OneDropSoup
Well-Known Member
Short answer: old ales are old & barleywines are strong. Two different dimensions for basically the same thing.Paging OneDropSoup
From everything I've read, the difference is just that Old Ales are generally slightly lower in ABV.
Long answer: http://zythophile.co.uk/2010/09/14/so-what-is-the-difference-between-barley-wine-and-old-ale/
EDIT: Kind of like saying that fast cars & vintage cars are two different kinds of cars. This is just my understanding, & I'd be curious to hear ZachBrewGentlemen or brewgentlemen's take.