Barleywine Suggestions

I see your point but am not sure that simply changing the varieties of malt and hops creates a new style.In fact there have always been new varieties arriving and one of the main problems in recreating old beers is finding comparable ingredient varieties. It's like using a different sort of apple in an apple pie , it's still just an apple pie.
Styles have always been dynamic.Modern porters and IPAs would be unrecognisable by our Georgian and Victorian forebears , my grandfather's mild was hoppy, pale and around 6% ABV.
Certainly old ales, strong ales and barleywines are the same thing. Like Scotch Ales were always labelled Strong Ales in Scotland. They are simply names the brewers used , and very often interchangeably.

 

I don't know if it's me, but this is one of the more dickish things I've read on here.

The differences between old ales and barleywines are miniscule, if not non-existent. Just made up style names for essentially the same strong malty beer.

 

I can definitely see your point. I think why I find it acceptable to divide the "style" in two is that a beer labelled an English style barleywine may be along a range of sweetness to bitterness, but is not going to give me a strong taste of grapefruit rind or pine tar as American ones will. I think of the hops kind of like different spices. If I made a shepherds pie using Mexican spices, I would probably call it something at least slightly different to alert you it wasn't your normal shepherds pie.

Interestingly, while my brain seems happy to accept an English and American style difference with barlewines, I generally find the Russian Imperial Stout versus American Double Stout distinction to be arbitrary. I'm not sure if I am just fooling myself and being totally inconsistent, or if there is an actual reason for that.

At the end of the day, I'd give them all (or at least most of them) up to concentrate on nice session beers at a local pub, but that is not the society in which I live sadly.

 

I'm not sure if they bottle it for retail or not, but Harpoon makes a really good one called Bronze King. Had it at the brewery and really enjoyed it.

 

"Bigfoot" by Sierra Nevada

"Blithering Idiot' by Wyerbacher

 

Just had my first barleywine. Freudian slip by evil twin. It was quite interesting even though it took me a bit to get used to and it was better as it warmed. I would suggest it, and after having it, I look forward to trying more of the style.

 

Goose Island BCBBW came out today and I'm thoroughly enjoying that despite the absolute and utter chaos regarding its release today.

 

Behemoth and Bigfoot are my favorites so far.

 

this years

 

These are literally the only 2 i have had. Are they a good representative of the style?

 

Though I have not had Insanity, I have had Blithering Idiot by Weyerbacher, which I think is the base beer to Insanity. It is definitely a good representation of english barleywines. Olde School is also a delicious beer, especially after 1 year of aging. Smuttynose makes a cheap barleywine that comes in bombers that is also worth trying!

 

Does Smuttynose make a barleywine, too? I know they make a wheat wine.

 

Check out Victroy Old Horizontal. uber Barley...

 

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale

 

Yes, and they make it well! It is one of my higher rated beers on here