Strong ale
American Barleywine
The biggest beer in the American family: intense caramel and toffee malt against an assertive American hop bitterness that fades over years of ageing.
Vital statistics
Each bar is drawn against the full range of all 98 styles
Original gravity
1.080 - 1.120
1.080 - 1.120
Final gravity
1.016 - 1.030
1.016 - 1.030
Bitterness
50 IBU - 100 IBU
50 IBU - 100 IBU
Colour
10 SRM - 19 SRM
10 SRM - 19 SRM
Alcohol
8% - 12%
8% - 12%
Colour also 20-37 EBC
What goes wrong
Drinking it young. Hot alcohol needs time, and the beer at six months is a different drink from the beer at two years.
Commercial examples
Reference examples of the style, as listed in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Availability varies by market and year.
Vital statistics as published in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Not yet checked against the published guidelines: treat these ranges as a planning aid and read the source at bjcp.org before entering a competition.
Plan a batch to these numbers.