Barley Wine

History

Though no specific date associated when beers of the nature of what we today call Barleywine, the beer has its roots in the Farmhouse brewing practiced throughout Europe and the British Isles. Often producing more than one brew from a single mash, the heftiest first runnings were boiled separately to yield the biggest beers. This left the mash to be re-infused with brewing liquor for the brewing of smaller beers of lower gravity. Some breweries still use this practice known as the parti-gyle system.
In 1854 the Burton firm of Bass, Ratcliff, and Gretton began producing a Strong Burton Ale, also known as No. 1, and the emergence of barley wine as a distinct style. Bass identified its ales with numbers back then, with the larger numbers signifying beers of lesser gravity. No. 1 was then the indication of the strongest ale the brewery produced. It should be noted that the numbering only implied a relative strength of beer from a single brewery - and not any particular strength. By 1903, the words Barley Wine appeared on the label.
Just as a note, dark beers affexed a 'P' prior to the number, ranging from P1 (Imperial Stout) to P6 (Porter).
The No. 1 was also emblazoned with a red diamond, differentiating it from the famous red triangle of Bass Pale Ale. These two geometric figures were the first two registered trademarks in the late 1870's.
The history of Barleywine is intermixed with the styles of "old", "strong", and "stock ale". Today, these terms have more contemporary and distinct meanings. In the past, the styles tended to simply mean the strongest and biggest a brewery had to offer. Historically, it would be difficult (if possible) to untangle the styles. The strong alcohol and hops allowed the beer to be stored for a long time. Storing for years even had the benefit of gradual melding and improvement of the flavors over time. "Old" referred to a beer's age. "Strong" obviously referred to the high alcohol. And as the beer could be stored like provisions or stock, it also was known as "Stock Ale".
These beers were often used for blending, to lend more character and complexity to more ordinary beers. Sometimes they were simply thinned to produce more of a lesser beer.
In the twentieth century, both pale and traditional dark barley wine was common in Britain. British wartime rationing of malt and taxation based on original gravity took its toll on really strong beers. Adherence to the style began to deteriorate and led to only a few producers within the U.K. Bass maintained the quality of the style, but discontinued production of Barley Wine in 1995.
Modern commercial examples of Barley Wine include: Anchor Old Foghorn, Sierra Nevada Bigfoot, Redhook, Boulder, Rogue Old Crustacean, Young's Old Nick, and U.K.'s Fuller's Golden Pride.

Characteristics

The richest and strongest of ales, alcoholic, full-bodied, and generally low carbonation. This is a sipping beer. Many feature characteristics that are estery, fruitiness, and well aged (as much as 25 years). The natural maltiness and sweetness is balanced with high hop bitterness. American versions tend to be very hoppy and alcoholic, while British versions are less so.

Statistics	O.G.: 1.085 .. 1.120, averaging toward the high side F.G.: 1.024 .. 1.032 IBU: 50 .. 100, British fall on the lower end, American at the upper end of the scale Alc.: 8.5 .. 12.2 % (by volume) Color: 14-30 SRM, ranging from rich gold to very dark amber
Water	pH: 4.1 .. 4.6
Malt	Well-modified British pale ale malt is the more traditional choice. Domestic, German, or Belgian pale malts will also make an excellent beer. A mixture of light and amber malts extracts will give color in the desired range. Even sugar can make up to 15% of extract. Crystal malt is not necessary due to the large amount of pale malt. Only use roasted malts if you are trying to achieve an imperial Russian stout. Infusion mash at 150 .. 155 degrees (F) to create a wort with high fermentation.
Hops	For classic British style, English hops such as Fuggle and Kent Goldings are the best choice, especially for aroma and dry hopping. For American style, try Cascade and Columbus for aroma. Late hop additions and dry hopping will add complexity. (Note: high gravity worts have lower hop utilization rate, so you may need to use more hops than usual).
Yeast	Attenuative ale yeast (ferments wort thoroughly) with high alcohol tolerance is best. (E.g. Liquid Wyeast 1056 (American ale). Mixing varieties often creates a more interesting beer. Some brewers will use a wine yeast (e.g., Pasteur Champagne yeast has given good results). Aerate wort well & pitch an especially large volume of yeast. Ferment at 58 - 70 degrees (F) (Note: age for at least 2 months before bottling. 1/2 cup of priming sugar should be sufficient for carbonization)