Barley Wine

[dohertyd]

I'm looking at making a barley wine early next month, and aging it to give as Christmas gift(s) next year. Should I bottle this in regular 12-ouncers, or go with a larger bottle?

[Push Eject]

I tend to bottle my barleywines in 7 oz bottles. Especially good for stretching those 5 gallons out for more gift giving.

Ollie

[Liquid Blur]

Hey All,
Ok guys. I'm always hearing about this !@#$ barley wine and am interested in seeing what's what with it. Guess I'll have to check it out. Are there any commercial barley wines that I could try out? About how long does it take to age? Sorry for sounding so ignorant on the subject but you guys have always been the best source of info on subjects that I know absolutely nothing about. Thanks Guys,
LB

[Push Eject]

...is one of my favorites. There are lots of others out there worth trying, however.
As for homebrew; I age mine for at least a year.

Ollie

[dohertyd]

Rogue Old Crustacean is very good. Most barley wine recipes that I've seen recommend that you age at least a few months.

[Gravity Thrills]

I agree with the panel, Bigfoot and Old Crustacean are outstanding. Anchor's Old Foghorn is also very nice. Flying Dog makes a decent barley wine (Old Scratch, I think). Young's Old Nick is a good British example you can probably get your hands on - this one was my first experience with a barley wine back in college, and I consumed the better part of a 6-pack before realizing just how high-octane the style is ('hic!').

The Granddaddy of them all is the lost and lamented Thomas Hardy Ale from Eldrige and Pope, Dorchester. If you have a good beer store near you and you are willing to shell out 10-12 bucks for a 7 oz. nipper, you may be able to find vintages of this beautiful beer from as much as 10 years back or more. The old brewer at EP maintained that Hardy did not come into its own until it was laid down for at least 3 years, and hit its peak at 6 years. I had a 1989 vintage at about 8 years of age and it was among the beer highlights of my life, so they remain drinkable for years if well cared for. I shared with a couple friends a mid-90s vintage and another well-aged Brit barleywine from Manchester on Christmas Eve and it was quite nice.

I have brewed ales to an OG putting them at the low end of the barleywine spectrum, but I have never had the patience to age them for more than a couple of months. Curiously, I can lay down commercial examples for a couple of years without jumping the gun (1999, 2000, 2001 Bigfoot's on the new Year's Eve roster tonight!). I need to learn how to lay down cases of homebrew and just forget about them until they're at their peak.

Cheers,
Jim

[dartedplus]

I made one at the beginning of the year. I tried a bottle at 6 months...not even close to being ready!!! I had the opportunity to try a homebrewed b'wine when I still lived in albany. A guy came into the local HB store with samples, and I guess I was in the right place at the right time. He had used the recipe in the NCJof Homebrewing (Papazians Colonel Coffin's B'wine{pp 244-5}) it was 5years olg and INCREDIBLE!!! So i made some, except i made a wheat wine (51% wheat) so if his was that perfect at 5 years, then I will wait too. I stuck it waaaay back on a shelf where i cant see it, and that pretty much works for me. out of sight out of mind.

later,
Ed