Top 5 Barrel Aged Barley Wines

BA Decadence 2011
BA Old Numbskull 2012
Arctic Devil
Sucaba
Adam from the Wood - close enough

Going to have Aaron and Leon soon, so sure that will change things up.

 

BCBBW
MOAS
King Henry
Sucaba
Monster 29

 

J.W. Lee's... All of them.

 

Jackie O's BA Brick Kiln
Voodoo Caution Contains Real Pumpkin
FFF BA Behemoth
GI BCBBW
Mother of All Storms

 

Sucaba. Actually my #1 beer, ever. For anything.

Stickee Monkee

Double DBA

Central Waters. Fresh excellent. Aged even better.

Arctic Devil

Honorable mention:
BCBBW
Urban Chestnut Daft
Potosi Grand Amber
Insanity

Gotta try MOAS and King Henry still.

 

Brooklyn Hand & Seal.

End/

Seriously one of the best beers I've ever consumed, and my fave style in an English BW.

 

Based on what I've had so far:

Bourbon County
JW Lee's Lagavulin Cask (2008)
Jack's Abby Bride Maker
JW Lee's Port Cask (2008)
Insanity

As you can see I prefer English-style.

 

Seriously, I had a 2005 J.W. Lees Lagavulin last week, and I thought it was astounding. The integration of flavors stood out; it was impossible to know where the whisky notes ended and the beer began.

As for American-brewed barleywines, Clown Shoes Billionaire stands as one of my favorite beers of 2014. Looking forward to its return in 2015. Not "barleywines," per se, but Straight to Ale Unobtanium and Illudium are amazing barrel aged old ales.

 

If we're going to go that route I might put Rye-on-Rye at number 4 or 5 on my list.

 

This cannot be emphasized enough. A beer should not need to be placed in a barrel to taste good. Barreling is about "elevating" the beer, but that can only happen if the base beer is worthy to begin with.

Speaking of which, how is that Crunkle Sam, @Stagga_Lee? One of the few CS beers I have yet to try.

 

I was looking for a mention of Hand & Seal. Still haven't pulled the trigger on one, but I really need to.

 

BLIGH'S!

 

Surly Eight (a non-barley barleywine)
Sucaba
Cockeyed Cooper
BCBBW
Bligh's

 

My favorite style also. Especially the english style barleywines.

BA (Cognac) Church on a Hill (how has this not been mentioned yet?)
Town Hall Twisted Trace (or Twisted Jim)
King Henry
Central Waters BBBW
Mother of All Storms

Not far behind: Arctic Devil, BA Hi-Fi Rye, Lunker, BCBBW and BA Naked Evil, Sucaba, Commander

Will try my first Bligh's next week.

 

Not to be too picky but Hairy Eyeball is a Strong Ale.
Will take that Bigfoot tho.

 

I did enjoy Billionaire. May have to dip into my stash to revisit.

Might have to anyway to try Hand & Seal and Double DBA.

 

1. Central Waters BB Barley wine
2. BCB Barley wine
3. Perrin With Kindness (Just tried this once, but could move up to #1 it's so damn good!)
4. Revolution Straight Jacket
5. FFF Behemoth

 

Forgot about Billionaire.. a very nice new BA english barleywine offering from Clown Shoes. Worthy of an honorable mention.

 

The strong ale category exists for BA's who are too lazy to make a call when they add a new beer to beeradvocate. Quads, dubbels, tripels, barleywines, imperial stouts, double IPA's, bieres de brut, wheatwines, doppelweizens, and Scotch ales are all "strong ales."

 

So I don't know if this counts as it was only brewed once and maybe never again... but! The absolute best BA Barleywine I have ever had was BB monster 29 from dark horse. released at the 2012 4 elf I believe? could be wrong. but anywho... THE BEST!! EVER! Anybody else second that? or am I the only one? I have a bottle that im saving for that special occasion. @OP im sure you could trade for one. maybe even IP since your in MI. also made a non bb version. on another note, this may be suicide but... didn't care for BCBBW that much, however I probably should have let it age more.