Coney Island Sword Swallower Steel Hop Lager

22 oz. bottle that I received as a birthday gift. Pours a slightly hazed gold with a thin-moderate off-white head that lasted through the first third of the glass and left spotty lace. Light aroma of malt and slightly sweet. The flavor is weak malt, which is almost immediately washed over by moderately bitter citrus pith. Somewhat dry and bitter at the finish, lingering briefly beyond the swallow.

From the 22 ounce bottle. Pours gold with thin white head. Light aroma, just a little bit of hops. Bitter flavor from the hops, which not as much balance for the malt as I would have thought. Kind of boring overall though.

Big bottle on a slightly chill cloudy Sunday afternoon. Very carbonated gold beer with a thin lasting white skiff. Moderate but intriguing aromatics. Fruit, hops, alcohol, spice and malt. Nothing particularly dominant. Flavour light pepper, peach, hints at a Belgian character with hops stronger at the finish. Tasty but light enough for drinking on the deck.

Draft at Redlight. Tart aroma of citrus and other fruits. Thin mouthfeel with a nice hoppy punch and enough sweetness to balance. Light and refreshing for a full flavored beer.

22oz. bottle. Rather delicate aroma, showing just a bit of citrus, spice, floral sweetness and faint, grainy, pale malt. Clear light-medium golden color with a fine, white head that lasts. Flavor is very mildly sweet and malty to start, turning gently bitter about midpoint, and finishing with a blend of noble-tasting, citric, grassy hop and vaguely sweet malts, managing to remain semi-dry and mostly clean by the end. Very fine but active effervescence and a somewhat thick mouthfeel for a lager, body is medium-full. This really is a European Strong Lager style, exactly as indicated here on the site, and fairly refined (as these sorts of beers go).

This is the first time I’ve tried something from Mendocino Brewing Company. Definitely not your everyday lager. The first thing I smell and taste is what I believe is either a cascade or a victory hop. Poured very nicely, with almost a golden Belgian-like Hefe hue, with little head. Very refreshing but not what I would call a grand slam. More points for originality.

Bouteille de 22 oz achetée chez Knighlty Spirits (Orlando, FL). Arôme: Légère odeur d’houblons. Apparence: La couleur est blonde pâle avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un moyen col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Léger goût de céréales et d’houblons. Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen avec une texture légèrement huileuse. Moyenne effervescence en bouche. Légère présence d’agrumes en arrière goût. (Rating #2305)

Bottle. Clear amber with a thick, slightly yellowish head. Nice complex, but mostly grassy and piney hop aroma. Some toffee soothening the bitter hop impact. Certainly bitter, but maybe somewhat unbalanced.