Mad Badger Barley Wine
J.T. Whitney's Pub & Brewery

A- arrived in a wine glass with a brown body, cloudy, with a brown head laying on top that faded slowly. redish tinge with light barely escaping through the other side.

S- toffee, dark fruits (plum, raisens) all maltiness. english example with a barely any hops noticeable underneath the which is quite good for the english side

T- starts off smooth witha a maltiness that soon explodes into a delicious barleywine flavor. filled with the toffee coffee fruit flavors etc. ends very smooth with a low amount of hops bitterness, could use a little larger amount of hops to balance the malt, but the malt is delicious, but ending a little on the sweet side. except for the sweet finish the end is very good.

M- very thick body strong carbonation flows over the tongue pretty well again the sweetness makes this a bit off but still good

D- best probably of J.T. whitneys so far in my mind.

Note simply called: Barley Wine and most certainly an English example of the style rather than an American.

Served in a chalice like red wine glass.

Prune colored body with a dusty looking beige head and a fair amount of carbonation for the style.

Aroma of dark fruit, mostly plums, raisons, and figs, and lots of caramel. Boozey with touches of hazelnut. Deceptively dry.

Taste is a menagerie of dried dark fruits including the aforementioned lot but also including cherries and dates. Quite nutty as well with a lot of pecan that lends itself toward hazelnut because of the mild vanilla flavor that comes with it.

Mouthfeel: A bit on the cloying side. This could use some mellowing or hopping. Still I didn’t mind much on a cool Wisconsin fall night. It kept me warm as I watched the Badger complete their win against Minnesota. Rather boozey yet not particularly full bodied. This could use more body somehow.

Drinkability: I could do two but the sweetness would be a bit much after that. Still, one of only two beers I’ve found pleasing at JT Whitney’s.

The beer arrived on the table a slightly hazy deep amber brown with a very low off-white head which barely laced the glass.

The aroma was a strong fruity aroma with raisins and caramel which were both a bit over the top but quite enticing. A very strong fruity presence with pruned and plums was most notable.

The flavor was cloying malt and not well done at all. Very winey with caramel and a very strong burned/caramelized flavor. The flavor was vegetal and just not enjoyable at all.

The finish was lasting malt with winey vegetal character into the aftertaste. The body was full and slick. Not very well crafted.

Could not finish the glass at the brewpub, skip it!

I asked for a sample of this. It was served too cold. After it warmed up, the taste was very pleasant. Very hoppy for a barley wine. Nice balance between the malt and hops. Medium-brown color. Very little head. I had to go. but my first impression was this was a tasty beer.

Dark cherrywood colored body, leaning towards purple, sits under an ample beige foam.
Caramel-coated fruit skin aroma, with wafts of alcohol.
Taste begins with a minor roasty notes, suggesting chocolate. Turns fruitier immediately. Dried dates, gummi bears, black cherries and plums. Gains heft midway, with a fruit-cake breadiness slathered in caramel. Not expressly hoppy, but a drying bitterness lurks. Still fruity as it closes with a concord grape sweetness, blending with mellow Bourbon sensation.
On the plus side of medium bodied. This is an easily consumed and well-done barleywine. Reminscent of a slightly dumbed-down Lee's Harvest Ale. Still quite good, but lacks nuance.
Easily the best beer pumping at JT Whitney's.

Caveat: Advertised as "served in a wine glass". I figured this would translate into some akin to a snifter. No. This arrived in a tiny 6oz glass, 1/3 of which was foam. Despite the fact I enjoyed it, I'd be hard pressed to shell out $4.50 for another glorified sampler.