Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2022)

Just to be clear, you're talking a 'case' as a box of 24 beers? That's insane pricing. Right place at the right time for you to get that deal. That's a great deal at $10 for a 6-pack of those beers, let alone a '24-pack'.

 

You can get up here by 3pm tomorrow. Bring BWs to share.

 

As in 6, 4 packs. 2 dozen. The local store unloads a lot of beer that is considered “old” by the brew date if it has not sold. The nemesis was dated 01/21 and the KBS was 02/21. I assume that they do not realize that some beer holds better than others. I got a 1/2 barrel of Brown Shugga for $50 once and cases of 3 Philosphers and Sam Smith for $20 each. It is right time right place sometimes.

 

No need to run. Alaska/Horizon, Southwest, and Allegiant all fly to within a couple miles of Dan's house.

https://www.portofbellingham.com/888/Airport

 

I've never seen FW's Helldorado blonde barleywine, in fact I don't recall ever seeing any "blonde" barleywine, but if the base is as good as the tequila barrel aged variant it is definitely on my list to try.

 

I appreciate your post and position very much, but I don't totally agree. The fact that a beer as fundamental to the concept of an American-style barley wine as Anchor Old Foghorn could be classified on this particular website as an "English" barley wine is proof enough that the these two categories are not as "different and distinct" as someone might think. If the-powers-that-be in the style definitions game can't agree, then certainly the waters are muddy.

English barley wines aren't even much of a style to begin with... so they don't work well at all as a distinct entity in opposition to the American-style. The two most important beers to the concept of English barley wine are a pale beer (Gold Label) and a Burton ale (Bass No 1). I've seen it said that the brewers also considered Gale’s Prize Old Ale a barley wine. If one believes that barley wines come in two varieties - English-style and American-style (note that I'm adding the word style)... then it's somehow OK that all of those English ales are seen as one distinct style of beer but American barley wines have somehow turned things upside down and can't be included? The variety of beers in these categories make the American/English dichotomy nearly useless in terms of style (but it obviously remains totally useful in terms of brewer location).

On the subject of barrel aging, I realize that my attitude seems to run counter to how everything works in other people's minds (with the prevailing logic being that a beer of a certain style remains a beer in that style when it is barrel aged). My issue is specific to the use of (insert country name here)-style with barrel aging. I'll reuse this example: If a US brewer aged a pilsner in bourbon barrels, wouldn't it seem off if that brewer marketed the beer as a "Czech-style pilsner" rather than a "bourbon barrel aged pilsner?" Wouldn't the bourbon barrel aging take it out of the realm of specifically being in the "Czech-style?"

Now imagine if American producers were making more bourbon barrel aged pilsners than any other type of pilsner.... and it got to the point that people started saying, "My favorite type of pilsners are Czech pilsners," but the only pilsners they had in mind were American bourbon barrel aged pilsners. That's pretty much where we are at with barley wine. Don't mind me if I'm alone in trying to pump the brakes a bit.

 

After posting with Bigfoot and Harvest Ale. I just had to open and include the remaining beer I mentioned in my first post - Harvey's Christmas Ale - probably my second favorite barley wine in the world... but it's in first place for barley wines I want to drink large quantities of. As is the case with the much bigger JW Lees Harvest Ale, the often under-appreciated big hop contributions are key to this beer. My admiration for this beer has grown over the years.

 

What distributor? I get some really good deals at the one I go to buy those are crazy.

Enjoy

 

Poet's Walk! A fantastic beer. @zid knows what's up

 

I also have a second bottle set aside . This one was an anomaly and, sadly, I doubt I'll see any others from this series

 

Wait, a pastry barley wine??? Please tell me more!

No, I take that back. I'm already at the open Tavour crates & exploding beer budget.

Also a British barleywine fan. #barleywineIsLife