#BiL – That’s “Barleywine Is Life” for anyone that hasn’t ran across this growing trend in craft beer. While I typically have a hard time taking any hashtag seriously, there seems to be some momentum behind this new found love for barleywines.
While some have loved barleywines for years, this beer style has been gaining traction over the past year or so but I didn’t give it much attention. Partially because there were not many barleywines being offered by my local breweries and because I had not previously enjoyed the style.
The latter reason was probably because I had mainly tried the American Barleywine which is different than the English Barleywine – more on that next.
And I now realize that I should have included Barleywine Is Life in my 2018 Craft Beer Predictions as is seems like we’ve just started to uncover the popularity of this style.
What Is A Barleywine
A great place to start is with an understanding of the style. From there, we can better understand why this trend is becoming so popular.
I’ll spare you the entire history lesson but what you need to know is that barleywine is not wine. However, the naming convention was created to help make this type of beer more appealing to those that drank wine.
The term was first used in the 18th century as a way to market the strength, nutritional value and quality of this beer to wine lovers.
At it’s core, a barleywine is an English strong ale. And like most beer styles, Americans have put their own twist on it. So there is a difference between American Barleywines and English Barleywines:
English Barleywine:
- Appearance: Ranges from deep gold to dark amber to brown.
- Aroma: Malt, caramel, dark fruits and possible alcohol.
- Flavor: Layers of malt, toast and caramel or toffee. Often very sweet and possibly dry. Alcohol is present but not harsh.
- ABV: 8% – 12%
- IBUs: 35 – 70
American Barleywine:
- Appearance: Ranges from light amber to copper or brown and may have red highlights.
- Aroma: Rich malt with aggressive hop character depending on the hops used.
- Flavor: Rich sweet malt and noticeable bitterness. The hop flavor/bitterness should be stronger than the malt. Alcohol is present but not sharp.
- ABV: 8% – 12%
- IBUs: 50 – 120
So comparing the two versions of Barleywine, you’ll notice that the American version is aggressively hopped while the English is not. This is quite common in American versions of many other beer styles as well.
My preference is typically the English Barleywine as the sweet, malty characteristics are exactly what I want from this beer style.
Craft Beer Spotlight: Sierra Nevada Bigfoot American Barleywine
What Is #BiL?
More or less, to say something “Is Life” is to say that you are a devoted fan of that person, place or thing. It is as if that thing is what gives that person a reason to live.
So one might say; “Family Is Life” or “Basketball Is Life”. The examples are numerous and varied. It’s obviously a hyperbole but it gets the point across.
For long term Barleywine fans, this is their way of announcing their favorite style. Many feel that Barleywine is often overlooked compared to stouts, IPAs and sours.
But the #BiL trend isn’t always used seriously. Some use it sarcastically as many use it as a source of poking fun at the entire idea of craft beer.
That’s right, craft beer fans recognize that we take this a little too serious some times and “Barleywine Is Life” is a way we can recognize when we’ve taken things too far.
In the end, it’s just beer, right?
Top American Barleywines According To Beer Advocate
Top English Barleywines According to Beer Advocate
The Reasons #BiL Is A Thing
Quick disclaimer, I like barleywines – especially the English version. After enjoying a few that were barrel-aged, I am going to seek them out more often.
I think the “Barleywine Is Life” trend is worth dissecting to understand the real reason that people are seeking these beers more often.
High ABV
Craft beer fans love high ABV beers. While this doesn’t represent everyone, you have to admit one of the first things you look for after the style is the ABV.
It matters and barleywines are often double digit.
Limited Availability
Next to ABV, craft beer fans love the beers that are hard to get. And while some barleywines are readily available, many are special releases.
We love beers that are in short supply; there’s something about scarcity that makes the beer taste better.
Sweet Craft Beer
Beer drinkers are falling in love with super sweet beers. From “pastry” stouts to fruit-forward New England IPAs, we’ve developed a taste for beer that put sweetness above bitterness.
While the American Barleywine has considerable hop character, there is still the sweet malt in there. And the English barelywine imparts a huge sweet, malty character that gets richer as the ABV increases.
Barrel-Aged
While maintaining their original flavors, these beers also add in deep, rich flavors from the spirits and barrel. This adds to the complexity and often the ABV of the beer.
And therefore; barrel-aged Barleywines are even more popular than the base beer.
Cellaring / Aging
Barrel-aged or not, Barleywines age very well. The American version will see the hop character mellow over time.
All versions will see rich flavors evolve that are full of sweet dark fruits and often compared to a port wine profile.
Craft beer fans love holding onto beer for years to see how it is evolves and Barleywines are some of the best to try this with.
Boredom / FOMO / Whatever You Want To Call It
What I love about craft beer is the ability to try something new whenever I want. New flavors and variations on styles are continually available. Trends come and go which gives us all something new to chase.
Much of this helps push innovation as every brewery strives to stay relevant. However, as craft beer consumers, we are often quick to move to the next fad.
It wasn’t long ago that we all lined up for barrel-aged stouts but that seemed to fade as the New England IPA became the latest and greatest. And the Barleywine is trying to edge into that demand.
Some are bored and move to the new trend while others have FOMO (fear of missing out) and grab some of every limited release that they can. But there’s no denying there will be a time that it gets replaced by the next greatest thing.
Learn More About Aging / Cellaring Craft Beer
Barleywine Is Life . . But Is It Your Life?
Barleywine isn’t a new style but there’s a definite resurgence in it’s popularity. And for good reason, these beers are really good.
The deep, rich malt sweetness is often unparalleled by other styles. Add in some boozy alcohol notes and you’ve got a craft beer that customers will line up for.
But these beers are not for everyone; especially the American Barleywine. If you aren’t a fan of big hoppy flavors then you’ll want to try the English style first before giving the American version a try.