Mendocino Brewing
(short notes)

Hopland, California

All beers sampled at the brewpub, August 1995.  This is an historical brewery in the U.S. craft movement, even if most of the beers are unspectacular.  Worth a visit if you're in this appropriately named town.

Peregrine Pale Ale

American Pale Ale

* 1/2

This is their training-wheel beer. I have found that the further south I traveled, two trends become apparent with regards to such offerings. First, they become blander. Second, brewpubs offer more of them. This example was insipid, golden, clear, and dry. Rather uninspiring.

Blue Heron

American Pale Ale

* *

While locals may disagree, I consider this Hopland's Extra-Special Training Wheel Beer. Slightly more color than the Peregrine, and hoppier. However, the hoppiness had that distinct rough, almost astringent charcter to it which many argue is indicative of the use of a high cohumulone hop. More on this later.

Red Tail

American Amber Ale

* * 1/2

The original West Coast Amber Ale. Be sure to see the full review of Red Tail in the Tasting Notebook. As one would assume from the name, the beer was reddish in color. It was even more hoppy than the Blue Heron, with the same noticeable harshness. The flavor profile was rather estery -- enjoyably so. There was also some diacetyl present. It finished dry with a lingering hop harshness, which really detracted from this beer.

Black Hawk

Stout

* * * 1/2

This was, at last, a real beer. It had all the requisite characteristics of a fine stout: coffee/chocolate notes in the nose, appropriate (but restrained, unfortunately) roastiness, and lots of hop bitterness (perhaps amplified from high-co hops?). My only real concern with this beer was merely cosmetic: it was neither black nor opaque. The coloring was more appropriate for a brown porter.