Mad River John Barleycorn

Brewed by Mad River Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Blue Lake, California USA

2007, 10.8% abv. Pours a brown color with some amber in it, a thin head and not really any lacing. Aroma is caramel and oak with a fruit scent noticeable. The flavor for the most part follows suit, sweet caramel, a bit of alcohol spice, and finishes with a little grapefruit dry hoppiness. Not the most complex barleywine but this well done and better than I anticipated.

Pours medium dark coppery amber, forming little to no foamy head. Aroma of malted rock candies, dank prunes and candied figs. Flavour is of malts, a bit of hop stringency with a harsh alcohol and metallic hammer. A bit unrefined. Perhaps months of cellaring would calm it down. Drinkable, yet disappointing.

This cloudy amber ale poured with a miniscule beige head and a sweet fruity aroma. The flavor is caramel and perfumed fruit with a bitter finish and an acoholic afterblast. It needs more body to disguise the alcohol.

This bottled brew from Indianapolis, IN poured a very small sized head of foamy off-white colored mostly lasting bubbles that left behind a transparent carbonated dark red brown colored body and a fair lacing. The aroma was thin mild and malty. The mouth feel was strongly tingly from start to finish. The flavor contained strong notes of vinous alcohol with a biting hop finish and a strong vinous hop note.

The aroma gives a false sense of malty goodness. The hops seem rater tame in the aroma. The appearance is deep amber with an average head. The flavor is bitter and soapy to the point of being astringent and unpleasant. The palate is somewhat thin. Overall I would not recommend or drink this again.

Pours a fairly thin textured deep amber-orange color. Head formation is almost non-existant. Small islands of foam remain after the pour. No lacing noted at all. Somewhat restrained but pleasant aromas of caramel. toffee, toasted malts, brown sugar, ethanol and faint spices are noted. Palate is a bit thin and fizzy overall. Some slick oiliness is noted in the swallow, but overall not enough fullness for a big Barleywine. Flavors are in line with the aromas dominated by the sweet toffee, caramel and brown sugar malts. Just a hint of hoppy spiciness and a burst of alcohol is noted in the finish. A bit boozy overall, so not the easiest goin’ down. One or two is plenty.

Bottle received via trade with 5000. Pours amber with a small, fizzy, off-white head, somewhat lasting with spare lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, cereal, caramel), average hops (perfume, flowers), light yeast (dough) with notes of alcohol, apples, and candy. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, average carbonation, and a dry, bitter finish. Long duration, moderate sweetness and acidity, light bitterness.

Bottled. A hazy amber beer with a thin orangey head. The aroma is very sweet and dominated by over ripe fruits. THe flavor is sweet matly with notes of over ripe fruits as well as alcohol, leading to a dry fruity finish. Thanks Papsoe for sharing.