[jaybeerman]

Other than delicious what do you call an American Barleywine with just a whiff of chocolate in the nose and a hint of roasted grain flavor?  Picture drinking an arrogant bastard with a slight chocolate aroma and very slight coffee/chocolate flavor.  The beer is fresh and young so it can't be an Old Ale.  Roast is inappropriate for American Barleywine.  It's too heavy to be an IIPA. I know the final answer is to stick it in category 23.  I think we need an American Strong Ale category, maybe 19D.  Thoughts?  Cheers, j

[oscarvan]

Send me a few and I will try to formulate a thoughtful answer.......

[jaybeerman]

Send me a few and I will try to formulate a thoughtful answer.......

Sure, since you're the first to post the request...just pm me and I'll tell you where to send the $500 (just want to cover shipping and handling costs). 

[lbrewski]

I agree, had suggested this on the morebeer forum sometime in 2008, had a good discussion and this led to a posting on the BJCP forum that's still there and dormant since. I doubt that it will get closer to being in the guidelines until numerous entries of the style start showing up in competitions (in cat 23).

Note that the Maltose Falcons guidelines do have this as a style, which was part of my argument for BJCP adding it. That and the fact that Arrogant Bastard, Red Rocket Ale, etc. have been around for... how many years?

I had given up entering my own version in comps as an Old Ale or an American Amber or American BW; managed a 2nd in cat 23 one time. So I entered it last year at the Mayfaire comp, as an American Strong, and it worked out very well

[jaybeerman]

Yeah, this has been discussed for a long while.  I tried to do a couple searches on google, BA and here but didn't really find much.  I'm not really trying to push the idea, more to see what others were/are thinking.  The only thing that bugs me is the home and professional American Strong Ales that are labeled as Old Ale.  I happen to like both styles but in order for true and lasting interest in either style to be developed I think they'd have to be defined and labeled separately.  Cheers, j