Comparison
English barley wine vs Imperial stout
What is the difference between English barley wine and Imperial stout?
The short answer
The main difference is roast: Imperial stout has far more of it than English barley wine. English barley wine also leads on hop aroma; Imperial stout on coffee and chocolate & cocoa.
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, alcohol warmth, overlapping strength ranges — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| English barley wine | Imperial stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Strong ale | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 8–12% ABV | 8–14+% 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. | 35–70 IBU | 50–90 IBU |
| Colour | Amber to deep copper — 10–22 SRM, 20–43 EBC | Opaque black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.080–1.120 | 1.075–1.115 |
| Final gravity | 1.018–1.030 | 1.018–1.030 |
| Serving temperature | 12–15°C | 12–15°C |
| Carbonation | 1–2 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Snifter, Tasting glass | Snifter, Tasting glass |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | English barley wine | Imperial stout |
|---|---|---|
| Roast | Not characteristic | High–Very high |
| Coffee | Not characteristic | High |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Not characteristic | High |
| Hop aroma | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Nutty | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Bitterness | Moderate | High |
| Herbal | Low | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | High–Very high | Moderate |
Which should you choose?
- You want more roast → Imperial stout
- You want something more restrained — less roast and coffee → English barley wine
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.