Modern’s new Loyal Subjects is a barleywine flex—aged for three full years

April 7, 2025 Jordan Palmer New Releases Comments Off

Modern Brewery just dropped a serious contender for one of the most anticipated releases of the year. It’s called Loyal Subjects, and it’s a barrel-aged English-style barleywine that’s been quietly aging in oak for the past three years.

Yes—three years.

Originally brewed in early 2022, Loyal Subjects is finally seeing the light in three distinct versions, each built on a base of rich, malt-forward English-style barleywine and aged in Old Forester and Still 630 barrels. Each variant clocks in above 13% ABV, and each offers a different window into what’s possible when time, oak, and malt get to know each other.

Here’s what’s being released:

OG Barleywine | 13.3% ABV
Aged 36 months in Old Forester bourbon barrels. Notes of caramel, dark fruit, raisin, and plum. Classic and deep.
Barleywine + Vanilla | 13.3% ABV
Same 36-month aging, but finished on West Papua Indonesia vanilla beans. Adds soft, luxurious vanilla to the dark fruit core.
Double Barrel Barleywine | 16.25% ABV
A beast. Aged one year in Old Forester bourbon, then another two years in Still 630 bourbon and rye barrels that previously held port. Big, boozy, layered.

Each three-bottle set is $75 and includes one of each variant. This is a pre-order-only release, with pickup required by April 22, 2025, unless other arrangements are made within 48 hours of purchase. Proxy pickups are allowed with advance notice.

Orders are open now at modernbrewery.toast.site—but once these bottles are gone, they’re gone.

🍷 What is a Barleywine, anyway?

Barleywine is one of the biggest, boldest styles in beer—a true slow sipper. Despite the name, there’s no wine involved. The name comes from the fact that barleywines often match wine in alcohol content (9–15% or more), but they’re 100% beer.

There are two classic styles: American and English. American versions tend to lean hoppy and bitter. English-style barleywines, like Loyal Subjects, lean heavily into malt. Expect caramel, toffee, plum, raisin, fig, and deep dark sugar notes. Add in bourbon barrel aging, and you get layers of vanilla, oak, booze, and dried fruit richness.

Not an everyday beer—but a beer to remember.

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