Comparison
American barley wine vs Old ale
What is the difference between American barley wine and Old ale?
The short answer
The main difference is hop aroma: American barley wine has far more of it than Old ale. American barley wine also leads on citrus, resin & pine and bitterness.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable sweetness, body, malt intensity, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| American barley wine | Old ale | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Strong ale | Strong ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 8–12% ABV | 5.5–9% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 50–100 IBU | 30–60 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Amber to copper — 10–19 SRM, 20–37 EBC | Amber to dark brown — 10–22 SRM, 20–43 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.080–1.120 | 1.055–1.088 |
| Final gravity | 1.016–1.030 | 1.015–1.022 |
| Serving temperature | 11–14°C | 11–14°C |
| Carbonation | 1.5–2.2 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Snifter | Tulip glass, Snifter |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | American barley wine | Old ale |
|---|---|---|
| Hop aroma | Moderate–High | Not characteristic |
| Citrus | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Resin & pine | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Bitterness | High–Very high | Low–Moderate |
| Acidity | Not characteristic | None–Low |
| Funk | Not characteristic | None–Low |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Alcohol warmth | High | Moderate |
| Nutty | Not characteristic | Low |
Which should you choose?
- You want more hop aroma → American barley wine
- You want something more restrained — less hop aroma and citrus → Old ale
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.