How To Brew American Barleywine: Boldness and Complexity in This Hearty Ale
American Barleywine began to take shape on the shores of the United States in 1975 thanks in large part to Anchor Brewing Company. Sierra Nevada followed up with their own version called Bigfoot in 1983.
While the first barley wine was brewed in England some hundred years prior, the style took off in America. Often the Barleywine is the strongest beer in a taproom these days.
The American barleywine is big and bold beer that carries a hoppiness and bitterness much greater than its predecessor.
As the story goes Sierra Nevada had their barleywine analysed in the lab. When the lab called Sierra Nevada and told them their beer was “too bitter,” Sierra Nevada said, “thank you.”
With alcohol strength reaching eight to twelve percent by volume and brewed with a specific gravity as high as 1.120, the barleywine reaches strengths close to wine.
No doubt about it, this beauty of a style is brewed from grain and not fruit and is a beer through and through. However, much like wine, a good Bareleywine gets better with age.
The true beauty or art of this style is the balancing act a brewer must play when trying to delicately harmonize the malty sweetness with the bitter hoppiness. With an IBU range high of one-hundred IBUs, it is one of the most bitter beers in the BJCP styles guidelines.
Some commercial examples that exemplify the style include: Avery’s Hog Heaven Barleywine, Anchor’s Old Foghorn, Great Divide’s Old Ruffin, Rogue’s Old Crustacean, Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot, and Victory’s Old Horizontal.
Style Profile for American Barleywine
Appearance
American barleywines are light amber to medium copper in color with ruby highlights. There is a moderate-low to large off-white to light tan head.
Due to the high alcohol content, there may be low head retention. Clarity is good. Alcohol level and viscosity may present “legs” when the glass is swirled.
Aroma
The hop aroma can be moderate to assertive, with mostly citrusy or resiny notes of American or New World hops. Moderate to bold malt presence supports the high hop profile with a medium to dark caramel, bready backbone.
Low to moderately-strong fruity esters and alcohol aromatics. Alcohol aroma subsides with age. Hops are equal to malt in aroma.
Flavor
Strong malt presence with a very noticeable and balanced hop flavor and bitterness. Moderately-low to moderately-high malt sweetness with a finish that can be sweet to quite dry. Hop bitterness ranges from moderately strong to aggressive.
High hop flavor usually ranges to American or New World hop varieties. Low to moderate fruity esters. Noticeable alcohol presence. Flavors will smooth out and decline over time. Any oxidized character should be muted and masked by the hop character.
May have some caramel malt flavor or some bready characteristics, but not very high. Roasted or burnt malt flavors are inappropriate.
Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and even chewy with a velvety texture. Alcohol warmth should be noticeable but smooth. Beer should not be syrupy and under-attenduated. Carbonation may be low to moderate, depending on age and conditioning.
Food Pairing
American Barleywines pair well with bold, robust meals such as sweet, rich caramelized flavors like roasted duck, pork chops, Mexican dishes, smoked brisket, pizza, beef stew, Italian sausage, and finally pasta with a rich marinara sauce.
Tips for Brewing your own American Barleywine
Grain
A starting point for the base grain is Maris Otter. I know this is supposed to be an American style Barleywine. However Maris Otter will give wonderful bready notes that will work well with this style.
A touch of Vienna will add the small amount of spice that American 2-Row just can’t offer. Some twelve ounces of Victory and Special B will amp up the toasty and dark-caramel flavors that are needed for the style.
Some flaked barley, about a pound, will give the beer a solid mouthfeel and aid in head retention.
Hops
American hops really should be showcased in this beer. A traditional bittering charge at 60 minutes is a nice place to start with your hop schedule. Something like Chinook or Simcoe will give the beer a nice bitterness.
After bittering hops, the sky’s the limit with how much or little hops you want to add. Cascade, Citra, Columbus, Centennial, Amarillo, Simcoe, Warrior, Mosaic, or Chinook are always a good way to start when thinking about the hop schedule.
Hopping with New World hops like Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin or any of your favorite hops from New Zealand or Australia will work here too.
