Mendocino Winter Seasonal Imperial IPA

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

Pours hazy amber. Lots of hops aroma and flavor. Grapefruit and pine. Good bitterness level in finish. Alcohol level not detectable to the palate. Not the most cohesive or strongest Imp IPA, but not bad.

This one was a weak version of an Imp IPA. Not so much the flavors, but the general presentation. I felt like the hops went off in odd directions.

12 oz bottle purchased at McScrooge’s in Knoxville. Poured a slightly hazy red/amber color with an almost non existent head. What little bit of foam formed was off white. The aroma was very clean. Notes of pine, grapefruit and some caramel malt were present. The flavor was well balanced. The malt base was complimented by grapefruit and pine flavors that were present, but not too strong.

12oz bottle. Clear amber with a lasting beige head. Pine cleaner, alcohol, cantaloup, and dust aroma. Citrus and bitter cantaloup peel flavor with a bit of astringency and alcohol. A bit thin on the body. Nearly good, but falls into the typical Mendocino framework of off flavors. There has been something off about just about every beer that I’ve had from them.

Poured from 12 oz bottle a clear coppery hue, forming a small white head of foam. Aroma pungent of sweet caramel malts, grapefruits with pine extract. Flavour is of hops, with a particular piny and field grass back end. Rather smooth, yet bitter to please. Lacing is sexy on side of glass, however, this beer is middle of the road. A good effort from Mendocino, will drink again, but lets keep it in perspective, not a knock out.

While the Aroma, Appearance and palate are awesome, the flavor just wasn’t right. It tasted strong of hops... which is expected, but it was almost too strong - I love the 90 minute and this was much stronger then that... not sure how they got it so strong.. The alcohol was well hidden.

Bottle. Amber-bronze beer with a nice dark-cream colored head. Grapefruit and light pine aroma. Grapefruit, light pine flavor with light malt and earth. Medium-plus bodied. Some bitterness. Grapefruit and pine lingers with some earth and dustiness.

Pours pale peach-copper with a tall off white-yellow head that is big and foamy, has great retention and leaves decent lacing. Aroma is pine tar, grapefruit, thistle floral hops, a hint of toffee on the malt side but pretty weak otherwise. Flavor is big pine hops, citrus zest, lots of toffee, burnt sugar, caramel, some grain, woody malt, and plenty of spice. Finish is slightly bitter cirtrus notes and burnt sugar with a huge helping of pine. Body is medium and sticky with a good to low level of carbonation. A decent, though slightly weak IIPA.