Mad Tree Brewing Co.

Being that Mad Tree Brewing was one of the very first modern micro-breweries to operate in Cincinnati, it is pretty sad that this is my first time visiting them. Don’t get me wrong, I have consumed their beers on many occasions, but for whatever reason I never made it to their facility. This is not entirely true, as Mrs. Bacchanalian and I attempted to visit them at their original location, however it was so incredibly crowded that we turned around and drove off to another brewery that night. The crowds at Mad Tree seem to be a regular occurrence. We drive by their beautiful new facility probably every other day and it always seems to be jammin. The day we went was certainly busy but we came with a fairly large party and were able to sit as a group with no issues.

I think the most impressive aspect for me about their facility is how they have been able to create several spaces within their building that all have very individualized feels to them. A large indoor area that blends seamlessly into two very distinct outdoor areas. Two large bar areas with dozens of taps. The entire place is bright and airy and has a very inviting feel to it. They have managed to create an incredible vibe.

We did not partake in any of the food on this visit, however we are very familiar with Catch-a-Fire who does the food here at Mad Tree. Their pizza is some of the best in Cincinnati (opinion mine). As for the beer…

Over the years I have had numerous beers from Mad Tree so for this visit I really wanted to things I had never seen before. The first beer I sampled was a collaboration brew called From the Heart IPA (ABV 6.8%). This beer is part of a state wide fundraising campaign to support the Ohio Craft Beer Association. The beer was hoppy with lots of general citrus. Not a big fan, but was glad to help support the OCBA. The second beer on my flight was Phantom Forest (ABV 8%). They call this one a Juicy Imperial IPA. I did not consider it very juicy, but it definitely had some sweetness to it. Once again, was not a fan. Third up was the 304: Blood Orange a Berliner Weise at 6.5% ABV. This Berliner had a nice lightly sour taste but I really did not taste the blood orange. I enjoyed the beer as a nice sunny day brew. The last one on my flight was the Dreamsicle Orange Vanilla Ale (ABV 4.7%). I was looking forward to trying this one as it’s profile seemed right up my alley. The flavors were not very forward to me. Some orange and definitely some vanilla. It’s aftertaste was reminiscent of Captain Crunch cereal. Not a bad beer, but once again I was not really impressed. Lastly I tried the Midwest Luau Tropical IPA (ABV 6%). Finally I got one that for me was a homerun. Very nice juicy tropical flavors and light enough that you could drink this one all day long. A very good beer.

All though this particular tasting was not my favorite, over the years I have had many of their brews that I really enjoyed (like their Blood Orange Psychopathy). There are several breweries here in Cincinnati that I would rank higher for overall beer quality, however I will give Mad Tree huge props for their atmosphere. I will return here again just to have some awesome pizza and soak up some more of the vibes here at Mad Tree. Of the dozen or so people that I was here with, I would say that everyone fully enjoyed their experience and all mentioned that they would be coming back. With around two dozen beers for you to try there will be something for everyone.