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Strong American Ale / 22C

American Barleywine

Certified Beer Server Candidate Style Profile

Official BJCP guideline sections attached for full style exploration.

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Certified Beer Server Certified Cicerone® Advanced Cicerone® BJCP Beer Judge Entrance Exam
Source
BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines

Overall Impression

A very strong, malty, hoppy, bitter American ale with a rich palate, full mouthfeel, and warming aftertaste, suitable for contemplative sipping.

Aroma

Strong malt and hop aroma dominates. Hops are moderate to assertive, showing a range of American, New World, or English characteristics. Citrusy, fruity, or resiny are classic attributes, but others are possible, including those from modern hops. Strong grainy, bready, toasty, light caramel, or neutral malt richness, but typically not with darker caramel, roast, or deep fruit aspects. Low to moderately strong esters and alcohol, lower in the balance than the malt and hops. Intensities fade with age.

Appearance

Color ranges from amber to medium copper, rarely up to light brown. Ruby highlights common. Moderately-low to large off-white to light tan head; may have low head retention. Good to brilliant clarity but may have some chill haze. The color may appear to have great depth, as if viewed through a thick glass lens. Legs possible.

Flavor

Similar malt and hop flavors as the aroma (same descriptors apply). Moderately strong to aggressive bitterness, tempered by a rich, malty palate. Moderate to high hop flavor. Low to moderate esters. Noticeable alcohol, but not solventy. Moderately low to moderately high malty sweetness on the palate, with a somewhat malty to dry but full finish. Age will often dry out the beer, and smooth out the flavors. The balance is malty, but always bitter.

Mouthfeel

Full-bodied and chewy, with a velvety, luscious texture, declining with age. A smooth alcohol warmth should be noticeable, but shouldn’t burn. Carbonation may be low to moderate, depending on age and conditioning.

Vital Statistics

IBU
50 - 100
SRM
9 - 18
ABV
8% - 12%

Commercial Examples

  • Anchor Old Foghorn
  • Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale

Similar Styles: How to Tell Them Apart

Use these guideline-based sensory contrasts to organize comparative tasting practice.

These strong American ales overlap in modern hop aroma, firm bitterness, alcohol, and pale-to-copper color. Double IPA is the driest, lightest-bodied, and most hop-dominant; American Strong Ale puts caramel-rich malt and hops into closer balance; American Barleywine is strongest, fullest, richest, and designed for sipping.

Compare with: 22A. Double IPA; 22B. American Strong Ale

By aroma

  • American Barleywine has strong malt and hop aroma, with grain, bread, toast, or light caramel carrying more weight than in Double IPA.
  • It is richer and usually stronger than American Strong Ale while avoiding that style's darker caramel, roast, or chocolate possibilities.

By taste

  • American Barleywine is full-bodied, chewy, velvety, and noticeably warming, making it the clearest sipping beer of the trio.
  • Aggressive bitterness and moderate to high hops remain important, but a rich malty palate and more residual sweetness distinguish it from Double IPA.
  • Greater strength and malt depth separate it from the more evenly balanced American Strong Ale.

Quick tell: Full chewy body, warming strength, rich malt, and firm American hops identify American Barleywine.

These strong, full-bodied sipping ales share rich pale-to-amber malt, fruit, warming alcohol, and low-to-assertive hops. English Barleywine leans toward British malt, fruit, and age complexity; American Barleywine is more bitter and hop-driven; Wheatwine puts bready wheat and sleek texture first with lower bitterness.

Compare with: 17D. English Barleywine; 22D. Wheatwine

By aroma

  • American Barleywine combines strong grainy, bready, toasty, or light-caramel malt with assertive American, New World, or English hops.
  • It is usually paler and less deeply malty-fruity than English Barleywine, but much more hop-focused than Wheatwine.

By taste

  • American Barleywine is always bitter, with moderately strong to aggressive bitterness and moderate to high hop flavor against a rich palate.
  • It has more hop emphasis than either English Barleywine or Wheatwine and usually less dark caramel or dried-fruit depth than the English style.
  • Full body and warming alcohol keep it a sipping beer despite its strong American hop signature.

Quick tell: Aggressive bitterness and American hop character over rich full-bodied malt identify American Barleywine.

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