Beer of the Weekend #367: Blue Heron Pale Ale
Tonight I had a BevMo! flashback at John’s. I walked into the beer room and was about to head into the walk-in cooler when I spotted cases of beer from the Mendocino Brewing Company.
WHOA! It was, no doubt, a very pleasant surprise.
During my final days in the Golden State, I reviewed Mendocino’s Eye of the Hawk (BotW #139). Eye of the Hawk was the only Mendocino brew I tried despite the brewery’s impressive line-up. Why? Because: “The carriers and bottle labels are ugly as hell.” It is always a bad idea to judge a beer by its label design, but I could not get past the birds plastered all over Mendocino’s bottles and carriers. They looked so stupid. I could never get myself to buy one and bought Eye of the Hawk out of pity. However, ever since I have kicked myself for not trying more Mendocino beers — especially since I could not get them in Iowa. Today, when I saw those boxes Red Tail Ale, Eye of the Hawk, and White Hawk Select IPA, I decided to make amends and try as many as I could.
Tonight I am starting with Blue Heron Pale Ale, brewed by the Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is straw/lemonade yellow with a little chill haze. Two fingers of thick, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a thin skim and minor ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of British-esque caramel up front, which is a surprise to me. Grassy hops and light lemon citrus accentuate the malts. There is also a hint of honey, too. It smells a lot like it was brewed by Fullers. It is very well balanced in all regards, though; nothing dominates.
Taste: Not as sweet as the smell; the grassy hops and lemon citrus stand out. The caramel emerges quickly, though, and offers both sweet and toasted versions. A little honey and vanilla sneak in, as well. Much like with the smell, the flavors balance nicely. However, it does offer a zesty astringency to let you know it is from the west coast.
Drinkability: When I bought it I was expecting a west coast pale ale. After taking a couple whiffs, I was expecting it to taste much more like a British pale ale. However, it seems to be a nice hybrid.
Fun facts about BHPA:
-Style: American Pale Ale.
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.1 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine; earthy, nutty, and tangy cheeses; salad, and poultry.
-Nerdiness from the Mendocino website:
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
WHOA! It was, no doubt, a very pleasant surprise.
During my final days in the Golden State, I reviewed Mendocino’s Eye of the Hawk (BotW #139). Eye of the Hawk was the only Mendocino brew I tried despite the brewery’s impressive line-up. Why? Because: “The carriers and bottle labels are ugly as hell.” It is always a bad idea to judge a beer by its label design, but I could not get past the birds plastered all over Mendocino’s bottles and carriers. They looked so stupid. I could never get myself to buy one and bought Eye of the Hawk out of pity. However, ever since I have kicked myself for not trying more Mendocino beers — especially since I could not get them in Iowa. Today, when I saw those boxes Red Tail Ale, Eye of the Hawk, and White Hawk Select IPA, I decided to make amends and try as many as I could.
Tonight I am starting with Blue Heron Pale Ale, brewed by the Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is straw/lemonade yellow with a little chill haze. Two fingers of thick, eggshell-colored head dissipated slowly to leave a thin skim and minor ring around the edge.
Smell: Lots of British-esque caramel up front, which is a surprise to me. Grassy hops and light lemon citrus accentuate the malts. There is also a hint of honey, too. It smells a lot like it was brewed by Fullers. It is very well balanced in all regards, though; nothing dominates.
Taste: Not as sweet as the smell; the grassy hops and lemon citrus stand out. The caramel emerges quickly, though, and offers both sweet and toasted versions. A little honey and vanilla sneak in, as well. Much like with the smell, the flavors balance nicely. However, it does offer a zesty astringency to let you know it is from the west coast.
Drinkability: When I bought it I was expecting a west coast pale ale. After taking a couple whiffs, I was expecting it to taste much more like a British pale ale. However, it seems to be a nice hybrid.
Fun facts about BHPA:
-Style: American Pale Ale.
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6.1 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine; earthy, nutty, and tangy cheeses; salad, and poultry.
-Nerdiness from the Mendocino website:
Blue Heron Pale Ale is a delightful, medium bodied smooth ale, with a distinctive crisp mouth-feel and a fresh hoppy finish. It is brewed using premium two-row Pale malted barley, generous amounts of both Cluster bittering hops and Cascade finishing hops and our own special proprietary yeast strain.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B-.
