STYLES can sometimes be confusing in beer, if not the names attached to certain categories, and then the sheer amount of them can be hard to keep track off.
Barley wine is one of those styles which has been round for a long time, but which has proved tricky to define.
For a start, it has the word 'wine' in it, which is of course going to throw some people. That's a nod to the strength of some such beers, which can swing anywhere between nine and 12 per cent.
The one I landed on last week clocked in at a hefty 11 per cent and was Red Right Hand by Brehon Brewhouse.
Now, among some of the sketchy origins of barley wine, both the characteristics of the beer and the name itself, is the notion that English aristocrats of the 18th century used to have it brewed so they could still serve their guests a high-quality, boozy accompaniment to dinner whenever wine imports were impacted by their habitual barneys with the French.
Those origins leant an exclusivity and rarity to barley wines, but it's good to know that you can pick up a 500ml bottle of Red Right Hand for about £2.50 at your local well-stocked off licence.
Disputes over what constitutes a barley wine extend to the look of it, with some of the more hop-crammed American varieties being paler in colour than the dark ales of the more traditional English style.
Red Right Hand tends much more towards the darker end, pouring a deep red colour in the glass with a slight off-white head.
Although it has the look of a dark ale, one other important characteristic of a barley wine is that it doesn't have roasted malt, so there are none of those roasty aromas and tastes. It uses pale malt and achieves that dark hue through ageing.
What you get, therefore, is a boozy and sweet beer which can lean towards sherry at times. This one is aged in bourbon barrels, so you get a smooth and warming feel along with a sweet, slightly treacly flavour, with hints of raisin too.
Some barley wines can be dominated by a big, boozy hit which can dominate other flavours, but in Red Right Hand, the high ABV contributes more to a gentle, cosy warming feel. The strength is hidden well and allows those deep flavours to come through.
