What Is Barleywine? Learn How Barleywine Is Made

Barleywine, or barleywine ale, is an alcoholic beverage endemic to several world cultures. In North America, the term “barleywine” usually refers to a beer that is highly hopped, has high-ABV (alcohol by volume), or has been brewed with high-gravity wort containing many solids.

A typical barleywine bursts with malted barley sweetness that’s balanced by an intense hop bitterness. Brewers often age barleywine in oak barrels repurposed from liquor fermentation. Most barleywine packs a serious wallop of booze, with an alcohol content that matches and even exceeds some grape-based wines.

The ancient Greeks drank a fermented beverage that mimicked wine in terms of alcohol content but was made from barley instead of grapes. Modern barleywine traces its roots to the early twentieth century, when the UK-based Bass brewing company slapped the term onto the label of a strong, malty ale. The history of American barleywine takes off in the mid-1970s, when breweries like San Francisco’s Anchor Brewing Company began applying the moniker to their intensely-flavored ales with high alcohol levels. Today, many breweries and taprooms include barleywine-style ales in their lineup. They often rank among the booziest, most assertively-flavored items on the menu.

Brewers create barleywine in much the same way that they craft other beer styles. The brew’s unique flavor, strength, color, and mouthfeel owe to four distinct ingredients.

• Grain: Brewers select barleywine grains for their richness and sweetness. They ramp up the total quantity of grain to boost the beer’s “original gravity,” a term that describes the dense wort at the start of the brewing process. By brewing with more solids in the initial wort, brewers make more sugars available for fermentation. More fermentation means more alcohol in the final product. The brewers also choose dark, toasty malts, which impart flavors of chocolate, toffee, caramel, nuts, and bread.
• Hops: Unlike their English counterparts, American-style Barleywines can be quite bitter. Some score over 120 IBUs (international bitterness units). Brewers utilize a wide variety of hops, including some of the most iconic American hops from the Cascade region. Many breweries also include a dry-hopped component to their process, where they add hops after the heating phase of the brewing process. Dry-hopping can add additional flavor and aroma to the finished product, further balancing the deep sweetness of the heavy malts.
• Yeast: American barleywine fermentation requires vigorous yeast strains, strong enough to withstand the high alcohol content of the beer. At the same time, the yeast must be neutral, such that its flavors won’t overwhelm the core characteristics of the finished barleywine.
• Aging: Brewers routinely age their barleywines in oak casks, many of which had a past life as bourbon barrels. This step, which is similar to barrel-aged varieties of wine and liquor, can impart an oakiness to the beer, as well as notes of tannin and smokiness.

Many brewers, from big international players to quirky craft beer breweries, have tried their hand at making barleywines. The results vary widely in quality and drinking experience, and your preference will depend on your own taste. As you begin your barleywine journey, focus on two variations on this beverage.

English barleywine: English barleywine dates to the early twentieth century and serves as the original modern version of the beverage. Some Brits call the drink “strong ale” or “old ale.” Expect beers that are heavy, sweet, and complexly flavored, with fruity esters contributing to the overall flavor profile. British Barleywines tend to be quite light on hop flavor, but they come with a high ABV, so pace yourself.
American barleywine: American barleywine shares many traits with its English counterpart including malt characteristics, ABV and color. To this medley, American barleywine adds intense hoppiness. This hoppy flavor succeeds in counterbalancing the sweetness of barleywine, but it also makes for an even more powerfully flavored beer, which can be overwhelming to those who aren’t used to it. If you enjoy the hoppiness and high alcohol content of American barleywine, you may also enjoy imperial IPAs, which overlap with most barleywine in terms of flavor, high alcohol content, and dark color.

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