The hearty English Barleywine is one of the oldest, strongest, and richest beer styles. Its cousin, the American Barleywine, is very similar but with greater emphasis on hop bitterness. The name of these brews derives from being the alcoholic equivalent of wine but made from barley. Recently another cousin to Barleywine also has been popular, Wheat Wine, with many of the same characteristics but with at least 50 percent wheat malt in the brewing mash. Historically, until the recent advent of the ubiquitous imperial styles with elevated levels of bitterness and alcohol, Barleywines were the most powerful of ales.
Although there is some evidence of earlier brewing, the first recorded Barleywine was Bass No. 1 Barley Wine in 1903. The bottle described it with "the character of a rare wine." The first American version was the legendary Anchor’s Old Foghorn in 1975, a beer that is still being brewed.

Barleywines need a large brandy snifter to enjoy the full aroma and sip the rich contents. They can be aged for several years, imparting a smoothness and mellowness, while rounding out their sharp edges and developing a complex blending of flavors. Barleywines have rich and strongly malty aromas, often with notes of caramel, fruitiness, especially dark fruits, and mild to moderate hops. Aromas can include low to medium alcohol. These aromas tend to fade with age as sherry and port-like qualities emerge and often dark fruits come to the forefront. Flavors are usually strong, intense and complex with a wide palate that can include nutty, toast, biscuit, caramel, toffee, and/or molasses. They have a moderate to high malt sweetness but may finish with dryness. Often there is a moderate to high dried-fruitiness.
Hop bitterness ranges from mild to somewhat bitter. Barleywines are usually full-bodied and chewy with a velvety texture. A smooth alcoholic warmth should be present but balanced. Alcohol ranges from 7-15 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) with 35-70 International Bittering Units (IBUs).

English Barleywines described above place less emphasis on hop character than American Barleywines and can be darker, maltier, and fruitier. They also feature the milder English hops while American Barleywines feature more intense citric and bitter flavors. American Barleywines have 50-120 IBUs which contribute, along with the alcohol, to a very long finish.
The highest alcohol American Barleywine is Dogfish Head’s Olde School at 15.0% ABV. The highest IBU American Barleywine is Avery’s Hog Heaven at 104 IBUs. Some available Barleywines are: Old Foghorn (Anchor Brewing, San Francisco, CA, 8.2% ABV); Bigfoot (Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, CA, 9.6% ABV); Blithering Idiot (Weyerbacher Brewing, Easton, PA, 11.1% ABV); Olde School (Dogfish Head Brewery, Milton, DE, 15% ABV); JW Lees Harvest Ale (JW Lees Brewery, Manchester, UK, 11.5% ABV); Horn Dog (Flying Dog Brewery, Frederick, MD, 10.2% ABV); Heavy Seas Below Decks (Clipper City Brewing, Baltimore, MD, 10.0% ABV); Duck-Rabbit Barleywine (Duck-Rabbit Brewing, Farmville, NC, 11.0% ABV); Hog Heaven (Avery Brewing, Boulder, CO, 9.2% ABV).