Our Finest Regards

Beer Style: Seasonal, malty Barleywine
Hop Variety: there’s hops in here?
Malt Variety: Thomas Fawcett & Sons, Yorkshire
OG: 27 plato
ABV: 11.8%
IBUs: not important 
Color: Walnut

From Pretty Things to you this winter season: “Our Finest Regards”.  Three years into our project and we’re grateful and amazed that so many people love and support great beer these days.  The fact that we’re still here is a credit to you all.
But for the question of primary importance: What is the beer? Well, it’s our Pretty Things barleywine.  Inspired by malted barley, a tribute to the barleycorn.  Yes, it’s simple, but that’s what barleywines are all about.  Ever since brewing in England, Dann has dreamed of making a barley-focused beer using the malts of Yorkshire (and never hesitates to plug his favorite: Thomas Fawcett & Sons).  The American version of a barleywine is normally a sad beer indeed, lots of hops and alcohol but the star of the show is left scratching his chin in the eaves of the theatre.  This is not one of those beers. The English invented this style and they’re the only ones who know how to make one, save the rare American brewer.Give barley a chance and this mysterious little grain can do grand things!
To get the density of sugars needed for this sort of beer, we employed “double mashing”. The brewhouse that we work on can only get to maybe 18 plato for a single running of wort: but we wanted 27 plato! So we combined two brews by running wort into the kettle and then using it to mash in the second batch. We don’t take credit for this idea.  We’re certain it has been done many, many times before.  But it wasn’t until Will Meyers (the great Cantabridgian Cervecero) brought this method to our attention that we realized we could brew a barleywine of proper gravity… (he never told us that he hadn’t actually performed this sort of brewing before!). Anyway, it works!!
Expect an aroma of juicy sultanas, wet wood, green apple, malted milk balls, marzipan and alcohol deliciousness. It’s got a medium body and is a little more spritsy than we’re sure the Brits would like. Serve over 50 degrees fahrenheit in a stemmed glass.
Very suitable to drink this year or next, or even the winter after that!

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