Mendocino Summer Ale

Brewed by Mendocino Brewing Company
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Hopland, California USA

Aroma:Full lemon and citrus.... AppearanceLclear yellow,light head... Flavor:Lemon,light spicy.....

12 fl. oz. bottle from Beers of the World. App.: cloudy straw, with a smallish white head. Aroma: a little spice, yeast, lemony. Palate: Med.-thin body and somewhat lively carbonation. Flav.: a bit of the nose comes through, but it is thin and watery with a very slightly tart finish. $3.98 for a 6-pack, go figure...

Hazy pale yellow color with huge chunks of sediment floating around. Thin white head that disappears quickly and there is slick lacing. Mildly spiced aroma of coriander with a bit of lemon zest. Light-bodied and the flavor makes me wonder if the bottle is not from this past summer, but from a summer long ago. Sour fruit dominates, with some clove and wheat. The finish is tart and fruity. This one may have sat on the shelf too long, but whatever the cause, I did not enjoy it.

Cloudy light golden color with a large white head. Aroma of bready malt,yeast, citrus and spice. Wheat tang,light body finishes tart.

Well, I’m trying to get through the rest of the Summer beers I have in the fridge. I have three more to go... The Mendocino Summer Ale pours a cloudy, pale golden color with no head or crown. Aroma is doughy with a small hint of lemon zest. The flavor has a slightly sweet orange front and then fades to lemon juice that lends a tart and acidic quality to the beer. There is a light hop bitterness and yeastiness in the finish. Light to medium body and a bit fizzy. Overall there is a slight tartness to this beer that is both crisp and refreshing. This was my first Mendocino brew and I was mildly impressed. I will have to try to find more Mendocino beers online since they are not available in my area... 12 oz bottle, $0.50 from Sam’s Wine and Spirits (on sale).

Bottle. Head is initially small, frothy/fizzy, white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy light yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is lightly malty (toasted grain), lightly hoppy (flowers), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with light notes of lemon/lime/orange zest. Flavor is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Light to medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation. Simple and rudimentary, but not bad.

Pours the palest of golden hazy yellow, no head or lacing to speak of. Lemony aroma, faint sweet spice and wheat malt. Taste in of crisp light wheat malt, lemon and lightly bitter coriander. Very carbonated and crisp but thin. A simple and dumbed down witbier. Drinkable enough but way down the list as far as style.

(bottle - 12 oz) Cloudy orange in color with a decent amount of foam. Aroma is very spicy with a decent amount of coriander and lemon. Taste is a little spicy and wheaty at the beginning with some spices and coriander in the middle and a watery and slightly bitter and spicy finish. Medium carbonation.