A style of strong ale originating in England. It dates back to 18th and 19th century when England and France had been waging wars and the English were expected to drink ales instead of French claret. Use of the word wine is due to its similar alcoholic strength as a wine, but since it is made from grain rather than fruit, it is, in fact, a beer.

The first beer to be marketed as barley wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870. Barley wine was quite strong, ranging from 10% to 12%, and had to be stored for long periods of time - about 18 to 24 months.

There are two primary styles of barley wine: the American which tends to be more hoppy and thus more bitter with colours ranging from amber to light brown, and the English style which tends to be less hoppy and thus less bitter with more variety in colour ranging from red-gold to opaque black. Barley wines can have massive sweet malt and ripe fruit flavours of the pear drop, orange and lemon type, with darker fruits, chocolate and coffee if darker malts are used. Hop rates are generous and produce bitterness and peppery, grassy and floral notes.