What's your Favorite Barleywine

What's your favorite Barleywine?

I've had a bunch and personally, i'm gonna have to go with Brooklyn's Monster Ale. Altho, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot is excellent as well.

Both good example's of english style barleywines....which i prefer over american style barleywines which tend to be really hoppy and don't accent the malt as much, eg. SN Bigfoot

I'm not a huge fan of barleywines, as a general rule. I agree, typically they are SO hoppy and (I can't believe I'm saying this) too malty.

One that I gave a whirl just this weekend that floored me was Lagunitas' Hairy Eyeball. As I've said, not a fan of barleywines, but this is now on my favorite beers of all times list. Give it a whirl!

I have never been a huge fan of barley wines but... A friend who is brought over a bottle of Old Stock ale 2009 cellar reserve aged in bourbon oak barrels and man - I think I may have to make some - especially given it was something like $20 for a small bottle.

Barleywine to a perfection without aging would be Southern Tier Backburner Delicious!

Bigfoot I cant take it fresh but once it's aged at least a year it mellows out to a really nice beer.

Blithering Idiot I'm not a fan of but I got some cellaring to see how that turns out.

Saint Arnold Divine Reserve #10 for me. I've got about 20 bottles left and it gets better every time I have one, usually special occasions, or a really great meal.

Couple of favorites:

Lagunitas Olde Gnarly Wine
Great Divide Old Ruffian
Blue Point Old Howling Bastard
Bigfoot

cimirie said:

I'm not a huge fan of barleywines, as a general rule. I agree, typically they are SO hoppy and (I can't believe I'm saying this) too malty.

One that I gave a whirl just this weekend that floored me was Lagunitas' Hairy Eyeball. As I've said, not a fan of barleywines, but this is now on my favorite beers of all times list. Give it a whirl!

Click to expand...

Is it really hoppy? Or does it tasty more malty and sweet?

Daver77 said:

Barleywine to a perfection without aging would be Southern Tier Backburner Delicious!

Bigfoot I cant take it fresh but once it's aged at least a year it mellows out to a really nice beer.

Blithering Idiot I'm not a fan of but I got some cellaring to see how that turns out.

Click to expand...

ST is def my favorite brewery and i've had the back burner, and it's good, just wish it was a little less hoppy and that it was sold in 12 oz bottles instead of just $8 bombers.

McMalty said:

ST is def my favorite brewery and i've had the back burner, and it's good, just wish it was a little less hoppy and that it was sold in 12 oz bottles instead of just $8 bombers.

Click to expand...

All that hoppiness starts to subside with age. It mellows nice although I like Backburner just the way it is.

cimirie said:

I'm not a huge fan of barleywines, as a general rule. I agree, typically they are SO hoppy and (I can't believe I'm saying this) too malty.

One that I gave a whirl just this weekend that floored me was Lagunitas' Hairy Eyeball. As I've said, not a fan of barleywines, but this is now on my favorite beers of all times list. Give it a whirl!

Click to expand...

Is Hairy Eyeball a barleywine? I think it's an American strong ale. But either way, i want to try it now

GD Old Ruffian for me. Nothing better than that stuff on tap from the brewery

Southern Tier Backburner is probably my favorite.

Sierra Nevada's 30th Black Barleywine is also fantastic.

Anchor's surprised me because it was different from others i'd had. very bourbon, deep malt.

I'd say most recent was 2009 Old Guardian and 2009 Founders Nemesis. I have not yet opened the 2010 OG. I have heard it is not as good as the 09 which is a bummer since I can pick it up here for $5.99.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

If you liked the NC old stock reserve bourbon aged you'll like my favorite barleywine, angel's share by lost abbey.

Sleepy Dog St. Bernardus

Only BW I've tried actually

Rogue Old Crustacean!

A couple weeks ago I had a 2010 and 2011 Bigfoot from siera Nevada and honestly liked the 2011 better, I like hops though so that may be it but I'm not really sure

Had old crustacean at a brew fest a while back and loved it, by far my favorite, but I only had 4 oz and it was the first barleywine to my knowledge

I recently had one at Iron hill brewery, I don't recall the original name, but they were now calling it "the old situation", it had been aged since 2004. It was damn tasty.

JollyIsTheRoger said:

A couple weeks ago I had a 2010 and 2011 Bigfoot from siera Nevada and honestly liked the 2011 better, I like hops though so that may be it but I'm not really sure

Had old crustacean at a brew fest a while back and loved it, by far my favorite, but I only had 4 oz and it was the first barleywine to my knowledge

Click to expand...

That's bc hops lose approximately half of their characteristics over a year. So the 2011 is gonna be more hoppy, and since u like hoppy, thats prob why u like the 2011 more

That was my guess, not sure how fast it faded though

Stone Old Guardian

Santa Fe Brewing's Chicken Killer, Lagunitas Ole Gnarleywine, Stone Old Guardian, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and Real Ale Sisyphus...I LOVE the super hoppy brews that have the malty backbone to support 'em

TANSTAAFB said:

Santa Fe Brewing's Chicken Killer, Lagunitas Ole Gnarleywine, Stone Old Guardian, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, and Real Ale Sisyphus...I LOVE the super hoppy brews that have the malty backbone to support 'em

Click to expand...

i'm the opposite of you, i want to taste almost no hops in my barleywine and i want it to be really malty, therefore i prefer english style BWs

JollyIsTheRoger said:

That was my guess, not sure how fast it faded though

Click to expand...

according to Mosher, it's approx 50% loss per year, so the more you wait, the less hop you will taste

Just re-visited Flying Dog Horn Dog BW, it's better than i remember. perhaps b/c i've been on a bw kick and i've been comparing a bunch, i'd say horndog is just barely my #2 right now, right behind monster ale and before blithering idiot