Mendocino Eye of the Hawk Select Ale

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

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.

Late 2005 bottle. Pours clear copper-amber with a fizzy head that dissipates almost immediately followed by lots of relatively large bubbles rising through the glass: think ginger ale. Aroma is malty sweet and toffee with some oxidative wet cardboard and vinuous notes as it warms. Flavor is sweet pale and carmel malts; maple syrup with a bit of toastiness, balanced by a hop bitterness that borders on astringent. Has kind of a grape-like fruity character (maybe why some have described as "belgiany"...I don’t get any sourness). Alcohol is definitely present. Low-to-medium carbonation, a bit thin-bodied. Not a bad stock ale, but also not very compelling.

Bottle. Thanks to Captain Cougar for sending me this. Poured a ruby red body with thin head. Aroma is malty, with a slight fruity hop smell. Flavor is slightly bittersweet with a nice malty backbone, light hop bitterness, slight dry. Nice thick mouthfeel. Not bad at all.

bottle . . pours deep clear copper with a light white head . . aroma is malt, spice, green olive, slight citrus, butter and toffee . . taste is toffee, malt, slight hops, slightly bitter, not bad

Bottle. Hazy amber/copper with an almond color head. Sweet malty aroma of toffee, with some citrus and bourbony notes. Off-sweet toasty malt flavor with some spiciness and warmth. Fair backing of hops. A bit "Belgianesque." Smooth palate, moderate carbonation at first but waters out after a while. OK, not mind blowing, but worth the $7.50 I paid for the sixpack.

Pours bronze with a beige head that is lightly rocky. The aroma has a bit of diacetyl, toasted caramel malt and light spice. Medium / full body with some semi-sharp carbonation on the finish. The flavor starts with toasted malt with a bit of hops and alcohol burn along with caramel and brown sugar. The finish has some woodiness added and more burn. An okay beer.

Has that Belgium flavor that makes me want to ralph. Pours orange, typical head, just not my style. If you like Beligium style ales, then try. Otherwise, you will be sorely disappointed.

Uncloudy, shiny new penny color with small white head that tries to last. Aroma is nutty malt and citrus hops, with a dash of bracing barbershop hair tonic. Flavor is similar to aroma, with some corn. Kind of back and forth on the mix of flavors that I don’t know exactly what to make of. Seems nice and smooth on the front but seems to come apart and becomes a little harsh and fiery at the end.