I have been brewing for 4 years now. During that 4 years I have written at least 6 recipes for a Barleywine, but never pulled the trigger. It's not that I am afraid of the style. It's that I am not too sure that I wanted a full 5 gallons of it. Sometimes I really love Barleywines, sometimes not so much. The beer that defines the American Style tastes like garbage fresh... yes, Bigfoot, I'm looking at you! Overly bitter, grassy, astringent, like chewing on hop cones, overlaying tangy caramel malt and a little roasted dryness. I really enjoy the lower IBUs and bolder malt character of English Barleywines, but thus far in my brewing career, I have failed to make an outstanding British beer of a lower gravity, making a bigger one isn't really what I wanted to do (too much money and time invested). So, for this one, when I finally pull the trigger, I went for a blend. Malt complexity, toffee, toasty, and lots of bold American hops. All of this layered over enough bitterness to balance and clear the pallate, but not so much that it is the only thing you can taste. I chose a yeast with character and a medium attenuation to keep it from drying out too much, and to add an extra layer of complexity. I am hoping that this beer will age gracefully for quite a few years.
