Mendocino White Hawk Original IPA

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Hopland, California USA

I think Medocino forgot something. Namely the hops. Now, I think everyone expects that if you are a West Coast brewer, you’d better bring the hops. This was just weak. An aroma of light malt and light hop. Appearance was an orangish gold in color. Mouthfeel was medim bodied. Flavor was minerally, like someone dropped an aspirin in the bottle, slightly sweet with a small hop profile. Perhaps the bottle I got was old. I’m up for a re-rate, but it won’t be on my dime for sure. I’m down with some of Mendocino’s beers. This just aint one of ’em.

bottle . . pours golden copper with a white head . . aroma is hops, citrus, and no joke swamp water . . taste is hoppys, pepper, grapefruit, floral and very bitter . . weird beer

Copper pour with a thick and bubbly head. Floral hoppy aroma. Floral hops again in the taste with a doughy malt backbone. Lots of carbonation. Hop stickiness lingers. Perhaps a bit too sweet. Very bitter finish. Astringent. Too rough around the edges.

Appearance: Pours a hazy golden-amber body with a foamy white head. Features a beltching hawk on label! Smell: Not the most florid aroma out there, that’s for sure. Some flowers and some citrus, mostly. Oh, and what’s this? Vanilla? Get oughta town! Taste: Initially sweet, with hints of toffee, orange, and...hm, well, there’s that vanilla again. Pureed peaches and pine needles just before the dry, bitter finish. Astringent in the back of throat upon swallowing. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Moderate carbonation. A bit watery. Drinkability: A beer riddled with shortcomings. Oh, and about that odd vanilla-nicity, does anyone have any comment or opinion on this? I feel the search for the source of it will become an all-consuming obsession, and every moment until I find its source will be lost to depression and dwelling in regret and an overwhelming feeling that my life is not complete, that I cannot be happy, and that there is little point to getting up in the morning.

Sweet fruity hoppy aroma. I can also notice the aroma of fresh baked bread. Overall a single layered decent IPA.

Bottle courtesy of cbkschubert. Pours a hazy copper with a thin white head. Smells of citrus, pine, and soapy. Tastes lightly bitter with some resiny qualities. Mouthfeel is oily with a peppery finish.

i’m an ipa fan so when i saw this beer and realized i had not tried it yet, i grabbed a six. aroma is hoppy, to say the least, slightly citrus (grapefruit?). Copper color looks appealing. this is a medium bitter, not too bad but not great. medium body with loads of fizz. finishes bitter that lingers for a while. decent but I won’t likely be recommending it to any friends... unless they are just curious.

Piney aroma. Alittle malt in the aroma. Dark copper no bubbles and clear. Kind of ruddy looking. Not as hoppy or as malty as it should be. Kind of light, for an IPA it’s way too light. Thick mouthfeel though. Meh didn’t like it.