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Styles · American Barleywine

Beer style · BJCP 2021 22C

American Barleywine

Strong American Ale

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.080–1.120
Final gravity
1.016–1.030
Bitterness
50–100 IBU
Color
10–19 SRM (20–37 EBC)
Alcohol
8.0–12.0 % ABV

What it is

The American answer to the English barleywine: the same rich caramel and dark-fruit malt weight, but with far more hop bitterness, flavor and aroma. Fresh examples are brash and resinous; cellared ones fade toward sherry and toffee.

Flavor

What a American Barleywine should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Citrus and resin/pine, with room for tropical, floral, earthy/woody or herbal.

Malt

Grainy, caramel and sweet/honey, with room for bready/biscuit, toasty or dark fruit.

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What American Barleywine has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 42 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 50 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.