Barleywine
A very strong, rich, malty ale of dark fruit and caramel that ages like wine.
About the Barleywine style
The barleywine is an English tradition of very strong ale, named to signal a beer with the strength of wine. It is rich, complex and warming, brewed to be sipped and cellared.
The English style is malt-focused with dark-fruit and toffee notes; the American version, which grew from it, adds a large citrusy hop character. Both age for years, mellowing and developing sherry-like depth.
Grain, hops and yeast
Malt and grain: A very large pale-malt base with crystal malt for deep caramel and dark-fruit flavour.
Hop character: High in the English style for balance, higher still and more citrusy in the American style.
Yeast and fermentation: An alcohol-tolerant ale yeast capable of fermenting the very high gravity while leaving richness.
A typical Barleywine runs 8 to 12% alcohol by volume, with a bitterness of about 35 to 70 IBU and a colour of 10 to 22 SRM. It is traditionally served in a snifter. These figures describe the usual range for the style; a given example may sit a little outside them.
Yeast and fermentation notes
Pitch a very large, healthy dose of an alcohol-tolerant ale yeast and oxygenate the wort well, since the huge gravity is stressful. Ferment in the high teens to low twenties Celsius and give the beer a long conditioning and age to smooth its strength.
Serving in brief
Serve a barleywine warm, around 12 to 14 degrees Celsius, in a snifter, with a low to moderate carbonation, and pour small measures. It is a beer to cellar and sip, improving over years as its alcohol mellows and its flavours deepen.
Classic examples
Well-known commercial examples of the style include Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Fuller's Golden Pride and Anchor Old Foghorn. Tasting a benchmark example is the best way to understand what a style should be before brewing your own.
| Vital statistic | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Origin | England |
| Strength (ABV) | 8 to 12% |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 35 to 70 |
| Colour (SRM) | 10 to 22 |
| Traditional glass | Snifter |
Typical published ranges. Individual examples vary.
Pick the yeast for a Barleywine
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Sources: BJCP Beer Style Guidelines