American Barleywines were an early tell of the American brewing trend that would come to dominate recipes: take a European style, brew it with cleaner yeast, then add a ton of citrusy, piney, resinous American hops. The first brewery to venture into this category was Anchor, who in 1975 brewed their Old Foghorn for the first time. It was bottled first in 1976, and has remained one of the classic examples ever since.
Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada, whose Pale Ale largely seeded the industry we know and love today, followed shortly after Anchor with Bigfoot Barleywine. Sierra Nevada's Bigfoot is still produced in open fermenting square vessels to this day, a throwback to earlier techniques.
American Barleywine developed in the United States as American craft brewers sought to create their own interpretation of English barleywines with American hops and cleaner yeast.
These beers age incredibly well, as evidenced by Sierra Nevada printing the bottling year on the cap. They have become winter/holiday seasonal staples for many breweries and age beautifully over years.
Color ranges from light amber to medium copper, may rarely be as dark as light brown. Often has ruby highlights. Moderately-low to large off-white to light tan head with possible low head retention. May show "legs" when swirled in a glass.
Hop character moderate to assertive showcasing citrusy, fruity, or resiny New World varieties. Rich maltiness with character that may be sweet, caramelly, bready, or fairly neutral. Low to moderately-strong fruity esters and alcohol aromatics.
Strong, rich malt flavor with noticeable hop flavor and bitterness in balance. Moderately-low to moderately-high malty sweetness on palate with hop bitterness ranging from moderately strong to aggressive. Moderate to high hop flavor with New World hop characteristics. Low to moderate fruity esters with noticeable alcohol presence.
Assertive citrusy, piney, resinous hop character balanced by rich malt sweetness. Strong caramel and bready notes support complex hop profile.
Fruity esters from fermentation. Vinous or sherry-like character may develop with age. Complex alcohol warmth integrates smoothly.
Long, lingering finish with balanced hop bitterness and malt sweetness. The hop character persists but should not be harsh. Some bready or caramelly malt lingering.
Serve in a snifter glass at 52ยฐF. These beers benefit from aging and can be cellared for years. Age a few bottles for vertical tasting.
Overall Impression: A well-hopped American interpretation of the richest and strongest of the English ales. The hop character should be evident throughout, but does not have to be unbalanced. The alcohol strength and hop bitterness often combine to leave a very long finish.
Aroma: Hop character moderate to assertive and often showcases citrusy, fruity, or resiny New World varieties (although other varieties, such as floral, earthy or spicy English varieties or a blend of varieties, may be used). Rich maltiness, with a character that may be sweet, caramelly, bready, or fairly neutral. Low to moderately-strong fruity esters and alcohol aromatics. However, the intensity of aromatics often subsides with age. Hops tend to be nearly equal to malt in the aroma, with alcohol and esters far behind.
Appearance: Color may range from light amber to medium copper; may rarely be as dark as light brown. Often has ruby highlights. Moderately-low to large off-white to light tan head; may have low head retention. May be cloudy with chill haze at cooler temperatures, but generally clears to good to brilliant clarity as it warms. The color may appear to have great depth, as if viewed through a thick glass lens. High alcohol and viscosity may be visible in "legs" when beer is swirled in a glass.
Flavor: Strong, rich malt flavor with a noticeable hop flavor and bitterness in the balance. Moderately-low to moderately-high malty sweetness on the palate, although the finish may be somewhat sweet to quite dry (depending on aging). Hop bitterness may range from moderately strong to aggressive. While strongly malty, the balance should always seem bitter. Moderate to high hop flavor (any variety, but often showing a range of New World hop characteristics). Low to moderate fruity esters. Noticeable alcohol presence, but well-integrated. Flavors will smooth out and decline over time, but any oxidized character should be muted (and generally be masked by the hop character). May have some bready or caramelly malt flavors, but these should not be high; roasted or burnt malt flavors are inappropriate.
Mouthfeel: Full-bodied and chewy, with a velvety, luscious texture (although the body may decline with long conditioning). Alcohol warmth should be noticeable but smooth. Should not be syrupy and under-attenuated. Carbonation may be low to moderate, depending on age and conditioning.
Comments: Sometimes known as "Barley Wine" or "Barleywine style ale" (the latter due to legal requirements, not brewery preference).
History: Usually the strongest ale offered by a brewery, often associated with the winter or holiday season and vintage-dated. As with many American craft beer styles, derived from English examples but using American ingredients and featuring a much more forward hop profile. One of the first American craft beer versions was Anchor Old Foghorn, first brewed in 1975. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, first brewed in 1983, set the standard for the hop-forward style of today. The story goes that when Sierra Nevada first sent Bigfoot out for lab analysis, the lab called and said, "your barleywine is too bitter" – to which Sierra Nevada replied, "thank you."
Characteristic Ingredients: Well-modified pale malt should form the backbone of the grist. Some specialty or character malts may be used. Dark malts should be used with great restraint, if at all, as most of the color arises from a lengthy boil. New World hops are common, although any varieties can be used in quantity. Generally uses an attenuative American ale yeast.
Style Comparison: The American version of the Barleywine tends to have a greater emphasis on hop bitterness, flavor and aroma than the English Barleywine, and often features American hop varieties. Typically paler than the darker English Barleywines (and lacking in the deeper malt flavors) but darker than the golden English Barleywines. Differs from a Double IPA in that the hops are not extreme, the malt is more forward, and the body is fuller and often richer. An American Barleywine typically has more residual sweetness than a Double IPA, which affects the overall drinkability (sipping vs. drinking).
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.080 – 1.120 IBUs: 50 – 100 FG: 1.016 – 1.030 SRM: 10 – 19 ABV: 8.0 – 12.0%
Commercial Examples: Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Anchor Old Foghorn, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Rogue Old Crustacean, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Victory Old Horizontal
Well-modified pale malt backbone, specialty or character malts, dark malts used with restraint (as most color arises from lengthy boil), New World hops in quantity, attenuative American ale yeast.
Attenuative American ale yeast for clean fermentation profile.
Varies, but typically adjusted to balance the high hop and malt character.
Single infusion mash with enough malt to drive gravity quite high.
A single infusion mash is typical, with enough malt to drive the gravity quite high. IBUs should be high with finishing hops for massive American citrus, pine, and resin aroma. Fermented with clean American yeast and sometimes aged in bottles or barrels.
At the Pub: Scotch Egg
Casual date: Charcuterie, focused on big blues like stilton or bayley hazen
Swanky date: Braised wild boar shanks with soy/sugar reduction
Big blues like Stilton or Bayley Hazen Blue
Scotch egg, braised wild boar shanks with soy/sugar reduction, hearty stews
Rich chocolate desserts, caramel treats, dark fruit pastries
Vermont Common
New: Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner, and Nico Muhly: Planetarium
Old: George Gershwin, Rhapsody in Blue
Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine, Anchor Old Foghorn, Great Divide Old Ruffian, Rogue Old Crustacean, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Victory Old Horizontal
Some beers just weren't meant for cocktails…it'd be like making an old fashioned with 20-year-old Pappy.
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