Mendocino Talon Barley Wine

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

a hoppy barley wine. slightly warming alcohol notes make this a little harsh, with little happening besides the malts and cascade-like hops. pretty decent but especially for the price there are better barley wines.

Bottle. Orange-red brown color with a small cream colored head. Smells very sweet, almost like a blend of orange/apple juice, with some malts in the nose. Taste is very malty in the mouth, but doesn’t really leave a malty aftertaste. A little bitter on the finish, which is pleasant. Medium body, not too thick. Good beer. I didn’t really know what to expect.

pours a murky orange with a small whte head.the head leaves little lacing as it sits.smells alot like a belgian strong ale with notes of cotton candy,banana,and citurs.the palate is very complex and contains hints of citurs hops,sweet malts,some corriander,and caramel.overall its pretty good stuff.

Bottle - big, beautiful malt aroma. Just the way I like them! Reminds me of Bearded Pat’s aroma. Deep, dark copper body with a beige head. Flavor is deeply malty to begin. It doesn’t quite hold up from the mid swallow on - at least while cold. The finish is not quite as malty as I like, but still nice. Full mouthfeel. *Almost* exactly what I like.

Medium amber with a slight head. Sweet smell with a decent amount of hops but needs more. Slightly stale tasting crystal malt with some hints of chocolate and a decent amount of hops. Good bitterness in the end.

(Bottle) Pours a clear amber body with a large off-white head. aroma of caramel, spices, and some cocoa. Nice hops and malt balance in the flavor with some hints of chocolate.

beer pours a hazy amber with a thin white head that retains poorly but leaves good lace. carbonation is minimal. nose is sweet and fruity - like pineapple and apricot chunks in heavy syrup. there is also a strong alcohol smell. flavor is a sweet, heavy thickness, followed by a lot of IBUs. pretty standard barleywine flavors, although the alcohol is more out front in this one as compared to better examples. pretty weighty drinking. a little rough. maybe it’s too young?

Pours ruby red with not much head. Floral aroma soon overwhelmed by alcohol. Flavor is sweet malts maybe a touch of caramel and a big powerful alcohol backbite. Better as it warms for sure. Started out very strong and alcoholic but by the end it was much less noticable. Palate is kind of watery but it to is overwhelmed by the alcohol burn. This one is great as a warmer. It gets the blood flowing for sure but I think maybe the alcohol level is just a touch over the top. When you are getting down to the freezing mark on May 2nd in Ohio though you might as well have this one to stay warm!