Barleywine Suggestions

You won't have to wait this year.

 

I actually don't know if I see Sebago anywhere! Any style, I mean.

 

I can't accept that 'English' barleywine is a 'style', and one distinct from 'American' barleywine. It sounds rather silly to me. When did American beer lovers (it always seems to be the Americans) invent this distinction?

 

Sucaba

Big Foot

Behemoth

 

Flying Dog Horn Dog and Bigfoot.

 

Alesmith Old Numbskull is heavenly, IMHO.

 

Weyerbacher Insanity, CW BA Barleywine (all their BA stuff is fantastic and very competitively priced), and the obvious ones: BCBBW, Bigfoot. I really want to try Lagunitas Gnarleywine.

 

Great info thanks BA's.

 

Until it makes its return, keep an eye out for their Hairy Eyeball Much more of an English barleywine/old ale than Gnarleywine, but still nicely hopped fresh and very delicious. Cheers!

 

I'm going to guess that the American version was created when craft beer caught on back around 1990. Silly? Kind of. But I think that there is a distinct difference to most people so that it is very easy to like one and dislike the other. I personally like the English-inspired ones, and I really don't care for the American version.

 

No. $14.99

 

I just got a notice. My original thread was deleted. Reason? "Crying about moderation. Lame." (<-- their words)

Hey, BA, I started a post about barleywines that asked for suggestions from the whole country. It was moved into the New England-specific thread, where it did not belong. I called you "bozos" (does this term offend you?) and asked to be changed back. So you called my request lame and claimed I was crying? Classy.

 

I loved BA brick Kiln by Jackie O's

 

If you can get your hands on a Thomas Hardy....there is none better. Age them as long as you can stand it. They change and improve over time. I've had them as old as 20-25 years. They don't produce them any longer, so be prepared to pay if you're lucky enough to locate any.

I sampled Dogfish Head Olde School last night and really liked it, but am planning on buying a few to age.

J.W. Lees was also highly recommended to me, but mine will be shelved for a few years before tasting.

 

I'm guessing that it was only very recently that Americans started talking about English and American barley wines being distinct styles. It would be absurd to call the extinct Bass No. 1 an 'English style' barley wine, as it was the one and only beer to be called barley wine. Like other dodgy styles (quadrupel, tripel etc...), it started off as being the name of a beer (we should be able to call any strong beer 'barley wine'). But as well as this, one should question whether the fact that a beer has a few more hops or a bit more alcohol makes it a distinct style. But yes, the flavouring of new world hops suits the tastes of many today...

 

This is simply conjecture, but I have a feeling DFH Olde School would be a candidate for prolonged aging. They do good by this.

Samael by Avery is technically an English bw, no?

 

Like Fuller's ESB and Fowler's Wee Heavy which were also specific names for just one individual beer.

 

The Bernese from Thirsty Dog is one I don't see mentioned too much and is very, very tasty. Smooth too.

The Central Waters BA Barleywine was awesome and Stone Old Guardian is an old standby, though I'm sure those have both been mentioned numerous times. Great time of year for the barleywines!

 

Sucaba is worth every penny, and the only beer I have given a 5!

 

To the point of individual beer names being subsequently used to describe styles, I don't really see an issue unless the first brewer wants legal tradename protection. Using a term like that gives you an idea of what is going to be in your glass to a much better extent than simply using a term like ale.

By extension, I don't think it is "absurd" to call Bass No. 1 an English style barleywine. But I agree the use of the term originates recently. Sure, it made no sense to call it that when it was the only beer with that term actually in the name or when the only barleywines made were either actually from England or made in pretty much the same style. However, once American brewers started making beers in a similar style but using new ingredients that definitely result in a different category of beer, I think it made sense to retroactively apply the name so people are clear as to what the beers are/were like.

It wasn't the only choice. They could have chosen to call the newer American style beers flibberdiggibets and just called the old style barleywine, with no need to specify English style. But they didn't, and I can't say I think it is a problem.

I think this even though I often argue old ales, strong ales and barleywines are really just different names for beers that are within one broad style. I mean it's language talking about beer, not arithmetic proofs. As long as what we say helps us understand one another rather than making communication more confusing, I think it is mostly okay. A lot depends on the comtext of the exact conversation.