Beer of the Weekend #450: Mendocino Black IPA
I think I have finally cleansed my palate of Club-Malz. Yuck!
The beer of the weekend is another from the bird brewery: Mendocino Black IPA, brewed by the Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is very dark caramel brown. Two fingers of very dense, buttery, lightly tanned head dissipated slowly, leaving a webwork of foam along the glass and a creamy cap and lacing.
Smell: The usual suspects, though a touch faint. Grapefruit, orange, and a touch of pine. Underneath are hints of a malty foundation: caramel, toffee, and cocoa. Honestly, there really is not much there.
Taste: The flavor makes up for the lackluster smell. It is nothing intense, but it is superbly balanced. The grapefruit, orange, and lemon zest come on strong at first, then pine spice emerges. Counterbalancing the citrus and spice is toasted malts, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and a touch of cocoa. A dash of roasted malts offer a nice bite that complements the bitterness from the hops. Tropical fruit comes into play late, as well as some dark fruit cherry. A little odd, but very tasty. The zest lingers, probably due to the orange peel used during brewing.
Drinkability: This is good stuff, plain and simple. In terms of bitterness, it is not going to blow anybody away. But the flavor is awesome!
Fun facts about MBIPA:
-Style: Mendocino calls it IPA, but on BA it is classified as “American Black Ale.”
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
The beer of the weekend is another from the bird brewery: Mendocino Black IPA, brewed by the Mendocino Brewing Company of Ukiah, California.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. No freshness date.
Appearance: Poured into a pint glass. The color is very dark caramel brown. Two fingers of very dense, buttery, lightly tanned head dissipated slowly, leaving a webwork of foam along the glass and a creamy cap and lacing.
Smell: The usual suspects, though a touch faint. Grapefruit, orange, and a touch of pine. Underneath are hints of a malty foundation: caramel, toffee, and cocoa. Honestly, there really is not much there.
Taste: The flavor makes up for the lackluster smell. It is nothing intense, but it is superbly balanced. The grapefruit, orange, and lemon zest come on strong at first, then pine spice emerges. Counterbalancing the citrus and spice is toasted malts, caramel, toffee, vanilla, and a touch of cocoa. A dash of roasted malts offer a nice bite that complements the bitterness from the hops. Tropical fruit comes into play late, as well as some dark fruit cherry. A little odd, but very tasty. The zest lingers, probably due to the orange peel used during brewing.
Drinkability: This is good stuff, plain and simple. In terms of bitterness, it is not going to blow anybody away. But the flavor is awesome!
Fun facts about MBIPA:
-Style: Mendocino calls it IPA, but on BA it is classified as “American Black Ale.”
-Price: $8.99/sixer at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 6 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A.
