Mendocino Winter Ale (04/05 - Porter)

Formerly brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Porter
Saratoga Springs, New York USA

The 12 oz. bottle pours dense black in color with a rocky, mocha-colored head that left great lacing. Molasses and dark roasted coffee dominates aroma. Initial palate is sugary sweet with raisin and plum flavors to start, and then nicely balanced as coffee and chocolate flavors develop; spiciness suggests pine sap and nutmeg. The finish is agreeably tart and long-lasting. This ale is full-bodied and easy drinking; low-carbonation. Best served on the warmer side at 50F-60F.

Pours utterly opaque brown; the finely-beaded deep sepia head recedes to a thin circumference. Lacing vanishes after a few seconds. Rich mocha/coffee aroma accentuated by woodsmoke, grape, toasted almond, Christmas tree, maple syrup, cherry? Elements of wet brown paper bag and stale marshmellow are in there, but do not detract. Chocolate-covered-espresso-bean flavor and walnuts with fruity, piney, orange peel hops that become more pronounced as the beer warms. Palate is slightly oily and thin. Lingering bittersweet aftertaste. Tasty!

This beer pours an opaque dark brown with a thick caramel colored head. Hoppy aroma with some coffee and chocolate. Rich caramel and chocolate flavors and a very smooth mouthfeel. Good stuff.

Bottle pours black, hues of coffee, very small fizzy brownish head (dark for a Porter-nice), with spotty lacing.   Roasted malt nose, tho weak, not much hop presense but it seems to have a bit more of charred wood and alcohol.   Roasty, but leaning towards charred wood.   It is however somewhat smooth, albeit light (Its Mendocino after all).   Malty finish, again with the burnt up wood, but also some coffee bean.   Decent body, but mouthfeel is fairly thin.   Lingering roasted malts, campfire, and coffee beans.   Maybe a bit more a hop bite on the exit.   Thanks goes out to ClarkVV for the trade!

First sip of mostly frothy head was a little harsh, but it mellowed immediately. Very coffee bitter. For a porter, very hearty and flavorful. Becomes easier to drink as time goes on. The name is a little deceptive. Expecting more of a english strong ale and not a porter. I think the 7% alcohol adds to the distinction. Tastes similar to Heavyweights Baltic Porter.

Deep,dark brown brew with a ring od tan head.This is almost like sticking your nose in a cup of coffee with chocolate milk.the flavor is very bitter with the coffee/chocolate milk taste taking a rear seat.Not a bad brew,a good session beer.

Nice rich pour, color being dark brown with a thick well retained khaki colored head. Aroma is of chocolate malt and piney hops. Flavor is rich dark chocolate with coffee and nice piney hoppiness in the finish. This is somewhat like Apha Klaus and Avery New World Porter though not as good as those. Very good, however.

Silhouetted matte black with a glorious thickly pour, which surprised the hell out of me, I was expecting a brown ale-like pour but got a nearly Imperial Stout-like pour. Great cap too, nice and tall with a covering of smooth dark tan foam. Settles to a pretty heavy skim and leaves lacing in sticky little webbings, some bigger globs, and broken sheeting as well. Looks awesome! Whoa, smells awesome too! Holy complex array of hops and roasty things Batman! An intriguing mix of bittered chocolate and oily pineous orange-tinted hops make the front very warming with scrumptious hints to coffee roast and heavy, dark roasted malting. Yet, all the while keeps one hugely hopped up edge of breathy pinewoody earth. Maduro tobacco cigars soaked in chocolate and molasses spring to life as it warms. This is an unbelievable nose, one I could smell all day! Great hop and roast medley thats akin to Alpha Klaus. Ahhhh, favorable taster but somethings missing a bit from the strength the nose gives way to. Not sure what it is but its a bit tamer then given what the nose portrays. Any-who, it’s still damn good with a moderate bittering of chocolate and hops with weighty bits of roasted grains and malts. Caramel centers it with a touch of Heath Bar-like toffee and malted milk balls coating and texturizing. Ends with a repeating fresh coffee sense, burnt molasses, and slight tobacco juice decorating the finish with a medley of left over sweet roasted malt and hoppy dryness that sits for a good while leaving notes of charred pine super late. Again, the mix of roast and hops makes for one delightful treat. There’s bits of smokened dark fruits in there breaking inbetween what room is left from the hops and roast, which ain’t much but they do add some terrific little captions along the way. Body is about medium, nudging towards a thicker turn with a firm hold of fluffy texture thats both hoppy and roasty the whole time. Complex, drying, roasty, hoppy, lingering, stagering, oh great now the 7% hits. Wow! Even so, this was gone in no time flat. Take OSA and Alpha Klaus and this is what you come up with? One fantastic brew. Yum!