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Styles · English Barleywine

Beer style · BJCP 2021 17D

English Barleywine

Strong British Ale

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

Original gravity
1.080–1.120
Final gravity
1.018–1.030
Bitterness
35–70 IBU
Color
8–22 SRM (16–43 EBC)
Alcohol
8.0–12.0 % ABV

What it is

The largest of the traditional British ales, built on layers of caramel, toffee and dark fruit with a full, sometimes syrupy body. Hops balance rather than lead, and age turns it vinous and sherry-like.

Flavor

What a English 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

Room for floral, earthy/woody or herbal.

Malt

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

Fermentation

Fruity esters and clean.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What English 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.

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 79 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.