Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

Also the tallest. Which is just as good a way to go.

 

Def a solid example of style and at 9 bucks for a pint you cant go wrong

 

A nice collaboration by 2 of my favorite brewers...nice heat but really smooth.

 

another solid barrel-aged, barleywine-esque beer from wax wings.

 

super barleywine sunday

 

Side Project - Continuance blend #3

cheers!!

 

Ahh, good to know! I have a few Revolution beers hanging around, looks like I'll be drinking them sooner than expected lol

 

Awesome insights, thanks Chris!

 

In the UK, the term was "barley wine" (two words). When Bigfoot, Old Foghorn and others came to be, it was a US government no-no to put "wine" on a beer label. Those brewers came up with the idea of combining the two words into "barleywine" and also used the words "style" and "ale" in an effort to distance the marketing from a wine association. You can see in the Bigfoot image below how the text sizes de-emphasize "barleywine style" and emphasize "ale." Things have loosened up now.

 

Thanks to you both. I should have guessed that government bureaucratic obliviousness was to blame.

 

Super Bowl Lyfe!!!



A little late to the party on this Monkish and Anchorage collab, but it has held up really well! Butterscotch notes come out as it warms and that works really well with the bourbon/cognac barrels. Cheers!

 

Whoa! My Kind of Super Bowl Party!

 

2021 Midnight Sun Arctic Devil. More caramel coming through with age. Tavour premium price was too steep last time. It was very hoppy fresh, but I like it now.

 

Well, to be fair to the government, I get the position. People on BA are too familiar with the term barley wine, so we don't recognize how misleading it can be to someone who has never encountered it. At the same time, people on this site also get annoyed when brewers market a beer in such a way that comes across as inauthentic marketing nonsense (in our eyes). "White stout" is a good example. If the term "barley wine" was introduced today for the first time, what would our reactions be to it? We see it as a traditional term of course, but I bet we overestimate the importance of the term in English brewing. Getting back to the government, the alcohol industry is clearly very regulated. I can see why there would be an issue if a beer was marketed as a type of wine rather than a type of beer.

 

Agree. I distinctly remember seeing it on the menu for the first time and was like, Yeah I don't like wine I prolly won't like it.

 

An OEC treat, Cúvee de Gorgoroth blend 3



What a beer we have here. An intentionally oxidized, still, and blended Barleywine. I’ve wanted to try this one for quite some time and I’m thrilled to have come across it. Obviously this pours still, just a dark brown slick sludge. You can even somewhat see in the picture that the beer stained the inside of the bottle (an awesome bottle presentation btw). A lot of tartness from the oxidation in the nose but still sweet elements. Lots of port wine, sherry, caramel, and dark fruits. In taste it’s a bit sweeter, but the oxidation still adds a little something special. More whiskey driven, but still port wine, caramel, black cherry, and a nice smoky tobacco. Drinks incredibly easy for the abv, and quite dry to finish. Overall a lovely damn beer that I hope to have more of

4.55/5 rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75