Mendocino Winter Ale (05/06 - IIPA)

Formerly brewed at Olde Saratoga Brewing (Mendocino Brewing Co.)
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Saratoga Springs, New York USA

Bottle: Courtesy of beeryum via trade. Aroma moderately sweet with orange, apricot, light sugary sweetness, and light grapefruit hops. The aroma is not a bold as I expect from a IIPA. Pours a bright transparent orangish-amber with a minimal white ring around the edges of the glass. Caramel and a touch of toffee up front is quickly overtaken by a grapefruit hop finish and the sightest hint of alcohol. Pretty good, but not "bold" as I like in a IIPA.

Thanks Matta for this one. Poured into a snifter. Brilliantly clear amber color with a smallish white head. Lots of visible carbonation. Aromas of over diluted Pine Sol, with some caramel, toasted malt notes. Starts with a burst of pine, but that is short lived. As soon as this beer hits the back of my palate, I get a rush of metallic, even a bloody flavor. Iron? It ruins the entire experience. The palate is thin and bubbly.

12 oz bottle. Clear copper color with a foamy off white head that laced the glass. Smells like a North Carolina pine forest. Powerful sprucy hop nose and flavor. Dry and delicious. Caramel malt flavor comes out at the end as the bitterness wanes. Great beer.

This beer offers a nice robust aroma of hops with hint of pine. It is a bronze solution with a good thick off-white head and good lacing. This medium bodied beer tingles the tongue as it flows through the mouth. The taste of hops is infused with bits of pine. This beer exits a tad bitter and has a metallic taste creep in during the aftertaste.

(bottle - 12 oz) Mildly hazy orange color with a load of fluffy white head. Aroma is full of citrus, hops and some sweet malts. Kind of light. Flavor begins slightly sweet with a nice citrus flavor going along with it. The middle has a lot of hops and some malt with a nice and smooth finish with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Holy Hops Batman!! What a combo of grapefruits and citrus flavors with a little apricot in there. Easy to drink, medium body for an IIPA.. could have added a little more weight but overall very enjoyable. Look forward to next winter season.

First off, this is an unbelievable deal at $5.99/6 pack, $19.99/24 pack. Pours a nice head with lots of retention. Aroma is standard-strong pine, grapefruit, although not a lot of sweet malt. Flavor is the same-doesnt seem too ’imperial’ in thickness, except for the hops. The hops dominate but some nice malt does come through especially when it warms. Palate is a little sticky and bitter. Overall this is a pretty good IIPA but it lacks the body of a quality malt background. Still, it is a superb deal considering what else is in the same price range and will get extra points overall because of this. (....pretty good beer....9%....cheap...im down!) holds up over time like, wow

12oz bottle via trade with goldtwins! Thanks Larry! Pours amber with a short offwhite head that fades quickly to a film and laces the sides of the glass well after that. Nice aroma of caramel malts and apricot and grapefruit. Flavor is a good blend as well of sweet caramel malts and grapefruit and floral hops. Also a definite apricot flavor there. Palate is medium bodied and not overly agressive. A very drinkable IIPA.