Mendocino Black Eye Ale

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Hopland, California USA

Dark red. So dark that the red is only seen when held up to the light. Big creamy head with some lacing. Literaly smells like stout and lager mixed. No roast in the aroma. Much bgger mouthfeel than the appearance would lead you to believe. Chocolaty with a slight hop bite in the finish. Clean with no bad aftertaste. Much better than expected.

This a fine smelling ale; a reddish black in hue, depending on the angle, with little head. The flavoring effect begins with the stout - the full heaviness. As the caramel and chocolatiness hits, the eye of the hawk badness does as well. The dry stale flavoring of the Eye of the Hawk eventually overpowers the stout, finishing with an unfortunate stickiness. Really probably better than this rating...well, maybe not.

Pours very dark brown with a thick tan foamy head that sinks back to about a quarter inch then dissipates to a film that laces after the first couple of sips. Aroma is coffee, roasted malts, caramel, and even a touch of chocolate. The flavor is a big roasted malt flavor, but surprisingly some plum and fig come through. The palate is somewhat buttery creamy yet a little more watery than a stout. It finishes somewhat smooth like blackhawk stout. It is balanced and a nice drink. Probably the best black & tan type mix in a bottle that I’ve ever had. It is very drinkable and was a nice way to end the evening. I liked this better than the barley wine from Mendocino

Bottle: Pours a dark brown with foamy tan head that dissipates quickly. Nose is malty, hints of toffee, caramel, chocolate. A film stays on your mouth with a small lingering taste is alcohol. Notes of chocolate, some sort of berry, maybe plums. A solid, full taste from a bitof a thin beer.

04.29.05 Bomber. Nearly black, small tan head with lingering ring. Mild and sweet aromas of toast, tobacco, burnt sugar, and a touch pruney. Flavor is mild as well, marshmallow sweetness is spread across palate by creamy body of medium thickness. Lingering sticky sweetness and more burnt marshmallow. Balanced, soft, likeable, quaffable porter-black and tan thing. Blows the doors off 90% of the few other bottled blends I’ve had.

Cola brown color with a thick tan head. Aroma has some roast, cocoa and cherries. Light roast and a slight hint of licorice, some plum and tart cherries. Drinkable, but its not really impressing me.

It’s hard to rate what is generally found in a thrown-together fashion in even the simplest of Irish bars as a "Black and Tan". But what I will say is that this seems to be a pleasant mix of exquisite malts and ale refreshingness. Nice hops aroma which stands out as a unique counterbalance in that the color of the beer is definitely towards the stout side; so the first two criteria cancel each other positively.Then, the flavor is a _very good mix_ showing both elements of stout and ale; so I rate an extra 2 Overall points for good chemistry. What’s more, the mellow balance hides the 6.5% perhaps all too well! The concept of a black-and-tan does designate that the two central beers shall also be rated separately ... could it be that "two wrongs make a right", or conversely that "ale’s well that stouts well"?

Pours an opaque brown black, little to no head. Rich roasty aroma with a spicy hop counterpoint. The nose is fairly malty, later becomes more roasty in character. The hops are most evident in the finish, with floral tones and a perception of bitterness. The mouthfeel has a certain smoothness, but is also crisp. A decently synergistic combination of two decent ales.