Barley wine
Strong ale with alcohol level similar to wine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barley wine is a strong ale from 6–12% alcohol by volume.[1]
| Barley wine | |
|---|---|
Barley wines range in colour from translucent deep amber, to cloudy mahogany (left), to near opaque black (right). | |
| Country of origin | England |
| Yeast type | Top-fermenting |
| Alcohol by volume | 6–12% |
| Color (SRM) | 8–22 (English) 10–19 (American) (24–48 EBC) |
| Bitterness (IBU) | 35–70 (English) 50–120 (American) |
| Original gravity | 1.080–1.120 |
| Final gravity | 1.018–1.030 (English) 1.016–1.030 (American) |
| Malt percentage | 100% |
History
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The first beer to be marketed as barley wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870.[2]
The Anchor Brewing Company introduced the style to the United States in 1976 with its Old Foghorn Barleywine Style Ale.[3] Old Foghorn was styled as "barleywine" (one word) out of fear that the occurrence of the word "wine" on a beer label would displease regulators.[4] In 1983, Sierra Nevada Brewing released Bigfoot Barleywine, becoming the second barley wine label in the United States.[5]
Characteristics
Barley wine typically reaches an alcohol strength of 6 to 12% by volume and is brewed from specific gravities as high as 1.120; equal to 320g/L of sugars. Use of the word "wine" is due to its alcoholic strength similar to a wine, but since it is made from grain rather than fruit, it is a beer. Breweries in the United States typically release it once a year during the autumn or winter.[5]
The two primary styles of barley wine are the American, which tends to be hoppier and more bitter, with colours ranging from amber to light brown[6] and the English style, which tends to be less bitter and may have little hop flavour, with more variety in colour ranging from red-gold to opaque black.[7][8] An amber-coloured barley wine under the name Gold Label by the Sheffield brewery Tennent's was introduced in 1951.[9]
Beer 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.[10]
Barley wines, such as Thomas Hardy's Ale, are sometimes labelled with a production date, as they are intended to be aged, sometimes extensively.[11]
Taxes and legal impediments
Many jurisdictions have different taxing schemes for potables based upon alcohol content. Since barley wine has a high alcohol content, it is, in some jurisdictions, taxed at a higher rate than other beers.[12]
