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November
1998 Volume 21, Issue 11
Style of the Month
Big Beers
Old Ales, Scotch Ales, & Barley Wines
Taken from the
National Homebrew Competition Style Guidelines
1. Barley Wine
a) English-Style Barley Wine
Tawny copper to dark brown in color with a full body and high residual
malty sweetness. Complexity of alcohols and fruity-ester characters is often high and
counterbalanced by the perception of low to medium bitterness and extraordinary alcohol
content. Hop aroma and flavor may be minimal to medium, and use of English hop varieties
is typical. Low levels of diacetyl may be acceptable. A caramel and vinous aroma and
flavor are part of the character. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Original Gravity (°Plato) |
Final Gravity (°Plato) |
% Alc./Wt. (Alc./V.) |
IBUs |
SRM (EBC) |
1.085-120 (21-30.0) |
1.024-32 (6-8) |
6.7-9.6 (8.5-12.2) |
50-100 |
14-22 (28-43) |
- b) American-Style Barley Wine
Tawny copper to dark brown in color with a full body and high residual
malty sweetness. Complexity of alcohols and fruity-ester characters is often high and
counterbalanced by the perception of medium to assertive bitterness and extraordinary
alcohol content. Hop aroma and flavor may be medium to very high, and use of American hop
varieties is typical. Low levels of diacetyl may be acceptable. A caramel and vinous aroma
and flavor are part of the character. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.
Original Gravity (°Plato) |
Final Gravity (°Plato) |
% Alc./Wt. (Alc./V.) |
IBUs |
SRM (EBC) |
1.085-120 (21-30.0) |
1.024-32 (6-8) |
6.7-9.6 (8.5-12.2) |
50-100 |
14-22 (28-43) |
10. English- and Scottish-Style Strong
Ale
- a) English-Style Old Ale/English-Style Strong Ale English Old Ale/English
Strong Ale - Strong and Very Strong
Amber to mid-range brown in color, English strong ales are medium to
full bodied with a malty sweetness. Hop aroma should be minimal and flavor can vary from
none to medium in character intensity. Fruity-ester flavors and aromas can contribute to
the character of this ale. Bitterness should be minimal but evident and balanced with malt
and/or caramellike sweetness. Alcohol types can be varied and complex. A distinctive
quality of these ales is that they all undergo a prolonged aging process (often for years)
on their yeast either in bulk storage or through conditioning in the bottle which
contributes to a rich, often sweet and complex estery character. This process often
softens the perceived bitterness. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.
Original Gravity (°Plato) |
Final Gravity (°Plato) |
% Alc./Wt. (Alc./V.) |
IBUs |
SRM (EBC) |
1.055-125 (13.8-31.5) |
1.010-40 (2.5-10) |
4.2-8.9 (5.3-11) |
24-80 |
8-21 (16-42) |
- b) Strong Scotch Ale
Scotch ales are overwhelmingly malty and full bodied. Perception of hop
bitterness is very low. Hop flavor and aroma are very low or nonexistent. Color ranges
from deep copper to brown. The clean alcohol flavor balances the rich and dominant sweet
maltiness in flavor and aroma. A caramel character is often a part of the profile. Fruity
esters are generally at medium aromatic and flavor levels. A peaty/smoky character may be
evident at low levels. Low diacetyl levels are acceptable. Chill haze is allowable at cold
temperatures.
Original Gravity (°Plato) |
Final Gravity (°Plato) |
% Alc./Wt. (Alc./V.) |
IBUs |
SRM (EBC) |
1.072-85 (18.0-21.3) |
1.016-28 (4-7) |
5.2-6.7 (6.6-8.5) |
25-35 |
10-25 (20-49) |
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