Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2022)

Non barrel aged American Barleywines had been my guiltiest indulgence years ago when they were still ubiquitous (pre-hazy/slushy everything) and leading the pack were Old Guardian, Legend (which would push the ABV envelope each year) and Uinta Anniversary Ale. Miss those days when one of those would just make my entire week happier

 

Is aged 120 Minute IPA considered English or American barleywine?
Asking for a friend.

 

Memory is a helluva thing, but I don't know if there has been a time barleywines have been abundant. If anything, they appeared more abundant since there weren't as many other new beers on shelves.

Sure, Sucaba got made every year - but it also sold out quickly/instantly. Bigfoot still gets made. Old Guardian is probably the biggest casualty as far as consistently available barleywines. Does Olde School still get made?

FWIW, I think the only barleywine on my local shelves right now isn't even on my side of state line - it's Old Backus from Free State, but we had a local brewery release a barleywine this year, and post about brewing another. To be honest, I considered it extremely fortunate to run into three bottled barleywines during my LA work trip, and a couple more on draft. Never seen that density of new-to-me barleywines anywhere else.

 

I've wondered if beers like ADWTD are just trade fodder at this point. It doesn't seem like they get rated very often, despite being talked about frequently.

Then I noticed ADWTD Triple Oaked is a 'trending beer' on BA right now.

 

Maybe this is kismet. I stumbled on some 2012 ON TAP at Windsor Brewing Supply yesterday. It was divine.
https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/178/705/?ba=2beerdogs#review

 

To science!

 

For your consideration below is something I posted in the Online Scotch Ales tasting thread:

On the topic of Wee Heavy vs. English Barleywine

Firstly, I really need to caveat that in today’s brewing scene, especially with US craft breweries, there is no ‘hard & fast’ rules to brewing a beer branded as per a style.

With that caveat out of the way a ‘traditional’ Wee Heavy would be distinguished from a ‘traditional’ English Barleywine via:

Grain Bill

Both a Wee Heavy and an English Barleywine would use the same base malt (e.g., Pale Malt) but they would feature differing types of specialty malts. A Wee Heavy would have noticeable amounts of Roasted Malt character while the English Barleywine would have little to no Roasted Malt character.

Yeast produced flavors

The Wee Heavy would be fermented with a very neutral yeast strain (e.g., Edinburgh Ale or Scottish Ale yeast strains) and typically fermented cool while an English Barlerwine would be fermented with a characterful English Ale yeast strain which would produce fruity esters when fermented under warm conditions.

Hops

The Wee Heavy would not be heavily hopped and consequently it is pretty much dominated by the malt flavors. In contrast an English Barleywine would be more aggressively hopped in comparison in all three phases: bittering, flavor and aroma.

Cheers!

https://www.beeradvocate.com/commun...ecember-17-19-2021.663515/page-2#post-7405987

 

Tell your friend aged or unaged 120 is not an English Barleywine.

 

So it's an American Barleywine. Glad we cleared that one up!

 

But Jack, for the most part, there were never ‘hard & fast’ rules to brewing beer branded as a particular style. There's no need to distinguish between "today" and "tradition" in that regard. The difference is that "today," we can personally experience all of the ways in which craft brewers will brew the beer they want to brew, but variety is nothing new and style guides iron out the wrinkles when constructing their idea of tradition. By necessity, style guides create distinction... but the needs of a style guide author are not the same needs of a brewer.

The differences that you outlined above might work very well for select beers, but would not faithfully characterize everything "traditional." Trustworthy authors have often tried to vanquish all of the oft-repeated characteristics that supposedly made Scottish brewers very unique from British ones... but stating that the similarities clearly outweigh the differences won't catch on with beer enthusiasts and craft brewers wanting unique styles. The cooler fermentation temp that you mentioned is an interesting one in that Ron Pattinson thinks that the idea of a significant difference is fiction, but Jeff Alworth thinks that there is enough truth in the lower temp claim. To use a temperature pun, style definitions are only built on degrees of truth.

 

Chris,

I still stand by my post above that there is a difference between these beer types. You are welcome to have your personal opinions.

Cheers!

 

Looks like I have had to date
American- 152 with an average rating of 4.11
English- 112 with an average rating of 4.25

So I guess I would lean english, but honestly I see barleywine on the menu I am getting it either way

 

I meant to say American Barleywine, not IPA's.

 

Depends on how aged...
Costco 6mo-1year 120min... American
>year... English

 

Treehouse Tree of Life Barleywine. I , in no way, consider myself an expert nor aficionado on any style, type, brand of beer. That being said, I know what I like. This Barleywine is absolutely fantastic. My Barleywine resume consists of: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Carton’s Grilled Pineapple and Maraschino Cherry, and Treehouse Tree of Life. Everyone was great!

 

Just had and reviewed a 2015 JW Lees Lagavulin Cask. It was a downgrade from the base beer, but still pretty damn good. The peaty character of the barrel really shines here, but I'm not entirely sure an English Barleywine is the best style for this kind of barrel aging. All complaints aside, it's a fine post-work sipper for the snow storm

4.13/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheers!

 

You're bound to fall into a rabbit hole of Barleywine now

 

Too late! I’m descending

 

Alaska in general: ADwtD sure, but there's always the forgotten english take from Midnight Sun - Arctic Devil

 

Eons ago, Tom Baker of Heavyweight used a Scotch Whisky barrel (not sure which brand) to age some of his Old Salty BW. He thought it was too "briney", but we drank it down.