Mad River John Barleycorn

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

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.

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Courtesy of Degarth. Vintage 2006. Slightly hazy, reddish, dark, orangey brown with a beige head. Fat aroma of caramel and overripe fruit. Full-bodied, sweetish, burned caramel flavours and very fruity accents - overripe fruit also. Lightly hoppy finish. Lovely. 270907

Bottled - 2000 vintage sampled in Decmber 2002. Amber colur, no head. Grapefruity hop aroma. Malty, thick, fruity and syrupy. Clean, bold, filling mouthfeel and lingering hop bitterness. If there is such a thing as a middle-of-the-road in barleywines this one comes close.

Name: John Barleycorn ’9?
Date: 02/18/2002
Mode: Bottle
Source: Burlingame Gro, Portland

Rich burgendy, headless, sweet fruity aroma of figs and dates, rich malt flavor like a fine brandy, very low carbination, only the slightest hint of bitterness when it is cold and totally disipates upon warming,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> Date: 08/16/2002
Mode: Bottle
Source: Belmont Station, Portland
Vintage: 2001

opaque rust brown, whispy head, sweet fruity aroma, light body, rich dry malty flavor, fruity essence, just enough hops to balance without being hoppy or malty, bitter finish, upon warming the malt character comes out, but never reallyshines

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Score: *4
-------- /> Date: 06/30/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party
Vintage: 2006

clear amber, wispy head, sweet fruity caramel malt aroma, rich caramel malt flavor, touch of fruity sweetness, lots of earthy bitterness,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **4

It has been a long time since I’ve had this, but back in the 90s I found it a sweet, relatively run-of-the-mill BW with a herbal accent.

Today, it has a cloudy-murky appearance, and an amber-tan colour. There wasn’t much of a head to start with but it’s gone quickly. Lots of bubbles on the side of the glass, especially for such a sizeable beer. The aroma is sweet and malty. It’s only been 9 months and you can smell already how sherryish this would be if we’d let it age. There’s some breadcrusty richness to the malts, and all sorts of caramel. Hops are fairly background in the aroma, lending just a hint of herbal accent, and even that it almost lost in a slightly footy yeast character.

On the palate, it’s thick, a little oily, and a little sticky. There is a slight carbonic prickle but just enough to drag this across the palate kicking and screaming. This is big chewy. My impressions from bygone years were pretty much on - this is a very standard BW. It definitely harkens to the formative years of the style in America, where big and chewy was all you needed to get respect. But these days, I like a little flair in my BW, and this doesn’t really do that. It’s very sweet, with just a shade of hop bitterness. But the malts are not dynamic, just more of that caramel/earth/sherry thing. I’ve had a lot of BWs like this. I still get that herbal accent, though maybe more sage whereas 10 years ago I thought juniper. It’s not enough, though.

At the end, the alcohol goes to the bash with the intense sugariness, with that dull earthy quality underneath. It’s an uninspiring dynamic, lacking in brightness, originality or muscularity. It feels tired...and conceptually it probably could go for a 21st century update because BW has become so much better in the past half dozen years.

(2002 version, sampled 2/11/05) Small beige head atop a clear copper body. Aroma is medium sweet, grapefruit, berry, orange. Taste is medium sweet, and ... and nothing. There is a bit of maltiness, light grapefruit, vinous, but it really is a mild flavor. In a barleywine, this is unprecedented. Medium-full body. Clearly this beer does not age well, in fact it ages quite poorly. For the sake of decency, however, I will keep the bulk of my old rating and make sure I never drink an old one of these again. (6/3/3/3/7). (2001 version, sampled 8/1/02) Sweet berry aroma. Berry malty flavor, cut by healthy swath of alcohol. Sticky sweet mouthfeel, but bitterness creeps in at the back of the palate. (6/3/6/4/12)

(Bottle) Pours a cloudy deep burnt orange body with a small off-white head. Aroma of malt, orange, grapefruit, and juniper. Flavor of malt, hops, caramel, and alcohol with a bitter finish.

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.