It was only until recently that I have come to treasure the intense and colorful depths of barley wine (barleywine). Despite its name, barley wine is no doubt a beer, albeit, a very brawny style, originally made by the English aristocracy who designed it to age, some up to 20 years. It did not arrive to the general public until around the late 1800s because it was much too expensive for a brewery to produce on a commercial scale. Many English brewers had quite the affinity towards French vintners and this led them to create a style of strong ale, so named because many versions had a high alcohol content comparable to wines (8%-14%) of the same period. What transpired was a beverage that featured a big malt, fruity character with a sugary backdrop that warms like a fine sherry or tawny port. Garrett Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery describes the aroma of a 1992 Thomas Hardy (pictured is a 2007 & 1986) as "so beautiful that it makes me want to cry. It contains universes." Stumped for words at the moment, Oliver reaches for comparisons to ‘oranges, raisins, plums, wildflowers, basil, old leather, freshly chopped wood, fallen leaves, black truffles.’ Unfortunately, there is not a single English imported barley wine available in Texas.
With the rise of American brewing ingenuity, barley wine has taken on new heights with a much stronger hop addition than its English counterpart. Adding more hops during the boil of brewing lends more bitterness and aroma when fresh and a deeper tropical fruit character when aged; I prefer most American barley wine fresh. Richly aged barley wines are a perfect accompaniment for Stilton blue cheese, while fresh, hoppy barely wines can compliment with the sharpness of a farmhouse Cheddar. Beer and cheese is simply the better pairing – forget about wine, unless it’s a barley wine.
Hog Heaven Avery Brewing CompanyBoulder, Colorado
averybrewing.com
Appearance: 4.5
Smell: 4
Taste: 2.5
Mouthfeel: 2.5
Drinkability: 4
Overall = 3.35
Pours garnet with dark brown hues and a frothy crown of ecru foam. Fragrances of grapefruit, spearmint, caramel, woody spice, dried orange peel, and juniper berry round the aroma. As the brew warms it releases a pungent, astringent aroma of orange hand soap (GOJO and Fast Orange come to mind), quite awkward and unpleasant. A surprisingly flat taste hits the palate with not much more than light caramel, a nice balanced hop bitterness, and some faint soy sauce in the far depths. This finishes thin, watery and almost bone dry, the fine carbonation holds it together. At times, this brew can be dangerously drinkable because the alcohol sits in the back, undetected. Not quite what I expected from one of my favorite Colorado brewers.
Style: American Barley wine
Alcohol By Volume: 9.25%
Availability : Year Round
Sample Size: 22oz. brown bottle
Pairings: Cheese: Limburger
Cuisine: Cherry Tart, digestive
Glassware: Snifter, Pint
Average Price: $6.49 each
Bigfoot 2009Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Chico, California
SierraNevada.com
Appearance: 5
Smell: 4.5
Taste: 4.5
Mouthfeel: 4.5
Drinkability: 3.5
Overall = 4.5
Amber waves of grain adorn the engaging ruby hued brew with a crown of tan foam. Sugar cookie, caramel, bitter lemon and grapefruit, with intense pine oil hop profile blankets the nose. The taste is very strong of malt then slips into a lip-smacking juicy hoppiness, with citrus rind and a medium dry feel on the palate. When it warms, there is some rum, fruit cake, raisins, and honey in the aroma. After a few sips, the sticky lace clings to the glass beautifully. Bigfoot could age beautifully for 2-5 years, but why wait - grab it now and save a couple for later. I really love this beer!
Style: American Barley wine
Alcohol By Volume: 9.60%
Availability : Limited, yearly special release
Sample Size: 12oz. brown bottle
Pairings: Cheese: sharp aged Cheddar
Cuisine: Cheesecake, chocolate mousse and raspberries
Glassware: Snifter, Pint
Average Price: $11 six-pack
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