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 05/06. Pours a clear amber with a decent head. Although it is fairly hoppy it is pretty balanced, bitter vs. malty. This was very good. Nice IPA. Thanks to Goldtwins for the bottle.

This one was damn good. An amber color with a light head. The aroma and flavor is awesome. A lot of orange and lemons showing up. The malt flavor and bitterness are well balanced. This reminded me of Alpha King quite a bit.

Bottle. Thanks to JIMBOWOOD. Pours a light copper orange color with a very clingy medium off white head. Aroma is huge and thick. Very strong hoppiness, with citrus, pine, and grass. Flavor is hugely bitter and grassy. Quite good. Finishes with a light grapefruit and pine. Medium to thick mouthfeel.

12 oz bottle, via Goldtwins. Pours a bright copper with a craggy off-white head that left good lacing. Well balanced aroma between big citrus hoppiness and deep caramel malt. Classic IIPA nose. Aggressively hopped flavor with a biting bitterness backed up by a sweet malt backbone. Warming alcoholic finish with plenty of lingering grapefruity bitterness. Medium bodied with a chewy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation composed of very fine bubbles. Pretty nice IIPA. Alcohol is very well hidden and overall pretty well balanced. I particularly like the hop profile of this.

Bottle via trade with goldtwins. Pours a clear copper color with a (just) off- white head, lacing really. Hoppy aroma with some orange notes. Good bit of hoppiness but I could tell it was Cascade even before I looked at the commercial description. It’s pretty metallic (I’ve been getting a lot of this lately- doesn’t that mean a heart attack or something?) Good malt presence along with a good floral hoppiness. Except for the metallic flavors, this is really a good beer. Finishes bitter with a slight pine flavor. Hides the alcohol VERY well.

Trade from Goldtwins. How can he get it in Atlanta and I can’t in Denver? Pours a pretty deep amber color with a big white head. The aroma is dominating by resinous malts - pine, citrus, pineaple. SOme malt to back it up. The tatse is very clean, with balanced malt an hop character for a beer of this strength. The resinous hops mix will with the malt charactre and mask the alcohol very well. Finishes witha pleasant lingering bitterness. Very good.

Bottle. Pours amber with a white head. Aroma of pine and caramel malt. Flavor and finish is dry and hoppy, with a good malt balance. Lingers nicely without being to resiny. Alcohol is well hidden and makes this one dangerous! Mendocino, make this and your 2004-5 winter regular offerings and maybe you will start to sell more of your beer and earn more respect on this web site. This is respectable beer at a great price. Take a few of your lowest selling beers offline, replace them with these. Trust me

Clear pour of medium amber with a substantial white head. Citrus aroma with just a touch of pine and caramel. Bitter start to finish with plenty of malt underneath. Long sappy finish. One of Mendocino’s better ones.