Mendocino Red Tail Lager

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Premium Lager
Hopland, California USA

On tap. This was at a little restaurant in Tahoe City, CA called Rosie’s. The pour was a crystal clear pale copper color with a foamy white, one-finger head. Spotty lacing followed all the way down the glass. The aroma was subdued citrus and a bit of floral hoppiness. This beer was VERY fresh. The flavor was a surprisingly nice blend of citrus and floral hops with some thin malt present. A bit of a lingering sweet finish. This is a perfect example of how important FRESH beer really is. I’m sure if I had a year old bottle of this stuff from my local liquor store I would have given this a much lower score, but since it was from a fresh keg I’ll tell you it was a very solid session beer.

Pour is a very dark yellow with a small white head. Aroma is very grainy and has a nice hint of hops in there. Flavor is about the same with some grainy malt with a touch of hops. A decent lager.

Grainy/grassy aroma with a hint of sweeter breads and steeped cereal grains. The body is a dull copper/amber color and holds a thumb thick white head that is fairly lasting but leaves very little lace. Fore is sweet cereal grains with very faint fruity/sugary notes....almost like having your Booberry with water and then drinking the left over water. I actually reaqlly like the flavor though. It hints at toasty grains, but is mostly sweet and lightly fruity. The finish is clean if not dry, but leaves a lingering blueberry, apple, grain flavor. I’d drink this again for sure.

Bottle. Poured a clear amber with a minimal head. Aroma of light cereal and grassy hops. Light cereal malt flavor with some crisp hops in the back. Nice bit of fruitiness here as well--like an apple peel note. Though I bought this only for the discounted price, it turns out better than I was anticipating. All in all, a decent drinking lager.

12oz. bottle. Fairly slight on aroma, featuring just a hint of crackery, grainy malt and grassy, floral hop, perhaps a touch of yeast to be found as well. Medium golden color with a fine, lasting, off-white head. Flavor is seemingly equally slight, again a faint wash of malt grains and almost imperceptible sweetness, combined with a modest amount of green, spicy hop flavor and bitterness. Finish is appropriately crisp and dry. Effervescent, sharp and active on the palate with a light-medium body. Not much to this one; makes a pleasant thirst quencher.

Pours a darl gold with a thick white head. Slightly sour malt aroma. Earthy, grainy, sour sweet tang in the taste department. Not very enjoyable. Thick mouthfeel. Bitter finish. I’ll slip past this one next time.

Somewhat hazy dark golden liquid with a small, somewhat diminishing off-white head. Mild aromas with some pale malt, mild orange citrus and floral hops. Mild caramel flavors with a lightly herbal middle (wintergreen). Fairly thick in feel. Some flavors that remind me of eating a day old doughnut. Dryer finish with just a hint of herbal hops.

Bottle, Lager Glass. light aroma a bit of light sweet malts, no hop presence. Taste is pretty light fairly watery, nothing special here at all. Ill be honest for a premium lager its pretty decent a slight bitter and dry finish. Not too bad.