Mendocino Winter Seasonal Imperial IPA

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Imperial/Double IPA
Hopland, California USA

Pours with a copper body topped by a thin to medium thick head with some lacing. It’s slightly sweet with notes of apricot, pine and a little pineapple from the hops as well as a butter note. Medium bodied, smooth and slightly dry.

Pours clear golden amber with a small, short-lived head that leaves a ring and a little bit lacing. There are some pine and grapefruit in the nose but it’s balance by the biscuity malt backbone. The taste also veers to the sweeter side of the spectrum with the malts featuring as much as the hops. There is minimal hop bitterness in the taste and quite a bit of sugary sweetness. The mouthfeel is sticky sweet with strong carbonation. This is decent and relatively balance IPA, but it’s not one I would seek out.

Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a caramel-amber color with a large butterscotch head. The aroma was strong piney and grapefruity hops - somewhat sweet and robust. The flavor was sweet, rich and full of piney and fruity hops with a light malt backbone and a hint of caramel. There was a faint resiny middle and the beer turned sour on the finish. A bit subdued. The mouthfeel was thick and syrupy. There are some really nice elements here but something did not mesh quite right.

Slightly hazy amber pour, fluufy off white head and some spotted lace. Sweet tea aroma, too much crystal malt? Citrus and grapefruit type hop flavor. Decent, it was stored in my fridge since winter. still a little faded flavor 3.3 Fresh batch Re-rate 12/8/08 Clear amber pour with frothy off white head and drippy lace. big citrus and grapefruit aroma and flavor. Well balanced and well worth the 7.99 per 6 pack bounty! 3.7

Attractive amber, slightly off-white head. Nose is a dusty caramel malt, some tea-like hops, rich orange and a bit of honey. Flavor is strong hop bitterness up front, grapefruit, brown sugar, a hint of dusty chocolate. Strong rind in the caramel finish.

Lots of white foam, tis about 2 years old, give or take. Good full mouthfeel, creamy, a bit in back of throat from hop acid, lots of malt. Alcohol seemed stronger. Citrus in aroma and taste. Drying aftertaste.

(Bottle courtesy of Headbanger). Aroma is a fresh hop scent with a little malt. Color is a bright amber with light carbonation and a tight little head. Taste is rich, hoppy and bitter. Starting with a medium body it goes down with a creamy sweet, rich feel. Finish comes on rich with a little citrus and some malt, this is followed by a good bitterness. After taste is more bitterness and some lingering citrus. This is a good Imp. IPA and definitely one of the best brews I have had from these guys. Its packed with flavor yet its not gagy strong like some Imp IPA’s I’ve had.

This tastey brew pours an amber-orange colour with a medium sized white head. The head slowly dissipates to a whipped cream like top Aroma is of pine, grapefruit and dank earth. Mouthfeel is wonderfully carbonated, silky, hop infused and purely delicious. Taste is of citrus fruit and lots of hops. This review only reinforces my super hoped beer bias, but i dont care- it was a mighty fine bier.