J.T. Whitneys Mad Badger Barley Wine

On draught at the brewpub in Madison, Wisconsin. Pours a semi-cloudy and dark reddish amber brew with a thin tan head that slowly dissipates with a spotty lacing to a tan ring. Aroma of raisins, tart cherry, a touch of chocolate, bourbon, and smoked caramel malt, Taste is full bodied, light carbonation with flavors or caramel malt, figs, raisins, a touch of brown sugar and some toffee. Finish is semi-sweet with a mild tart cherry and brown sugar aftertaste. Have to save a growler of this for the winter season. Nice Finish!

Draft at the brewpub. Poured a hazy reddish brown color. Nearly opaque. The head had a yellowish off white tone and maintained good height. Some lace was left behind at the end. The aroma was of caramel, toffee, and molasses. There was also a whiff of fig. Sweet, big and malty. Full bodied with brown sugar, raisin, toffee, fig, alcohol, and caramel flavors. There wasn’t much in the way of hop flavor.

Growler form the pub. Pours a rich and deep dark brown with a thin brownish head. Aromas of rich bourbon and lighter cherry notes along with some smoked meats. Taste was a very dark maple syrup, roasted chocolate malts and a whole lotta bourbon. Aftertaste was dry and left the troat dry and warm. Not a big fan of barleywines, but this one is very drinkable, they did this one right!

2006 vintage on tap at the brewpub on 6/22/07: Pours a nearly opaque dark mahogany with a thin ring of off-white head. Aroma of sweet dark caramel malt along with a touch of dark fruits and piny hops. Body starts rich and dark caramely sweet with nice complex raisin and brown sugar flavors before a slightly warming sticky finish, with some light fruity esters. A pretty nice barleywine.

This BW has a slightly medicinal edge but I quickly adjusted to it and found it complex and well balanced. Hints of liccorice, diverse fruits. Bitter dry finish. Great head and lace and mouthfeel. JT Whitneys has nice micro brew pub with nice view of the brewing area and reastaurant and bar. The brew is affordable and have a nice variety of brew types but the brew is mediocre or less for a micro brewering reatuarant, with the exception of very good barley wine, smoked porter, old ale, and gran cru. The food is a bit pricey but good. If this place good up the quality of the brew it could be a red hot destination-- if places like Flossmoor Station can have very good beer than JT Whitney should be able to too.

Name: Barley Wine
Date: 06/22/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

clear dark red, headless, sweet dark fruit aroma, sticky body, sweet rich dark caramel flavor, lots of ripe fruit character, warming without being alcoholic, light earthy bitterness keeps everything in control,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 9/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***+/4

this beer is a deep brown with an inch or so of tan head. Okay, let it warm up a bit and then... Ahhh. Nice aroma of dark caramel, stone fruit, and a touch of alcohol. Flavorful beer here, with lots of molasses, thick sweet caramel, fig, and licorice into the finish. A noticeable but not powerful hop presence provides good balance, and adds a good lingering bitterness in the finish. There’s a slight alcohol flavor early that becomes more pronounced in the finish and aftertaste. Full bodied, softly but amply carbonatied. Good head retention, not much lacing.

Strong hazy garnet beer with a thin fizzy head. Nose is slight ethnol and ripe fruit. Not the huge beer it could be, lacking in bitterness or big malts. Dried fruit and raisins.