Mendocino Winter Ale (04/05 - Porter)

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

(Knoxville Brewers’ Jam). Pours black with amber edges and a tan head. The aroma is chocolate malt and coffee. The flavor has coffee, toffee, chocolate, some woody hops, and somethign that resembles the effect of oak casks. This is pretty good stuff.

2004-05 bottle courtesy of goldtwins. Pours a jet-black with a small light-brown head on top. Not much going on in the aroma. Subtle hints of chocolate, coffee, vanilla and malts. Medium to thin-bodied, yet smooth and silky. Roasty. Lots of coffee and bittersweet chocolate present in the taste. Bitter hops and burnt toast in the finish. Another solid porter.

bottle. Pours solid opaque dark brown. The aroma is of a full roasty character with a thin sweetness underlying, some soy sauce too. This is chewy, thick, and fully roasty. I let it sit in my mouth a little longer and detected some subtle spicy hops, but it disappears after a swallow and the roasty malt takes over. This isn’t a whole lot like other winter ales I’ve had, but rather, it’s a damn fine porter.

Big thanks to Lou18 in New Jersey for this one! a very dark, almost black pour with a tan head that fades to a ring of lace. flavors of bittersweet chocolate and coffee greet the palate and the oily fluid glides across the tongue. yet even though it seems slick, its also kind of thin??? the hop finish is a nice touch. good porter.

Nice sharp hop aroma. Black with a pinky thick mocha head. Coffe and roasted hops. Very bitter finish that made me love it. This the best I have had from Mendocino. Nice beer that far exceeded my expectations. Thanks Lou18 for this one.

a nice hardy winter ale. more of a strong ale the a porter but good none the less. A nice light hop flavor with a decent chunck of malt. A good solid beer

12oz bottle on the hottest day of summer yet in Ohio. Who says this is only for winter? It was pretty good in the air conditioning as well. Pours black with a short tan head that laces well. Aroma is coffee, roasted malts, and a little chocolate. Flavor is just like the aroma with a nice bitter hop end. On the palate this is creamy and mouth coating. Full bodied for a porter and delicious. I could drink this all year long..

It’s not winter, but anytime the temperature is below 90 in July, that’s close enough. Really dark, no light coming though with a strong tan head. Smells of sweet roasted malts, coffee and chocolate. Heavy doses of roasted barley and chocolate malt with a touch of hops to balance. Strong and creamy with a thick, dry finish. Pretty good-worth finding again.