Comparison
English barley wine vs Old ale
What is the difference between English barley wine and Old ale?
The short answer
The main difference is hop aroma: English barley wine has a little more of it than Old ale. English barley wine also leads on sweetness; Old ale on acidity and funk.
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 bitterness, yeast fruitiness (esters), carbonation, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| English barley wine | Old ale | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Strong ale | Strong ale |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | 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. | 35–70 IBU | 30–60 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Amber to deep copper — 10–22 SRM, 20–43 EBC | Amber to dark brown — 10–22 SRM, 20–43 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.080–1.120 | 1.055–1.088 |
| Final gravity | 1.018–1.030 | 1.015–1.022 |
| Serving temperature | 12–15°C | 11–14°C |
| Carbonation | 1–2 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Snifter, Tasting glass | Tulip glass, Snifter |
| Clarity | clear | clear |
How they taste different
| Character | English barley wine | Old ale |
|---|---|---|
| Hop aroma | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Acidity | Not characteristic | None–Low |
| Funk | Not characteristic | None–Low |
| Sweetness | High | Moderate |
| Body | Very high | Moderate–High |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Alcohol warmth | High–Very high | Moderate |
| Malt intensity | Very high | High |
| Herbal | Low | Not characteristic |
| Nutty | Moderate | Low |
Which should you choose?
- You want more hop aroma → English barley wine
- You want more acidity → Old ale
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.