Mendocino Summer Seasonal Wheat Beer

03-Feb-08 (12 oz bottle: BevMo in La Jolla, CA) Slightly hazy and bright golden in color, the quarter-inch-tall white head is kept alive by dozens of streams of tightly packed bubbles making their way to the surface. Wheaty nose seems sweet and honey-like, with a floral hoppiness coming out as well. Big, wheat taste is balanced by floral hops, but the honey sweetness is terribly prominent. Bitterness is light-medium, but seems stronger because the wheat is an easy push-over. Medium in body and well-carbonated, but the sweetness of the beer along with the floral nature of the hops leaves a heavy and stale feeling on the palate and a bad aftertaste. Plenty of flavor here, which is a big plus for an American-style wheat beer, but the hop profile isn’t especially enjoyable.

Bottle from the Fresno Marriott fridge, go Dogs! Clloudy orange gold pour with minimal white froth. If the target was minimal taste and aroma with a nice finish - they hit it! Not for me.

Light coriander and strong wheat aroma. Cloudy yellow color with a small white head. Wheat beginning with a citrus middle getting tangier in the finish.

Picked up a single 12-oz bottle at John’s Marketplace in Portland, Oregon. Pours a semi-hazy straw blonde brew with a thin white head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring. Aroma of crystal grain malt with wheat, some lemon zest, flowery hops and a touch of coriander. Taste is medium bodied, lightly carbonated with flavors of wheat malt, coriander a touch of black pepper and some citrus zest. Finish has a mild spice and bitter aftertaste that slowly disappears. For a year-old bottle of wheat ale, this hold up pretty good.

12oz bottle thanks to 17thfloor. Cloudy straw color with small white head. Aroma is big spice with yeast, wheat and very dried out. The flavor is more orange and fruit centered then spice or yeast but the malt sweetness is off-dry but finishes sweet. Medium body with good carbonation. Not bad, thanks again Garrett.