Tap Handle #756: Mad River - John Barleycorn Barley Wine Ale

Tap size:  11"
Rarity:  none
Mounting:  internal 3/8" nut

Like that of the previous profile, North Coast's Puck, here is another tap with English folk origins: Mad River's John Barleycorn Barley Wine. It's quite an unusual tap, with a design that is influenced by the ale's designation as a harvest celebration ale by the brewery. A vaguely human face is surrounded by tall stalks of wheat, all in tones of brown and black, which imaginatively captures the character of John Barleycorn as a personification of barley cultivation. The name of the brewery appears at the top, while the beer name appears on a sculpted ribbon around the center of the tap. The front and back of the tap are identical to each other so I have reduced the number of photos taken. This beer has been brewed annually for almost 30 years, but the tap has only been around for the past 7. It occasionally appears on the secondary market; originally it sold for over $100 but prices have dropped to half of what they once were.

John Barleycorn is a British folk song dating back to the sixteenth century, and the character of John Barleycorn in the song is a personification of the important cereal crop barley and of the alcoholic beverages made from it, beer and whisky. In the song, John Barleycorn is represented as suffering indignities, attacks and death that correspond to the various stages of barley cultivation, such as reaping and malting. The most popular modern version of the song was recorded by the rock group Traffic on their 1970 album John Barleycorn Must Die.

John Barleycorn info provided courtesy of Wikipedia.

For more about Mad River, see this post.

Click through to read more about Mad River's John Barleycorn Barley Wine Ale and to see more photos of this fertile tap...

Mad River's John Barleycorn is a Barley Wine Ale that has been produced for nearly 30 years. Each year the recipe and label are changed to create a new experience. It begins with a moderate amount of House Two-row Pale Malt augmented with some Light Munich, Vienna and Melanoidin malts to give this beer its caramel color and sweet finish. Next a blend of Magnum, Brewer’s Gold and Nugget hops are added to give it a smooth bitterness. For more flavor, Magnum, Nugget and some El Dorado are added. To finish it off the brewery brings in Centennial, Sterling and Cascade hops to give it a even floral, spicy and citrus character balanced with bitterness. After fermentation it is aged for 1 year to give it a full rounded body and finish, with some varieties barrel-aged. When the aging period is reached and the ale is opened, it pours a shimmering hue of rose gold with an enduring crown of foam. Fresh aromas of ripe nectarine, light caramel and mild citrus notes lead into flavors of stone fruits and malty sweet caramel, with a clean bitterness and a subtle lingering of spicy hops and citrus. The finish is decadent and richly satisfying, reminiscent of an ambrosial liquid crème’ brulee. This harvest celebration ale has won two Gold Medals from the Great American Beer Festival, one in the Barley Wine-Style Ale category and one in the Aged Beer category.

Ratebeer:  3.53 out of 5

Beer Advocate:  85 out of 100 (very good)