Mendocino Winter Ale (05/06 - IIPA)

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

I’ve been finding all IPAs rather boring, as of late. They all seem pretty much the same. This one is no exception. A strong citrus nose of grapefruit and pine. Pours a brilliant orange with a small though delightfully creamy head. The highlight of the beer. The taste is strong on bitterness with a decent chewy malt balance. Caramelly and calming. Thick and pretty uncarbonated palate is nice. Quite drinkable for 9%.

12 oz. bottle, thanks to slob for this one! Pours a beautiful, ruddy copper color with a thin head and decent lacing. Primarily vegetal aroma, like a produce bin with a sprinkling of hops, some dust and earth. Vegetal hop flavor as well, bold hop tang initially, then a solid maltiness that quickly fades, leaving a lingering bitterness. Medium body and gentle carbonation.

Thanks to Caliber for this one. It’s the last one that I know of (or at least the last one in my fridge). Hoppy, yes, but not very edgy - it’s not making my tastebuds cry out in joyous pain. It has a more rounded flavor, maybe from spending the last few months being unconsumed, than I remember. Very nice lacing. A lot of malt sweetness that, without the plentiful hops, could cause this beer to be mistaken for a barley wine. And now we just to wait and see how Mendocino will reward us this coming winter for our patience.

This is one of mendocino’s best beers. Orange amber color, with a small white head. This is a hoppy beer, slightly fruity malt. Finishes alittle dry.

12 oz. bottle. Medium orange amber color with a small fluffy white head. Pinesol, vegetal hop aromatics, with some of the signature Mendocino mildly under-attenuated fruity malt overtones. Caramel, malty backbone to a heavy citric metallic Cascade family type hop flavor. Residual grassy astringency and some resinousness in the finish. Mouthfeel is medium, rather dry.

The aroma is citrusy, piney, and hoppy. The pour is a clear amber with a decent size white head. Head duration is fully lasting with excellent lacing. The flavor is hoppish and of grapefruit with a bitter finish.

Bottle sampled with Stegosaurus. Pours a translucent amber color with a medium sized off white head, aroma of hops, smell of pine and citrus. Flavor is bitter, citrus, and malty, hops and bitterness, not my thing, this came highly recommended to me.

The 94 rating surprises me. While I thought this to be a good beer, it didn’t seem up to that level. The clear amber body was topped with a small layer of white foam. There was robust hops aroma with some caramel sweetness and a touch of spice. Medium bodied and smooth on the tongue. The flavor was a respectable IPA bitterness with a touch of sweetness. A good brew but not exceptional.