Mad River John Barleycorn

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

Bottle thanks to degarth at home. Aroma is sweet brown suger and pale malts, bready character. Taste is very sweet but very appealing the blend of malts and i assume sugar is well done and slight pepperyness on the finish. Not better or worce than the stone, just different.

Pours a darker amber color with a light tan head. Aroma is of caramel malts, dark fruits, alcohol and citrus hops. Flavor is not all I was hoping for but still not too bad. Just slightly hoppier then I like my barley wine. Slight warming on the finish.

2007 bottle. Grapefruit and cookies combine for a surprisingly nice balance between hops and malts. Dark amber pour with a short, frothy off-white head. The nose is citrusy with grapefruit and orange and malty with cookie and caramel. There are notes of alcohol and figs. The flavor is moderately sweet and lightly to moderately bitter and lightly acidic. The finish is bitter, but not long lasting. Alcohol, peppery warming. Medium to full body with a syrupy texture. Moderate carbonation.

2007 bottling (10.8% ABV) poured into a snifter. It pours a nice amber, copper, red with a minimal white head. A nice fruity nose of plum and apricot, some mild ethers, and finally a pinch of citrus hops. A complex but well balanced nose. On the palate, Holy alcohol Batman. It’s strong and warms the body from the back of the throat all the way to the stomach. After you get past that initial shock you pick up the bitter hops and some of the fruit sweetness that was in the nose. The alcohol gives it a dry finish. It has medium carbonation with a lighter body. Sip this one slowly and don’t stand up to fast. Enjoyable!

Wow. Rated to style this may be the most drinkable and friendly barley wine I’ve ever had. Aroma was nice. Sweet malt and iced tea. Pour was a decent medium amber with a thin off white ring for a head. Taste was extremely drinkable. Caramel malt and sweet brown sugar with an iced tea and dry bitter malt aftertaste. Doesn’t burn at all and has nice carbonation. When I saw this was 10.8 I was shocked. Very nice barley wine and hides alcohol perfectly.

purchased at 99 bottles in federal way, washington. pours a clear amber with a small egg-shell head. smell is caramel, malts, dark fruit, some pepper, some spice, faint roasted nuts. taste is creamy, caramel, spice, fruit, malt, ends nicely bitter.

12oz. Bottle (2006 Vintage): Aroma of resinous hops and sweet malts with a bit of caramel. Poured brown in color with a medium-sized tan head that diminished quickly. Cloudy and full of large particles. Opaque. Flavor is medium bitter and medium sweet. Tastes of resin hops, coffee, caramel, prune, malts, tobacco, and alcohol. Full body. Thick, viscous texture. Average carbonation. Coffee, resin hops, and alcohol finish.

Dark brown amber, minimal head, decent lacing. Aroma not too prominent, sweet malt. Alcohol present is flavor. Pretty hoppy. Sweet and syrupy. Not very good.