Barley wine

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Barley wine or Barleywine is a style of strong ale originating in England in the nineteenth century (derived from the March or October beers of the 18th century) but now brewed worldwide. The first beer to be marketed as Barley Wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1900. The term "barley wine" had been used before in other contexts, for example in translations of Xenophon's Anabasis.

Characteristics

A barley wine typically reaches an alcohol strength of 8 to 12% by volume and is brewed from specific gravities as high as 1.120. It is called a barley wine because it can be as strong as wine; but since it is made from grain rather than fruit, it is in fact a beer. In the United States, barley wines are required for this reason to be called "barley wine-style ales." Though this could be taken by some to imply that they are not truly barley wines; in fact it only means that they, like all barley wines, are not truly wines.

Its natural sweetness is usually balanced with a degree of hoppy bitterness, though traditional English barley wines often have far less bitterness than their American counterparts.

This beer is meant for slow sipping and savouring of its fruity, high-alcohol and well-aged character. It is brewed often to celebrate events and the high levels of both hops and alcohol allow some barley wines to be aged for years, much like wines.

Most barley wines range in colour from amber to deep reddish-browns. Though until the introduction of Whitbread Gold Label in the 1950s, British Barley Wines were always dark in colour.

Style statistics

Original gravities: 1.090-1.120;
Alcohol: 8.5-12 percent;
Bitterness: 50-100 IBU (International Bitterness Units);
Color: 24-48 EBC (European Brewery Convention)

Examples

Canada

Olde Deuteronomy from Alley Kat Brewing Company
Solstice d'été from Dieu du Ciel
St-Ambroise Vintage Ale from McAuslan Brewing Company
Burlywine from Half Pints Brewing Company

Ireland

Smithwick's Barley Wine from Diageo

England

Bass No 1 Barley Wine from White Shield Brewery (brewed occasionally)
Bodger's Barley Wine from Chiltern Brewery
Elizabethan Ale from Harvey's
Gold Label from Whitbread
Golden Pride from Fuller's
Old Nick from Young's
Old Tom from Robinson's
Samuel Smith's Strong Golden Barley Wine from Samuel Smith, Tadcaster
Thomas Hardy's Ale from O'Hanlon's, Devon

New Zealand

Enigma from The Twisted Hop

Norway

Dark Horizon from Nøgne Ø

Sweden

Nils Oscar Barley Wine from Nils Oscar Bryggeri och Bränneri

United States

Old Guardian from Stone Brewing Company
Monster Ale from Brooklyn Brewery
Old Horizontal from Victory Brewing Company
Olde School from Dogfish Head Brewery (15% abv)
Third Coast Old Ale from Bell's Brewery
Bigfoot Ale from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Old Crustacean from Rogue Ales
Old Foghorn from Anchor Brewing Company

References

External links

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) description of Barley Wine

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Last updated on Sunday July 06, 2008 at 04:08:23 PDT (GMT -0700)
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