Mendocino Winter Ale (04/05 - Porter)

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

12 oz bottle. Fridged for only about 45 minutes, not cold at all. Used a St. Sebastiaan, small tulip glass. I had high expectations of this beer, I found it sitting in a crappy beer store’s selves for over a year now. Everything is in pretty good condition. The beer pours beatifully. The body very black, but a but watery looking when poured. Nice brown head. The smell is my first disappointment. While it is very noticable it is also very hoppy. Smells like the hops of a Bigfoot. This is where I know this was not what I was hoping for. Tasted the beer, again hoppy, that West Coast idea of lets cover up the actual flavor of any beer with lots of hops. There is some feel of chocolate or roast behind all those hops but it is very faint. The palate is oily (in a bad way) leaving a mediciny burn on my tongue. Alcohol hidden well. A bitter aftertaste and a bitter feeling in my heart. Highly messed up porter. I’ll let 4 of these guys sit for a few more years to see if any good flavors emerges.6/4/7/2/12.

Rerate: 1/10/07. 9 months later and the beer has got a lot better. Aroma stil has a decent hop presence but the chocolate and roastiness has grown stronger. Taste has some cola-like flavors and an a sweet oatmeal aftertaste. Hops are still there but I can take it a bit better now.7/4/7/2/13.

(12 oz bottle: Obtained May 2005 in trade with goldtwins, thanks Larry!) I was disappointed that this brew wasn’t available out west, and now that I’ve gotten to taste it, now I’m really pissed. This beer totally rocks. It’s an aged, 1-year bottle, and it’s showing no ill effects, and maybe has improved. Absolutely packed with lip-smackin’ flavor, this delicious brew is roasty and bitter, very chocolaty, moderately sweet, very earthy and woody with a bit of cherry-like fruitiness thrown in for good measure. Earth and chocolate come up big in the highly-aromatic nose, less so the roastiness. Medium-full bodied and lightly tangy on the palate, with fairly gentle carbonation. Very dark brown with ruddy highlights at the edge, but the light-tan head pours small and dissipates fairly quickly, leaving a smattering of lace on the glass. I’ve always thought Mendocino brews were decent enough, but enough to make me buy them. But I have to say, this one is outstanding. If they ever brew this again, it damn well better be distributed on the west coast too.

Got as an extra from Matta Poured black with an light brown head Nice aromas of raosted coffee and malt with a little toffee as well. Flavor seemed a tad light but followed throught in the middle of the glass. The flavors were light but creamy with roast malt toffeee and chocolate in the finish..

Pours black with an awesome nitro looking beige head that stays thick and leaves lacing. Flavor is a dominating dark chocolate, with a hoppy aftertaste. Chocolate and caramel malts, very chocolatey, some coffee and espresso, hoppy and slightly sweet with an actually warming alcohol real good beer.

Thickly pour, opaque and black as night with a tan dust swirl and corresponding wrung to serve as the head. Aroma gets me going - sharp espresso bitterness with cursive dark chocolate and a formidable rye presence. Blackened, burnt caramel over charred oatmeal. Dark chocolate truffles bridge the nose to the mouth. Dry, bitter coffee grinds and unsweetened cocoa parley into the flavor’s grand capacity. Caked, nearly dried out espresso, eaten out of the tin by the fork load. Blackened rye and cackled pepper kernels. Charred oat flakes and a strong black patent forte. Salvatory quest on the palate and chewy, yet arid at other times and sometimes syrupy to boot. That being said, it’s formidably balanced on all fronts. Bullying espresso and unsweetened baker’s chocolate contribute to the dry, unquenching bitter memoir. One of the best porters around.

Poured a dark, opaque brownish black with a thick brown head. Roasted malt aroma with a touch of hoppiness. Flavor is rich and bittersweet: chocolate, a touch of black pepper, coffee. Finishes with a dash of bitterness. Very nice, but a bit dry for my taste.

Bottle. Poured a very deep brown with iced tea highlights and a short-lived cap of beige head. Aroma was heavy on the hoppage (piney Cascade presence was solid)... with lesser chocolate and other dark malts. Semi-sweet chocolate, pine, and some wintry spices in the flavor, but it seemed a bit light in body and depth compared with the flavor. Finish was slightly tacky and carried some chocolate through. Overall a very enjoyable porter.

12 oz Bottle. Pours with medium tan short-lived head. Aroma is very nice with caramel malt and coffee in the nose. Balancing hop bitterness with slight burnt malt again the caramel and coffee are prevalent. Finishes with a pleasing bitterness and lingering coffee flavor. It’s a shame this was a one shot deal - this ought to be a regular offering.