It is also easily the most misunderstood major style of beer, exceeded only by Steinbiers and Kvieks and Grisettes and oddities like those, of largely foreign origins.
In my now thirty years in the beverage trade, here are a few of the explanations I’ve heard, first-hand of what “barleywine” means:
“It’s beer that fermented with wine yeast.”
“It’s beer that’s partially blended with wine.”
“It’s a beer but not a beer because the alcohol level makes it a liquor.”
“It’s another term for a weaker brandy.”
“It’s a form of barrel-aged Stout, mixed with grain alcohol.”
“It’s a beer made from a base of alcohol, instead of water.”
“It’s made from grapes and then distilled, like Grappa, and then is aged with barley and hops.”
These are just a few.
Want to read more? Please click… HERE!!!