is a classic English pale ale malting barley. It is a high-yielding, two-row winter barley variety that became rather popular in the 1980s, especially in the UK. It has an impressive genealogy, considering that it was developed from Maris Otter and Sargent. See maris otter (barley). In its heyday, Halcyon’s popularity was based largely on its excellent agronomic qualities of good disease resistance and high yields, as well as its homogeneity, which ensured its excellent performance in the malt house. It was rather low in protein (usually around 9.5%), which made it perfectly suitable for traditional English ale type, single-step infusion mashing. The low protein values also ensured good extract values during lautering. See lautering. Halcyon imbued the beers made from it with a pleasant biscuit component that gave the finished beer a hearty mouthfeel, as well as some depth and complexity of flavor, although not as round and sweet as attributes given by Maris Otter. Many American craft brewers first became familiar with British malts in the late 1980s, and Halcyon was one of the main barley varieties in the imported pale ale malts of the day. However, Halcyon was also considered to have less diastatic power than some of its competitors, a drawback, which is probably the prime reason why it has been superseded by, among other varieties, the even higher-yielding Pearl. Although now rarely grown, Halcyon is still available, mostly as a floor-malted specialty.See also floor malting.
