Mendocino Winter Ale (04/05 - Porter)

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

(Bottle 35,5 cl) Courtesy of Degarth. Pours completely opaque black with a dense, creamy, light brown head leaving some laces. Lightly tart aroma of roasted malt. Medium body, very soft mouthfeel and roasted, lightly burned malt accents with a hint of coffee. Very subdued bitterness. Nice indeed. 090407

Pours pitch black with almost no head. Some fizzy tan bubbles rallied near the edges, but thats it. Pretty big chocolate smell, backed up by some dark malts, a little roastiness, and present alcohol. Taste is pretty big roasty malts with the chocolate somewhat in the background and the aftertaste. Kind of nutty, with a slight metallic finish, but nothing offensive by any means. Pretty good.

Wow, I didn’t realize I had not rated this until I was about to rate the Oatmeal Stout. Anyway, from memory, this beer pours quite dark, the aroma and flavor are both full of roastiness, as well as a bit of hop presence.

Bottled. A pitch black beer with no head. The aroma is sweet malty with strong notes of coffee, chocolate, and prunes. The flavor is sweet with notes of cocoa beans, coffee, cappuchino, and chocolate as well as light notes of roasted malt, leading to a dry cocoa end. Surprisingly the body is a bit thin.

Bottle. Black colour with a medium brown head. The aroma is of vanilla, wood, chocolate and liqourice, the taste is chocolate, coffee and vanilla in a medium body with a dry finish.

Bottled. Pitch black. Brown dense head. Impressive looks. Roast, vanilla (reminds me of barrelaging), light smoke and liqourice. Yummy. Flaovur is a bit more bland and subdued. Coffee, cocoa, roast and spice is what I can taste. Surprisingly thin bodied. Has a roasty light watery end. A bit thin but well tasting. Thanks to Degarth for the trade

Bottled. Very dark brown coloured. Loads of chocolate and coffee in the aroma, but also some soy sauce and some raisins. Sweet chocolate flavour. Quite full aroma and flavour, but the body is surprisingly light.

Bottle from Beer_Hawk; almost was going to trade it off until i realized there were diffefent Winter Ales and i had the IIPA! Almost sent it to footbalm! Nose of coffee and chocolate; opaque walnut with a tiny tan head with a lasting nickle size ring that stays in the center for a while; flavor of coffee, rosatiness, and faint hop notes. Must of been awesome with the hops when it was fresh!