Better Know a Beer Style: English Barleywine

Style 19B: English Barleywine
This is the biggest, richest, and maltiest of English beers. It can appear anywhere from gold to a dark amber or brown, with a low off-white head with poor retention from the alcohol. The aroma is strongly malty with caramel-like malts that can include bread, toast, toffee, or molassess and strong fruitiness. The hops aroma can vary from mild to strong and the alcohol may be low to moderately evident. If aged, the aroma can take on a sherry character.

The flavor, of course, hits on the same malty notes to make for a complex mixture of nutty, biscuit, bready, or caramel malts, along with toffee or molasses. The fruity esters often have a dried fruit character. Really, this beer can envelope nearly any strong malt flavor. The flavor should be moderately sweet at the least and can be accompanied by complex alcohol flavors. The hops can range from balancing to strongly bitter with similarly strong, typically UK flavors. Low to no diacetyl.

This style should feel chewy and full-bodied, with a velvety smooth texture and alcohol warmth. Carbonation should be low to moderate and body can decline with age. Compared to an American barleywine, there will be less emphasis on hops and darker, maltier, and fruiter.

The ingredients use well-modified pale malts as the backbone with a large component of caramel malts. Dark malts should be used sparingly, as most color comes from the long boil. Examples of appropriate English hops are Northdown, Taret, EKG, and Fuggles. An English yeast with great character is also preferred.

OG: 1.080-1.1020+
FG:1.018-1.030+
IBU: 35-70
SRM: 8-22
ABV: 8-12%+

Case Study: Rock Art Brewery Ridge Runner

Certainly an interesting barleywine. At first it comes off like a really big, or double, ESB, as it has very bready and biscuity malt flavors as opposed to the more traditional big, fruity malt. The balance also clearly tips toward the big, grassy, earthy hops here, making it feel more American in bitterness. My only complaint is that the mouthfeel is a little thin and watery at times. The hops do a good job of keeping the drinkability up, in a nice hoppy way. Worth a try if you like ESB's, big English hops, and something different for a barleywine.