We interrupt this weeks 🍺 Thirsty Thursday 🍺 to put rocky montages on repeat and shout CHAMPIONS until we sound like Sylvester Stallone.
WE HAVE A THIRST FOR GOOD BEER & KNOWLEDGE
So what the smeg is it, actually? Basically, a Barleywine is a strong, malt-forward ale. It’s called a “wine” because they hit you hard, between 8% and 12% abv (yeah, you might want to be sitting down for that one). Unlike a good vino, however, there’s no fruit in em! They are made using our favourite - you guested it, Barley! So it’s a beer. A big beer!
“Based on that, a lot of your special releases should be called a bloody barley wine” we hear you say? But Barleywine is a legit style, with a rich history and nailing one is a complete art-form. There are two distinct sub-styles.
English style, which you expect to see darker in colour (but not always), less bitter and not really showing many hops. Loaded with lots of caramel, biscuit and specialty malts, they are rich and decadent, with the layers of malt complexity the hero.
Then you have the American style (which Alive is). They tend to be hoppier and lighter in colour. Finding that balance between loads of sweet malt character and the solid hop flavours is the key here.
Barelywines are a brewers playground. They get to experiment with all kinds of cool techniques, barrel aging, specialty malts, enormous hop loads, and not give a royal proverbial about the ABV (except for that proverbial “the tax man”).
ALIVE! Using 10 malts. 10 hops. 10 barrels. It has layers of malt complexity, with rye, biscuit, oats, toasted oats, chocolate, wheat and chocolate wheat flavours, matched with heaps of US hops in Chinook, Cascade, Centennial, Simcoe, Citra, Mosaic, Idaho, and a few southern friends in Waimea, Galaxy and Motueka. It’s a modern interpretation with the dank and citrus hops playing nicely with all the malts. Providing texture and viscosity is the fresh fill Bourbon Barrels sitting in the background. We left it sit for only a few months in barrel because Danny was impatient and kept stealing tasters.
Sounds like a Barleywine to me.
Buckle up for wine deep dives this 🍺 Thirsty Thursday 🍺. Discussing Amber Wine and it's rich, delicious history.
It's A Veritable Zoo. With the release of our latest Zoo V-14 Golden Sour, we thought it fitting to centre this 🍻 Thirsty Thursday 🍻 on the...
Turning your attention to one of our Core Range favourites, let's talk Peaches this 🍺 Thirsty Thursday 🍺, our Sour Beer representative that's here to stay.