John Barleycorn 2006 Harvest
Mad River Brewing Company

12oz bottle.

Pours clear mahogany and dead flat. Zero head, retention, or lacing.
Toffee, malt, leather in the nose. Medium bodied with a slick, tacky mouthfeel. Dusty malt, burnt toffee, faint spice on the palate. Finishes with malt, faint cardboard, and peppercorns.

 

 

A: This is the color of freshly lacquered mahogany, red hues shining through in the light ... medium to light in opacity. Not too much head to speak of (and very little lacing) but what does froth around the rim is a light tan color.

S: Many things evolve out of this bouquet. Some of what comes to mind are honey; toffee, raw roasted malt grain, walnut, dark raisin, and cooked peach.

T: A wonderfully complex nose leads to a somewhat lacking ... tongue? That said there is still a lot of life left in this beer. I think it has some time left to mellow and develop estery flavors. What does come though are flavors of toasted walnut, sweet dark honey, and gram cracker show up. A bite of herbal hoppy bitterness on the sides of the tongue helps to battle the honey sweetness. Though I wonder if with time as hops lessen their attributes, if more of the soft fruit might develop. Perhaps more to come? Perhaps not.

M: Oily

O: Good with room to grow