Long Boil

A collaborative experiment between South African brewers led to a super-hefty barleywine of 17.5 percent ABV, via an unusual boiling process measured in days rather than hours.

Long to mash and boil yet quick to ferment, these robust, juniper-tinged, barleywine-strength ales represent a farmhouse tradition worth celebrating—and you can raise a glass just a few days after brewing.

Cam Lund, cofounder and brewer at Bluewood Brewing in St. Louis, outlines their multi-threaded approach to brewing, aging, and blending their big barrel-aged stouts—including a few that reach liqueur-like heights of 20 percent ABV or more.

As brewers pursue ever higher gravities for richer, stronger, thicker stouts, something immediately becomes clear: Most breweries weren’t made for this. Here’s a closer look at how breweries are adjusting for huge grists, long boils, and viscous beers.