off those new to the style.

I'd say an English style or something with less alcohol taste. Hog Heaven is good one to start, maybe Old Foghorn or Uinta Anniversary.

 

I'm drinking Schlafly Reserve Oak'd Barleywine (2011) right now, virtually no ethanol and is mild on the palate. I'd recommend it for you as well.

 

I haven't liked many of the barleywines i've tried initially... but maybe my palate is growing. Just had 3F's Behemoth and I really liked it. No idea why i liked that, but didn't like Bigfoot as much, or really old DFH 120, if it isn't attributed to taste for a style growing.

 

Start and end with Anchor Old Foghorn.

 

Old Nick from the UK was my first. Then I got into the Old Foghorn. Bigfoot addict ever since.

 

Ugh! Forgot the "no meme" rule .
Well, I'll use pictures instead... confirming some choices from the aforementioned barleywines:

Arctic Devil - I drank many of these this past year


Old Ruffian - I drank a bunch of these this past year, too


Bigfoot - always reliable (and quite nicely priced!)


Old Guardian (Oak-Smoked version shown)


Cockeyed Cooper - this was a great surprise


Sucaba - not currently around


Double DBA - which is currently around


Bolt Cutter - this didn't seem to get too much love, but I dug it plenty


And lastly, if you're lucky, the King...
King Henry

 

English: JW Lees Harvest Ale, Fuller's Vintage Ale. JW Lees is expensive, and worth every penny. Both are on the sweeter side compared with American versions.

American: Troegs, Victory, and Weyerbacher. You don't even need to leave your home state. But Southern Tier's Backburner (maltier), Great Divide's Old Ruffian (hoppier), Anchor's Old Foghorn (maltier), and Stone's Old Guardian (hoppier) are all easy to find. Oh, and Bell's Third Coast. I think all of these have been mentioned, but worth chiming in agreement.

Barleywine is that rare style where you can drink a 100 IBU beer and think it's a bit malt-forward. Love 'em.

 

Actually, the KH and Sucaba are English-style b'wines - not so heavy on the malt... The CC is considered American-style, but perhaps b/c of the barrel-aging, it tasted very (as utopiajane said) like "candy."
But hey, only you know your tastes...

My closing recommendation, though (regardless), never pass up on the King . Sublime.

Good drinking, man!

 

I feel that is what most barleywines break down to, malt bombs to varying degrees. This is not to scare you away but just to say that is what they are for the most part. Hope you enjoy them. People are free to correct me if I'm wrong (still new to beer and barleywines). I realize this is a vast simplification, but that is what I have always come to associate with barleywines, aside from the sweetness. It seems that English barleywines are basically what American barleywines strive to taste like after some aging (loss of hops). Bigfoot is a very hoppy fresh (love it), and then just develops into this excellent balance of malt after some time. I haven't had too many english ones, but I think I like the American ones better (it might just be that I feel I am getting two different beers out of them).

 

Blue Point Howling Bastard

 

I'd go with Sierra Nevada Bigfoot or Brooklyn monster if you can get one
I was never a barley wine fan but enjoyed both those

 

Whitbread Gold Label. When I can get someone to brew the proper 1970's recipe. (Wouldn't be able to call it Gold Label, of course.)

Not much use as a recommendation. Especially as the currrent canned version is pretty bollocky.

 

Is the recipe public?

 

Sort of. You just need to go to the London Metropolitan Archives. That's what I did.

 

I love malt bombs! they're like a bomb in my pants when I drink them

 

I think these days I'm leaning towards the barleywines on the other side of the pond. Olde Hickory's English Style Irish Walker is just brilliant, if you ever get your hands on it.