Barley Wine

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The colour ranges from amber to dark brown. Barley wine is never very light. Its colour is influenced by the abundant use of malts, including a significant amount of dark malts, to ensure a robust flavour and aroma that matches its deep colour.

What is Barley Wine?

Barley wine, a strong and long-aged ale, gets its name from its wine-like alcohol content and lengthy maturation period. Despite these similarities, it is undeniably a beer.

Barley wine is a full-bodied, malty beer with flavours that may include caramel, fruit, and/or port wine notes. Its sweetness can be balanced with a greater quantity of hops, but this is optional and depends on personal taste.

There are two main types of barley wine: American barley wines, which are hoppier, and English-style barley wines, which are maltier.

Origin Story

In Ancient Greece, a fermented grain beverage was referred to as barley wine. Greek historians Xenophon (430–354 BC) and Polybius (200–118 BC) mentioned it in their writing. At that time, barley wine did not contain hops.

Modern barley wine, however, traces its roots to mid-19th-century Central England. The original (modern) barley wine was strong, high in sugar, and heavily hopped. According to legend, barley wine was created to satisfy the English aristocracy’s desire for strong beverages as an alternative to wine. It was typically sold in small bottles and advertised as both a tonic and a medicine.

The first beer to be marketed as barley wine was "Bass No. 1 Barley Wine", by Bass & Co Brewery, at around 1870.

Over time, numerous versions of barley wine have emerged, varying in hop content, strength, and maltiness. The two primary styles are English and American barley wines.