Madtree Taproom
Pulling into the large, crowded parking lot of the Madtree Oakley taproom on a Saturday evening, and wondering if they might have more customers than Crossroads, we managed to find a spot. As we walked into the converted airplane hangar, the place felt enormous. Designed with excellent acoustics, the building’s front room encouraged relaxed conversations; the only challenge was finding two empty seats. Weather permitting, three large garage doors stay open, inviting the neighborhood inside to enjoy good company and great beer. Spaces filled with people engaged in conversations create a strong sense of community. A seemingly endless trail of open areas connects one to the next, both inside and outside, with some spaces in between. Overhead heating strips keep the in-between areas comfortable even when it’s cooler outside. Multigenerational guests gathered around fire pits outside, some with their dogs, including, in one case, a beautiful Bernese Mountain Dog puppy. The friendly couple let us hold the adorable little furball. In the lively environment, food coming from the kitchen, carried by busy servers, looked appetizing.
The draft beer samples included in the flight were ThunderSnow Spiced Scottish Ale, Happy Amber Ale, PsycHopathy IPA, and Cincitucky Trail Lager. The Spiced Scottish Ale, ThunderSnow, is very dark brown. Its aroma is distinctly coffee-like and reminiscent of cola, an informal way to describe the vanilla noted in the brewery’s spot-on description of this full-bodied ale with medium carbonation. It’s well-balanced, with a smooth, rich texture and flavor, followed by a slightly bitter aftertaste. The brown head’s remains form intricate lacing inside the glass as it empties. Happy Amber Ale, a garnet-colored ale, was the second sample. Caramel flavor defines this medium-bodied ale, which tastes more like an IPA, with a citrusy, bitter, and pleasant lingering aftertaste. PsycHopathy IPA, the India Pale Ale, is golden in color and medium-bodied, with a citrusy, bubblegum, slightly yeasty aroma. It features a bold grapefruit flavor with malt notes and has a great bittersweet aftertaste. Cincitucky Trail Lager, a straw-colored lager, has a mostly clean, slightly cola-like aroma. This medium-bodied, balanced, high-carbonation beer is refreshing with a smooth texture, rich, deep flavor, and light, crisp aftertaste.
Three additional samples of Madtree’s latest creations were Kiwi Treasure, Pilgrim, and S’mores Gratitude Stout—all excellent beers with impressive lacing. Kiwi Treasure, with its citrusy grapefruit aroma, is well-balanced and leaves a very happy, hoppy aftertaste. The smooth Pilgrim features a sweet, clean aroma with caramel notes, a balanced flavor, and a slight bitterness at the finish. S’mores Gratitude Stout is so dark that it appears almost black. It has a rich, creamy, smooth, chocolatey aroma and flavor. Madtree fills customers’ growlers with beer from the tap and offers twelve-packs of cans for those who prefer them. Think of a good microbrewery as a beer shop where local craftspersons create a variety of flavors to sample and enjoy, inviting you to accept the un-national brand challenge—go unbranded and let your taste buds explore the technological advances in brewing while meeting creative people whose interests drive exploration of hop mixes, palate sensations, and malty, grainy goodness.
