FFF Behemoth will be out soon. It's a little hop forward, but hides the booze very well. I stock up every January as it is one of my favorite barleywines.
I am in complete agreement with the brother. I last had it in 2010 at my bachelor party and have been trying to get ahold of it ever since. This quest will consume the rest of my life. J.W. Lees is another great one, though. Start there if you can.
Dogfish Olde School is good Southern Tier Backburner- a bit hoppy, but sweet enough to balance it out. Heavy Seas Below Decks- not hoppy, but maybe a little boozy Anchor Old Foghorn- one of my favorites New Holland Pilgrims Dole- its a wheatwhine, tastes close enough to a barleywine would avoid sn bigfoot. incredibly hoppy and bitter.
Not a fan of the style at all, and I know it's been said but Bell's Third Coast Old Ale was pretty bangin
+1 to FFF Behemoth. Troeg's Flying Mouflan Great Divide Old Ruffian Nogne Sunturnbrew (boozy but great) Avery Samael's Ale (boozy but great) Hantverksbryggeriet Baronen I wouldn't recommend Avery's Hog Heaven as DelMontiac did earlier because it's probably the hoppiest barleywine I've ever had.
If there's anything awesome about my *literally* neighborhood 7-11, it's that turnover is exceptionally low on really expensive craft beer. While the shelves of the local BevMos and Total Wines are being stocked hard on the 4-pack 2013 Bigfoots, I just bought, minutes ago, another sixer of the 2012.
This. I found Big Foot to be a bit to harsh the first time I had. Third Coast is great. Pretty well balanced. Not too malty (I can't stand barleywines that are too syrupy-sweet.) Also if you can get it Three Floyds Behemoth is awesome. More akin to a dipa though.
trudat. The other one you might try that you can get up in Wi is Southern Tier Backburner. Also New Holland wheat wine is good and a slightly different style. weyerbacher blithering idiot also good besides the insanity which is a barrel aged version if BI. If you like the barleywines you would probably like the weyer quad or the barrel quad -- blasphamy. Any of these if you can grab some and just put them away for a while they will mellow out a bit...
Stone Old Guardian, Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot or Insanity, DFH Olde School. I also thoroughly enjoyed Mendocino's barley wine.
English Barleywines in general tend to be less hoppy than American Barleywines. Jw Lees is a gold standard and many places have multiple vintages/varieties on the shelf at any given time. Also, although significantly more difficult to obtain, Mother of All Storms is incredible.
Weyerbacher Blithering Idiot - A nice English-style barleywine with big dark fruit notes and minimal hops. Alesmith Old Numbskull - A little hoppy, but definitely a lot of caramel malts to balance it out, and finishes sweet. A little boozy though. Southern Tier Backburner - Another more English-style traditional barleywine, sweet malts and candied dark fruits. Most barleywines are boozy...if you can't stand the 'heat', so to speak, get out of the kitchen. There are more than a few maltier barleywines, but barleywines by nature are high alcohol beers.
I second the recommendation of Old Numbskull- fantastic beer. Also Pretty Things Our Finest Regards if you live in the new england area.
Ah, almost forgot Flying Mouflan, although it is a little hoppy. It has more chocolate notes than any barleywine I've ever had, but the hops play a significant role in that beer. It's one of my favorite beers of all time.
Buy some Central Waters BBBW when it comes out in a month or two, squirrel it away. Then try some of the suggestions the fine folks here have given you. With a year on it the BBBW is fantastic, it's what got me into the barleywine style. Living here in Cheesehead land we don't have access to the top shelf stuff (MOAS, Sucaba, etc.) without a trade, but with the Cental Waters BBBW and Y2K readily available you won't miss it too much. In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, I've got a cold one in the fridge I'm going to enjoy now... gg PS - anybody try the current Y2K yet?
If you can get your hands on a year old Doggie Claws, drinking that will remind you why people love barley wines. Also gonna add another vote for Old Foghorn - you'll be in malt heaven.
Agree with the other folks that point out English is definitely "more malty" than American style. "Less boozy" is a bit harder to nail down as most barley's are gonna be high abv. But an aged English should fit the bill. I'll add to the JW Lee's Harvest suggestions. Landed some 2002 vintage last year and this was just amazin...toffee, butterscotch, so freakin smooth. Insanity, Sucaba, MOAS, are mind blowing. Given your criteria for less boozy, you may want these with some age on em. Not a comment on individual taste, but given your criteria I would disagree with many of the American style suggestions like Avery Hog Heaven (I really dig this beer but it's a hop monster). Just had a 1 year old Doggie Claws and again, I dig this beer but it's still hop forward. Olde School fits the malty bill but though it's mellow for a 15%'er, well it's 15% (oldest I've had is a 2 year old so guessin a few years will even tame this beast). Most importantly, have fun tryin em all!
American BW: ST Backburner Troegs Flying Mouflan Stone Old Guardian GD Old Ruffian SN Bigfoot Bell's Third Coast Old Ale English BW: Hoppin' Frog BANE Flying Dog Horn Dog
I'll keep an eye out, I'd ship you one just to see the review. I want everyone to experience the same misery I went through. It could be the new Triple Bock.
