Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2022)

Definitely can't choose between American and English. As others have said I prefer English fresh and American aged. Bigfoot is definitely my favorite but I don't even sample it until it is 4 years old. Barleywines have always been my favorite style. Lately I've really been enjoying Tripels and Quads but they still haven't been able to top Barleywines.

 

Thanks,

Im in Philly.

Enjoy

 

English 90% of the time, every once and awhile will go for an American. Started my journey with adoring Old Guardian but the early Sucaba's turned me. That and living in Seattle with the now annual Fremont k releases and Hand of Glory it's hard to turn back. E9 Brewing out of Tacoma WA now releases Sekiu annually which is a English BW done in a blend of rye and bourbon barrels in a 16oz can, it is easier to get your hands on than those other two and it also fantastic.

 

Grain Reaper, from their Springfield brewery, was a very fine barleywine

JA's beers, even their one-offs, are pretty reasonably priced, but you're right about then trying to make lager versions of assorted ales

 

I was just having some fun and exaggerating... but when a brewer releases single bottles of beer that are in the double digits for price, I'd say they were competing in the high priced craft beer segment of the marketplace regardless if such beers are considered a decent value amongst the targeted consumers within that category (and regardless if that brewer also releases other beers at a completely different cost per ounce). That's all I meant.

Now that @MNAle also changed his avatar to a picture with a similar color palette of an old guy drinking, I have to do a double take to figure out who is posting. You avatar changers make things so confusing.

 

Not just any old guy... John Thaw played Chief Inspector Morse, "real ale" drinker, on British TV in one of his best remembered roles.

 

Gotta agree that some of their singles, especially the Framinghammer variants, are over priced

Yeah, I'm not feeling that old these days

 

Into the cellar tonight - 13% Woodford barrel aged Barleywine from Barreled Souls near Portland ME. Bourbon aroma - flavor straight liquid raisinets.

 

One of my favorite barleywines. Barreled Souls is a great barleywine / stout brewery. Their IPAs / fruited stuff aren't really my thing.

 

It's 8° here so I broke out a Harveys Elizabethan that has been in my basement for about a year.

 

Those were yummy.

 

She ain't always pretty, but the results are exceptional!

The year before the infection----95 I believe, was my favorite, had some of the
80's incarnations as well---each different with subtle tweaks and nuances.
All worthy.

Cheers

 

Agreed, haven't seen one in ages! They we're special!

 

It's been pretty convoluted and confusing (IMHO). I'm on their website right now and it looks like Insanity is now available again, I'll be taking a drive over to Easton. Here's how they describe it:

"Insanity
Barrel-Aged-English-Style Barleywine, 13.3% ABV
Made by aging our Blithering Idiot Barleywine Ale in whiskey barrels.The barrel aging imparts an additional level of complexity to an already intense malt profile by adding a combination of vanilla, oak and whiskey notes."

 

Was rummaging around downstairs for bottle share beers and found some '99 and '04 Idiot.
Also some '04 Stormking and '99 Old Ho.

 

Tom, let me know how that tastes.

My previous case of Storm King had a 5 year best by date and I drank the last bottle at that 5 year mark. Still tasty but needless to say not much in the way of hops.

I just purchased a case of the newly re-introduced Storm King and I will be drinking these beers over the next 5 years (despite Victory listing a best by date on this case of 10/8/22 ).

Cheers!

 

Had a bottle a couple years ago, and the hops were pretty much gone or melded into other flavors, certainly not as pronounced as when the beer was fresh.

 

Is that a 1 year best by on the new bottles?

@TongoRad