MadTree – Tail Wagger

MadTree Brewing Company
Peanut Butter Porter – 5% ABV

Written By: The Gnarly Gnome

Tail Wagger is our tribute to the beloved dogs of MadTree, past and present. This smooth Peanut Butter Porter is as comforting as a loyal companion. So grab a pint, pet your pup, and raise a glass to unconditional love, endless loyalty, and the joy that only a dog can bring. Cheers!

I don’t know what it is about this flavor combination, the richness of peanut butter and the roastiness of a great porter. Almost as epic as the combination of your favorite peanut butter candy… It’s like they were meant to go together. It satisfies some sort of thing deep in my soul that other beer styles don’t quite manage. Clearly, I’m not alone in this, either. I can’t even begin to tell you about how many craft beer fans I’ve talked to over the years who have either fallen in love or deepened their love over a pint of a killer peanut butter porter.

Tail Wagger was released in January of 2025, and they did it in a big way. It wasn’t just available in their taproom locations, but across their whole distribution footprint via a full packaging release. The beer hit Cincinnati by storm, and with that, my fridge by storm, too.

The beer is a bit of an homage, a tribute to the “beloved dogs of Madtree, past and present,” born of a test batch from head brewer Brittany Frey, named for her dog, Hondo. She cited her love for porters and Hondo’s love for peanut butter as a bit of the inspiration behind the beer. The test batch was great… but having it in my fridge? Pure perfection.

Tasting MadTree Tail Wagger

Poured into a glass, Tail Wagger is freaking beautiful. It’s dark, dark brown, with a thick, foamy, light-tan head on top. You can’t ignore the nutty aromas that leap from the can, filling the air around you.

On the first sip, you’re hit with a soft sweetness that quickly turns into a rich roastiness that finishes in a nuttiness that lingers on the tongue. The showcase of balance and how flavors can complement each other is a thing of beauty.

As the beer warms up (if you can drink it slow enough to let it warm up), the peanut butter only becomes more prominent. If you hate the sandwich topping that fuels my kids every day at lunch time, this is not going to be the beer for you. It’s front and center, and the star of this beer without a doubt. If you spend some time with a glass of this, though, you’ll find plenty of other parts of its personality. It’s not a one-trick pony, or a gimmick, even though that is so easy to do with an ingredient like peanut butter.

Hats off to MadTree… this one is great!