Dry hopping is very common with the style and encouraged to extract more hop aroma and flavor in your beer.
Yeast
The yeast for a double IPA should be well attenuating strain with a clean, neutral character.
Some options include: While Labs California Ale (WLP001), California Ale V WLP051, Wyeast American Ale 1056 or Northwest Ale 1332. Imperial Yeast’s selection of yeasts are also a good choice.
A18 Joystick, A20 Citrus, A24 Dry Hop are only a few of the wonderful yeasts produced by Imperial Yeast.
American Barleywine By the Numbers
- Color Range: 10 – 19 SRM
- Original Gravity: 1.080 – 1.120 OG
- Final Gravity: 1.016 – 1.030 FG
- IBU Range: 50 – 100
- ABV Range: 8.0 – 12.0%
American Barleywine Recipe
Grain
- 37 % 7 lbs. Maris Otter
- 37 % 7 lbs. Vienna Malt
- 11 % 2 lbs. Biscuit Malt
- 5 % 1 lb. Caramel 80L
- 5 % 1 lb. Flaked Barley
- 5 % 1 lb. Sugar; Corn Dextrose
Hops
- 1.00 oz Galena – Boil – 60 min
- 1.00 oz Cascade – Boil – 5 min
- 1.00 oz Northern Brewer – Boil – 5 min
Yeast
- 1.0 pkg American Ale Wyeast #1056
Directions
- Mash at 152°F (66°C) for 60 mins
- Boil for 60 mins
Save this for Later
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the key distinction between American Barleywine and traditional English Barleywine in terms of brewing?
When brewing, the American Barleywine and traditional English Barleywine exhibit differences in their hop profiles.
The American Barleywine tends to have a pronounced hop bitterness and aroma, often employing American hop varieties which contribute to its distinctive character.
On the other hand, the English Barleywine emphasizes a malt-forward profile with lesser hop bitterness, often using English hop varieties.
In the realm of barley wine beers, how does the bitterness of American Barleywine compare?
American Barleywine is known for its robust hop bitterness among barley wine beers. With an IBU (International Bitterness Units) often reaching up to 100, it aligns with or surpasses many IPA (India Pale Ale) beers, known for their hoppy bitterness.
This bitterness in the American Barleywine beer is contrasted with a strong malty backbone which balances the beer, making it a unique offering in the barley wine beer category.
Among the hops used in the American Barleywine recipe, which ones are crucial for its characteristic taste?
The American Barleywine recipe specifies the use of Galena, Cascade, and Northern Brewer hops. The Galena hops are used for bittering, imparting a clean bitterness to the beer.
Meanwhile, the Cascade and Northern Brewer hops added later in the boil contribute to the aroma and flavor of the American Barleywine beer, providing a blend of floral, citrus, and earthy notes.
These hops are crucial in achieving the distinctive hop character of American Barleywine while balancing the strong malt flavors.
What role does each grain play in the American Barleywine recipe?
In the American Barleywine recipe, the grains form the base for the beer providing essential sugars for fermentation.
The Maris Otter and Vienna Malt make up the bulk of the grain bill, contributing to the beer’s body and malt character. The Biscuit Malt adds a toasty, biscuity flavor while the Caramel 80L imparts color and a caramel sweetness.
Flaked Barley contributes to the beer’s body and head retention. Lastly, Corn Dextrose is used to boost the alcohol content without adding excessive body to the beer.
How does the American Barleywine recipe ensure the desired beer profile is achieved?
The American Barleywine recipe outlines a process that begins with mashing the grains at 152°F for 60 minutes to extract the sugars necessary for fermentation.
The subsequent 60-minute boil not only sterilizes the wort but also provides the stage for hop additions, which are crucial for achieving the desired bitterness and hop aroma characteristic of American Barleywine beers.
The specified hops are added at different times during the boil to control the bitterness and aroma profile, ensuring a well-balanced American Barleywine beer at the end of the brewing process.
Former President of my homebrew club, Plainfield Ale and Lager Enthusiasts (PALE) in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL. I brew on my BIAB system with my incredibly patient and understanding wife, adorable 9 year old daughter, and 12 year old brew dog.
