Rather than run away from crystal malt, Kyle Harrop of Horus Aged Ales in Oceanside, California, embraces it fully with this deviant barleywine-strength ale. So far, he’s released two based on this recipe: Built Different at 14.4 percent ABV (aged in Old Forester Birthday Bourbon barrels), and My CrystAle Ball at 11.4 percent ABV (aged in Willett Experimental Wheated Whiskey barrels), with two more barrel-aged versions in the works for early 2024.
Harrop describes the base beer as a “liquid version of a Werther’s Original candy. It tastes like a cross between an English barleywine and a wee heavy that highlights caramel and toffee.”
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 53%
OG: 1.139
FG: 1.061
IBUs: 35
ABV: 10.2% (before barrel aging)