Mendocino Blue Heron Pale Ale

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Hopland, California USA

Daker than American Standard yellow color with a white head that quickly dissipated and an aroma that was fairly metallic, with some hops and maybe some adjunct as well. The taste was more enjoyable than the aroma as there were some citrus, and lemon flavors and a light hop bitterness. The taste really made up for this beer. I was afraid before tasting, but it was drinkable, especially at room temperature.

The balance of this moderately flavorful pale ale is tipped from start to finish toward a fairly bitter hops which stands out the most in the somewhat crisp finish; The malt flavor is a bit too sweet, but isn't really the focus of this beer and it fades in the finish; Somewhat floral nose doesn't have much aroma; Medium sized sediment is suspended in the beer and plentiful enough to resemble a snow globe; Light gold in color; Frothy, white head has solid retention and leaves a densely packed lacing on the glass; Significant carbonation bubbles helps keep the head alive and stirs up the sediment to make this an interesting beer to stare at; NOTE: retried 2 months later, and there was no sediment and damn few carbonation bubbles, so what gives?

This beer doesn't appear ultra-processed like a lot of the ones out there. Thick frothy head, hazy color, definitely a man's beer. Unique, light hoppy aroma hits your nose first. When you swallow this beer definitely has some bite.

Really a somewhat unattractive pale, with a "urinesque" color and quickly fading white head. Aroma is also strange for a pale, more reminiscient of a European pils. Very odd. Flavor is also lacking, and very one dimensional. Hops, and little else. Overall, another APA that just doesn't have much to it...

I happened on this microbrewery by chance, several weeks after they first opened in the 1980's. They also served foo, so it was my first brewpub. I had Red Tail Ale, which was pretty much all they had. So the brewery holds a special place for me. This Blue Heron beer is simply ok, I would have been bowled over back then but the times have caught up.

A very light and crispy pale ale. Pours light and golden, and very effervescent. A nice hop character, that is very piney and lightly earthy. Smoewhat light and weak for a pale ale, but still something I would try again.

On tap at the Hopland Brewing Co. Very pale in color with a nice clean, yet weak taste.

Cloudy brownish orange brew with a opaque hazy appearance. Poor head and lacing. Bitter taste with a nice good bitter pilsner flavor. There is nothing special about this beer.