Mendocino Eye of the Hawk Select Ale

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

Rated 5/26/06: Not one to normally turn down a good seasonal I quickly grabbed a sixer. Pours a medium dark bronze color with strong carbonation and a surprisingly ample head that leaves little lacing. Aroma is a sturdy mixture of slightly bitter hops and sweet malt, could be stronger. Slightly full mouthfeel with a biting finish. The flavor is questionable. I like a strong beer with lots of bite, but this one is on and off again with me. There is a dominant malt presence and an equally dominate hop presence that leads to a balance which is good but the high abv really tends to interfere. If this one gets too warm it really becomes tough to get down. Overall I did like this strong ale but I have to be ready for it and in the proper mood to thoroughly enjoy it.

Bottle and on tap. Copper/ amber pour with a foamy white head. Lots of visible carbonation in the glass with its tiny, almost champagne-like bubbles. Traditional amber aroma with lots of hops and hints of dried fruits. Rich malty taste with some fruit flavors mixed in, along with caramel, and a good amount of hops (which I have come to expect from Mendocino). Nice hoppy and pleasantly bitter finish. Alcohol is barely noticeable in the flavor, though you do get a good feel of it in the aftertaste. Pretty well balanced overall, but the caramel starts to get to me after awhile.

Lots of malt dominate the aroma.Pours light to medium copper with a medium off white head.Very big malt flavor.Mouthfeel is full with a very bitter malt finish.

8%, Saratoga Springs, I can’t place the flavor, neither can John. It’s a good beer just like the chick at Mahar said.

Pours deep copper, massive white head on top, no lacing. Aroma is caramel, butterscotch (uh-oh), lemon peel, and grapfruit. Think of it as buttered toast with grapefruit juice. Flavor is sweet malts, very slight butterscotch (uh-oh), and a very nice balace between the hops and malts. Hides the alcohol fairly well, but there’s enough hop bitterness to hide nearly anything. I’m thinking this would be really good in better condition. May be worth a re-rate.

six pack of this didnt last long. its got pretty good flavor with caramel hints and malt notes with the right hop balance.

12 oz bottle

This was a bonus in a recent trade. Credit goes to either goldtwins or CaptainCougar, whomever put this in the box. As it turns out it was a decent beer but it did not impress that much. It seems to be right on target as far as the style percentage goes - there are many many better Strong Ales available around the country.

Aroma / Appearance - The carbonated light red body seemed nice but the aroma was pretty dull. Orange peels, banana Laffy taffy, waxy cheap chocolate and cherry flavored cough drops form an extremely lifeless set of scents. It still gets some credit for not being offensive but I expect so much more from something that claims to be an American Strong Ale.

Flavor / Palate - Stale flat bakery bread, trace amounts of resin and peanut butter create a sweet mouthfeel. It has a light maltiness that is disappointing in some way. If this were a different style I would expect to be left lacking. The finish reminds me of a frozen pizza topped with green olives, pepperoni and mozerella cheese. Overall this was not bad but it makes me go ’meh’.

Mendocino Eye of the Hawk Select Ale 12 oz bottle Medium pour in an English Pint Unknown brewing (recent?), flown into 05/07 Poured a clear bronze with a huge rocky fully lasting light brown head with good lacing. Smelt of strong caramel, citrus, spruce. Taste was upfront strong sweet barley sugar (sucre d’orge) and moderate bitter earthy moss yeast and light sweet and sour citrus followed by a strong earthy and spruce bitterness Palate was medium bodied, softly carbonated, creamy on a dry finish and lightly astringent. Overall, this is a very pleasant unique taste in a strong ale. Very balanced and drinkable, with gutsy earthy flavors.