Mendocino Talon Barley Wine

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Hopland, California USA

Poured a ruby-hued honey body with a small, fast, doughy-tan head. Thick, rich & malty aroma with grape raisin and tea... only light vegetal notes detract. Flavor finds a nice interaction of malts and yeasts with fruity leanings, but a harsh alcohol finish dries the mouth and kills the flavor. Pruney notes and a sour vinousness are also evidenced.

<font size=-4>Puchased at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/indiana/highlan Liquor Stop, Highland, IN 46322<font size=-1>

I really like barleywines so this is a relatively low score. Smells just like molasses, which is excellent. Not very heavy or sweet. Really nice, the only heaviness comes from the finish. Really the best Mendocino beer by far. Smooth, caramely, tasty.

Aroma:Aroma:good caramel nose... Appearance:dark redish-brown,small head.. Flavor:Caramel,hi alcohol flavor,light malt....

22oz bottle pours deep dark brownish/red with an off white head. Aromas of carmel malts and alcohol. Taste’s big and malty with the 10.5abv very noticeable and not much of any bitterness. Overall a decent barlywine but would like to taste this one a year or two from now.

Deep crimson, swirling creamy white head. Nose was decent with fusel alcohols, citrus, chocolate, and touches of dark fruity notes. And that there is the best thing about this beer. The flavor was an onslaught of harsh alcohol and bitterness. Notes of earth and nutty pine are detected between each shiver it sent down my spine. Reminded me of a bad cognac. Medium bodied, medium carbonation, bitter, harsh, alcoholic finish. Would never revisit unless this was aged for 5 years+....

On tap at Olde Saratoga Brewing Co. Pours a ruby red-brown with a mauve-coloured head. Hints of alcohol pervade the aroma, as well as nut. Malty, bready and strong alcohol finish. Solid mouthfeel for type, neither too thick or thin.

Pours ruby / brown with a light tan head. Aroma has rich musty caramel as well as alcohol giving a vinious effect. There is also some brown sugar. Medium body with light carbonation. Taste has sweetness - brown sugarish like the aroma & lots of alcohol, definitely lots of vinious qualities. Finish has the caramel and more alcohol. An okay beer, but the alcohol is competely not hidden. The bomber was split three ways, I can’t imagine finishing one of these alone.

22 oz bomber to celebrate yet another new employment. Pours a nice looking deep dark reddish brown/amber, with a quickly diminishing orange head . Aroma is rich sweet malt, much like a scotch ale. Flavor is also sweet rich malt with a little alcohol burn, and a lightly bitter finish. A good caramel hit along with roasted grain. Barleywines seem to have such a wide disparity of flavors, aromas, and textures, and this one is considerably different from others I have had. I like it. I’m becoming a real fan of Mendocino. You can tell right away that a 22 oz bottle will drop a hammer on your head. But that was the idea, anyway! Cheers! $3.99 at Total Wine & More, Jacksonville FL.