Barleywine

Barleywine is BIG beer. It is wine made from barley and other grains, as the name suggests. The alcohol is 8% by volume or higher. To achieve such a high level of alcohol, the brewer uses massive amounts of malt. American brewers tend to combine this with massive amounts of hops. Englsh version tend to be fruity and sweet. The American versions tend to be flavor explosions combining a big malt taste with loads of bitter hops.

Barleywine ages well due to its high alcohol content. With age the flavors mellow and evolve and the hops tone down.

Some of my favorites are J. W. Lee's Harvest Ale, Great Divide Old Ruffian, and Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale. Harvest ale is English. The version aged in calvados casks is a beer in my current top 10 list. It is a sticky sweet sipper packed w/ flavor. Old Ruffian and SNBFBW are super malty hopbombs. SNBFBW may be the most flavor per dollar in any beer.