Barley wine

The colour of barley wines ranges from a translucent deep amber, to cloudy mahogany (left), to an almost opaque black (right).

Barley wine or Barleywine is a beer style of strong ale originating in England. The first beer to be marketed as Barley Wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870.^[1] In ancient Greece it was known as "κρίθινος οἶνος" (krithinos oinos), "barley wine"^[2] and it is mentioned amongst others by Greek historians Xenophon in his work Anabasis^[3] and Polybius in his work The Histories, where he mentions that Phaeacians kept barleywine in silver and golden kraters.^[4]

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.

Until the introduction of amber coloured Whitbread Gold Label in the 1950s, British barley wines were always dark in colour.

The Anchor Brewing Company introduced the style to the United States in 1976 with its Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale.^[5]

Writer Michael Jackson referred to a barley wine by Smithwick's thus: "This is very distinctive, with an earthy hoppiness, a wineyness, lots of fruit and toffee flavours." He also noted that its original gravity is 1.062.^[6]

Martyn Cornell has been quoted as saying "no historically meaningful difference exists between barley wines and old ales." He later clarified, "I don’t believe there is actually any such meaningful style as 'barley wine'".^[7]

The highest strength Belgian beer 'Bush' has often been said to resemble a barley wine rather than more traditional Belgian styles.^{[citation needed]}

Style statistics

• Original gravities: 1.080-1.120 (English & American Style)
• Alcohol: 8.0-12.0 percent
• Bitterness: 35-70 (English Style) & 50-120 (American Style) IBU (International Bitterness Units)
• Colour: 8-22 (English Style) & 10-19 (American Style) SRM (Standard Reference Measure); 24-48 EBC (European Brewery Convention)

See also

• Old ale

References

External links

• CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) description of Barley Wine