Mendocino Talon Barley Wine

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

Bottle shared with HogTownHarry, GregClow & tupalev -- courtesy of a secret source. Pours a clear deep ruby with an average size diminishing off-white head. Nice sweet aroma of caramel malt, brown sugar, a variety of fruit, piney hops and alcohol. Flavour is sweet and malty with lots of fruit and pine & citrus hops, brown sugar, some wood and alcohol -- the alcohol’s a little too prominent in the flavour, it could use a little mellowing out. Good medium body, creamy mouthfeel. A pretty good Barley Wine.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, GregClow, and Blankboy, paul’s bottle. Dark ruby red, small white head. Alcohol and malt - very sweet - in nice aroma. Strong alcohol and malt taste, some wood notes. Harsh. Lots of taste, but the body is too thin, which makes the alcohol harsh. Straightforward barleywine that is still enjoyable, just not exceptional.

Bottle (650ml). Shared with blankboy, GregClow and tupalev - blankboy’s bottle. Poured clear ruby with a small beige rocky head. Decent BW aroma, roast malt, alcohol, hardwood, resiny hops, mild fruitiness. Taste is woody, resiny hops, lotsa alcohol and some cherry - decent, not earth-shattering. Mouthfeel is alcoholic, a little unbalanced and astringent - solid.

Pours dark amber with a thin mocha head. Aroma of toffee, molasses, caramelized alefruit: plums, cherries, and raisins. Taste is sweet caramel, fruity esters, with subdued alcohol presence. A bit simplistic. Mouthfeel is medium to heavy bodied with smooth carbonation. The beer is not overly sweet, the FG was kept relatively low, so this is not as heavy as some BWs. The alcohol quickly lets you know that this beer has some bite. Pretty solid barleywine, not a whole lot of frills, some more hops could have been a nice addition. Perhaps this should be released earlier to allow hopheads the chance to drink a few green bottles?

Had a bottle of this last night after work. Very fruity nose of plums, brown sugar, spicy hops, alcohol, dried fruit, and caramel. The brew pours a clear garnet. The creamy beige head is mostly diminishing with light lace. The rich and warm flavor is very malty and sweet. The full robust body is creamy and soft, and feels sticky at the finish.

Bottle. Pours clear dark amber with a nice off white head. Aroma of plum, malt, port wine. Flavor of caramel, brown sugar, dark fruit with a nice counterpunch of bitter citrusy hops. Not a very rich or heavy barleywine, but very easy to drink. Perhaps this is closer to an American strong ale. This was a pleasant surprise from Medoncino.

Cellar check 5-12-09. These were on clearance for 2.99 a bottle and were probably about 4 years old. The hops have pretty much faded, and leaves a tea, tobacco, and husky grain malitiness. Mouthfeel is a tad prickly. Oxidation has set in and noticeable on the finish- which is a cross between the desirable and undesirable traits of oxidation, half sherry and half wet paper. This certainly does not age like a SN Bigfoot, perhaps this is filtered too much? If ya got em in the cellar, drink them now.

2004: Pour is rather clear dark red amber with a nice big dense bubbled tan head...smell is bread dough and date-ish at first, but definately has some grapefruity hops....taste is predominantly sweet malts with lots of bread and dark fruits...slight hint of bitterness masks the alcohol well, but is a little thin...

Pours a dark amber with ruby highlights; half-inch off-white, slightly yellowish head. Big, rich nose: fruity malt, brown sugar, cookies. Rich, dark (but not roasted) flavor: sweet malt up front, a touch of peppery spice, oatmeal raisin cookies soaked in brandy with a dash of hop bitterness on the end. Full-bodied mouthfeel. Very, very good.