Beer Style: English and Scottish Strong Ale
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.’s Sucaba clone
This English-style barleywine from Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, California) is aged in recently emptied Bourbon barrels to pick up flavors and alcohol from the Bourbon. While this beer goes into the barrel around 10% ABV, it comes out above 12%.
Oskar Blues Brewery’s Old Chub clone
Oskar Blues wows malt lovers with this mega-malty Scottish strong ale brewed with a variety of specialty malts (including a touch of smoked malt). It features flavors of cocoa and coffee with just a bit of smoke.
Big Horse Brewing Company: Macstallion Scotch Export Ale clone
“Traditionally brewed with a 3-hour long boil, using two row carafa and roasted barley malt. This produces a deep copper to brown colored brew. Full bodied, with pronounced malty caramel and roasted malt flavor.”
21st Amendment Brewery and Ninkasi Brewing Company: Allies Win the War clone
This collaboration English strong ale came to be thanks to 21st Amendment’s Shaun O’Sullivan and Ninkasi’s Jamie Floyd, who had been friends since brewing together in the 1990s at Steelhead Brewery. Both brewers had won GABF medals for their versions of this style, and decided to brew one together using local ingredients.
Pelican Brewery: Stormwatcher’s Winterfest clone
This barleywine is the winner of numerous awards, including a gold medal at the World Beer Cup in 2012. Features aromas and tastes of toasted malt, toffee, and caramel, with a warming finish.
7 Seas Brewing Company: Wheelchair Barleywine clone
“Brewed slightly differently each year, but typically aged a minimum of eight months, these Barley Wines display a reddish-brown hue and exhibit prominent notes of ripe pit fruit, brown sugar, toffee, and a full-bodied, malty mouthfeel.”
Lake Placid Pub and Brewery: Ubu Ale clone
This English-style strong ale is deep garnet red in color, and features dark fruit and roasted malt flavors, with a slightly bitter finish.
Harpoon Brewery: English Style Old Ale clone
Inspired by the sustaining winter offerings of many English breweries, this complex and malty brew is marked by significant alcohol warmth, balanced bitterness, biscuit/roasted undertones, and sublime mouthfeel.
George Gale & Co.’s Gale Prize Old Ale clone
This opens with a deep caramel apple character with notes of plums and sultanas. The tart fruity finish has hints of raisins and a spiciness lent by the rustic hops. One of the best examples of an old ale on the market.
Paper City Brewery’s Winter Palace Wee Heavy clone
One of the original microbreweries in Massachusetts, Paper City Brewery closed its doors in 2016 but you can still brew this classic Wee Heavy using this recipe.
“We use pale and roasted malt to give our ale a rich, full maltiness and a deep, dark amber color. The nature of a WEE HEAVY makes for a higher alcohol percentage but this softens and counterbalances the sweet maltiness of the ales.”
Odell Brewing’s Isolation Ale Clone: Replicator
Dear Replicator, I’ve been a long-time reader and subscriber and finally have a question to ask which hasn’t been answered in either your great magazine or on the interwebs. I am
American Strong Ale
by the numbers OG: 1.062-1.090 FG:1.014-1.024 SRM:7-19 IBU:50-100 ABV:6.3-10 Beer styles are a funny thing. Some people claim they don’t exist, while others think they should never change. Fortunately, both groups are
