MADISON, WISCONSIN

On Madison outskirts, J.T. WHITNEY’S PUB & BREWERY, established in ’95, proved hit or miss, July ‘05, and closed down ’09. Located in a mall, the freestanding wood-shingled sports bar featured a centralized bar with tables and booths spread to the side with far left brew tanks near big screen TV. A decent beer bottle collection near left side fireplace was worth noting. Burgers, salads, and appetizers fill out the menu.

Incredible Mad Badger Barleywine, an absolutely delicious dessert beer, spread maraschino cherry and bruised orange across syrupy liqueur flow to sweet Cognac finish. Sharp red-fruited Bass Ale alternative India Pale Ale and dry-bodied toffee-ensconced chestnut-almond-hinted Black Diamond Porter also scored points.

Serviceable fare included blah lemony butterscotch-candied Crystal Weizen and mildly hopped stone-fruited light-bodied Goldenshine Ale. Less intriguing were neutral blackened hop-embittered malt-serene Alt, ersatz honey-roasted Badger Red Ale, hazy fruit-embittered ESB, and shallow coffee bean-soaped nut-barren Irish Stout.