Mendocino Black Eye Ale

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company (United Breweries Group)
Style: Porter
Hopland, California USA

Serve in English pint, Shaker

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   update pic

on tap-pours a rich tan head and mahogany color. Aroma is sweet medium malt-roasty. Taste is sweet medium malt-roasty/some chocolate, earthy hops. Medium body. Soft carbonation.

Bomber from Eddie down at express liquor in PB.. Pours a very dark chocolate with red highlights when head up to the light..smells of toffee and I catch some sweetness maybe molassas and a bit of coffee as it slowly warms.. Very thin to the palate, I know it not a true porter but rather a blend but still very thin and honestly almost enough carbination to taste like a flat coca cola.. I taste very light licorice upfront w another flavor my palate cannot fully comprehend, possibly a roasted flavoring of some sort.. There is some syrupy sweetness on the finish and a light tartness.. All that being said, there is something I find very soothing with each sip and the balance between bitter and sweet is done pretty well.. Definitely a beer you sip and take your time.. Im not taking her home to meet the parents just yet, but shes worth a second date during the week..

(bottle from bhensonb) Pours dark brownish/black with ruby highlights and a tan head that eventually dissipates to nothing. Aroma starts out kind of tart, with a berry-like character and additional smells of chocolate and roasted malt. Similar to a foreign stout in some respects. Further warming reveals some dark fruit, light smoke, beef jerky, and spent coffee grounds. Taste is simplistic, with dark roasted malt, cocoa, smoke, and coffee that’s been sitting out for too long. Also a bit of berry skin tartness in there too. Mouthfeel is really thin, and the carbonation is really high for the style. An ok beer, nothing all that offensive, but the mouthfeel could use some thickening. Thanks Bill!

Mendocino Black Eye Ale is just on the edge of brown and black. The big, fluffy, beige head has outstanding retention and lacing. It has a slightly sweet, roasty aroma, with tangy malt on the nose. There are notes of brown sugar and something slightly herbal. It’s medium bodied and smooth. The finish is a little scratchy and metallic. It’s a little sweet, a little bitter; good balance. It tastes roasty with notes of dark chocolate, licorice and black cherry. The rumbly, boozy finish makes it taste stronger than it is. Green bitterness provides the aftertaste. It’s reasonably complex; not for chugging.

Pours black with copper edges, frothy tan head with good retention. Aroma of milk chocolate, toasty malt, some citrus, dark fruit. Taste is sweet chocolate malt, with a bitter hop and coffee finish. Very rich smooth texture.

22. Pours nearly jet black with a loose tan head that falls quickly away to nothing. Plenty of dense sheeting lace coming down the sides. Very mild roasty nose Loosely sweet brown bread notes knocking around, but, really, very little happening. Creamy medium body with mild carb. Brown bread, a little cola, and maybe some white sugar on the mid-palate. Fairly neutral finish. Is this beer too cold or something? Seems to have almost nothing going on.

UPDATED: JAN 6, 2010 Mendecino Brewing Company--Black Eye Ale--The Ultimate Blend--2008 Release--22 oz. Bottle. 6.50%--25 IBU’s? (4.2 / 5.0) Black & Tan--Rich lacy mild espresso head. Clear dark bronze red brown color. Mild chocolate toasted mild hop front. Smooth thin refreshing mild sweet toasted bisquit creamy chocolate hint mild fruit body. Mellow hop spice fresh lingering malt end. Sampled 5/27/2008. $3.29 Each Mendecino Brewing Company--Black Eye Ale--The Ultimate Blend--2005 Release--22 oz. Bottle6.50% ABV--45 IBU’s? (4.25 / 5.0) Black & Tan--Mild tan lace head. Clear dark mahogeny red black color. Tangy mild hop front. Smooth creamy mild roasted sweet caramel espresso mild fruit ester body. Clean mild hop spice hot end. Rich smooth UniqueBrew. Sampled 11/9/2005.

Bottle. Pours deep brown with a thin off white head. Light roasty and sweetish aroma with some strange herbal notes. The flavor is well balanced with some light roasted malt and floral/herbal hops. Not bad.

Rating 301. Woop. A - Musty caramel, fruit, chocolate, hops, dark malt, and roast. A - Pours brown. Ruby to bright light. Light whitish head. T - The sum is greater than the parts, I imagine. Not sure what d-bag in marketing came up with this, but it wasn’t the BEST idea. For a blend, both beers are still present. The ale probably more dominant. Not sure if that’s a strength or a weakness. Hoppy and caramel malt upfront, with stout/porter qualities in the mid and back. Caramel, pale and roast malts all there. Chocolate and some dark fruitiness. Chocolate and hoppy caramel linger. Finish is still stout-like. P - Pretty silky. Bitter like an ale, but creamy smooth like a stout. Hops and roast both make strong points here. Somewhat like a porter. Probably the best asset this beer has to offer. O - Really wish I had the two to mix for myself, side by side with their rendition. 50/50 or 60/40. Sometimes, I guess you DO get what you pay for. A low-end Rogue would be a better choice. $2.99 was good for this, though. Glad I tried. For the affordability, maybe try again. Pretty sure this was fresh from the store, unless transferred from another location. Tastes somewhat old Not the best. Not worth seeking. Mendocino brews come off pretty tame and uninteresting to me. Think their “limited’ winter IPA was pretty good though.

The beer looks tasty when held to the light. When i bought it i was a little skeptical about the blending of the beers and rightfully so. the initial taste is sweet, but that is about all this beer has going for it. The finish of this beer is similar to that of a cold coors light but slightly maltier