Saturday, August 13, 2011

Review: Mendocino Eye Of The Hawk Strong Ale

Alright, another beer you can get in Baton Rouge!  This one was actually brought to me by Danielle Wheeler from out of state, but I know we can get some Mendocino Brewing brews around town, so look for this one at the usual suspects.  And thanks Danielle, you rock!  

This beer is an American Strong Ale, which is as expected a stronger style in terms of alcohol content that encompasses a wide range of flavors.  Many of these are similar to old ales or barleywines while some are just extra-strong pale ales or maybe even amber ales.  For this one, I poured from a 12 ounce bottle into an imperial pint glass. It's a reddish orange color, clear with a couple fingers of slightly off-white head.

The aroma is a good blend of caramel malt and bitter hops. It's a well balanced nose that's very inviting. The taste is mostly hoppy up front then a more malty warmth later through on the sip. Definitely more bitter hop flavor than the smell indicates, with a mostly pine flavor and hints of grapefruit.

It's bitter on the end and full bodied.  A very nice beer with a good bit of flavor complexity and well controlled alcohol content.
 
My Rating: B+

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