Mendocino Summer Ale

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

Rated June 2008. Summer Seasonal White Ale 12oz bottle that pours up hazy white-ish straw with thin white head. The aroma is lemon, un-ripe orange peel, hay, wheat, bubble gum, spices and some green and red apples. The taste is bold and yet refreshing. Nice summer product. I get lemon that combines with sweetness from malts and a bit of wheat. The sweetness quickly fades leaving lemon tartness, orange peel tartness and tangelo tart hard candy tartness. Tart but refreshing. It then smooths out with faint bubble gum, some hay, spice, a bit of sweetness and receding levels of tartness into the finish.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I picked this one up from Corridor Wines and Spirits in Laurel, MD some time ago. Unfortunately when I was away the cat sitter drank the only bottle I had. So I had to pick up another one the next time I went in there.

Poured in the glass the beer looks just like lemonade with a tiny white head on it. It is very cloudy and pale yellow in color. There are little particles floating around in it as well. The aroma is that of coriander and citrusy tones. Very well done.

The taste is very well done on this one, but it tends to be a little on the watery side. It needs more substance to be a truly great white summer beer. Flavors of coriander, citrus fruits like lemon and grapefruit, and some other sort of spice are prevalent. The beer has a medium carbonation level to it which leaves a slight tingle on your tongue.

Bottom line, this one is slightly above average, nothing too great. I've had other summer whites that are better and had more body to them.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

12 oz brown bottle from our "Beers from Around the World - International Collection of Summers Beers" 8 pack. Label as pictured, celebrating over 20 years of Brewing Excelence. "This Select Special Edition Summer Ale is an unfiltered and refreshingly smooth white ale. It is brewed with malted barley and unmalted wheat. This wheat ale features a blend of sensuous spices. A hint of orange peel and a twist of lemon makes this ale a thirst quenching experience you will savor!" A prertty good description from the label. Looks like a Belgian White, cloudy and shimmering in the glass, a large white head billows up with the pour. Spicy and citrus aromas along the wheat and yeast. The taste is about what I was expecting - some lemon citrus bite, with spice and corriander. Fresh and clean with a smooth finish. It does remind me of a Hoegaarden. A very well made summer offering, another one I was glad to get to try.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

A bit cloudy - like a hefeweizen - a very light yellow coloring -with a strong citrus aroma. Some very small particles suspended in beer. Very little head. Good carbonation and very good first taste - citrus (orange and lemon), peppery. Very good taste - an easy-to-drink summer ale. Nice beer.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Brown 12 oz bottle. Pop the lid for an odd old leather aroma. Good wheat smells and attractive bouquet. Pour is Cloudy and light like a wheat beer. Swirling and attractive hazy show. Has gunk on the bottom of the bottle. Has an interesting particled head and froth for a topper. Very creamy initial hit on the palate from good small fine bubble carbonation. Lovely wheat flavors. Fine example of a well brewed wheat style beer. Happy, friendly and fun to be with, no alky apparent while drinken. Finish is a little flat but that’s OK considering the other senses firing. No bitter hints can be found. Easy to drink. Perhaps not as refined as a witbier should be but certainly better than the typical wheats or hefes. I really like the wheat beer styles.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Light yellow color with a sparkling white head. I swirled the yeast and dropped it in thus giving the beer a golden yellow murkiness. Faint wheat aroma with lemon, banana, and spices. I felt this beer was overcarbonated and the mouthfeel was both sour and sweet. Unclean finish, it's just too tacky. Decent wheat content some flavors of oranges and lemons. I could detect an odd off flavor near the end of each sip. Overall it's pretty bland and unbalanced for a wit, just not too exciting.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Nice, tastey summertime beer overall. pours a light and cloudy golden colour, little white head, and very smooth. Plenty of wheat, grapes and pear flavors. Not overly wheaty, but very pleasent and attractive.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 3 | Flavor: 3 | Overall: 4

I made the mistake of buying this beer on sale at the end of the summer at my local distributor. I usually enjoy this style of beer but this is not one of them. The spices (orange, corriander, lemon) are over powering. I can't wait to finish the case so that I can purchase something better.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Yet another withbier to try. One thing I have noticed is wider variations within this style amongst different breweries; more so, in my opinion, then you see in hefewiezen variations. That being said, I do look forward to this "variation" of the witbier-style by this brewery. The aroma is stronger in spice content than others I have had and I detect strong coriander and orange peel with maybe some tangerine and slight all-spice and is very inviting. The appearance is a thicker than usual deep, golden yellow with much cloudiness evident with a big a beautiful head on top that is well-carbonated with good head retention and is a white in color and bubbly. The mouthfeel is light-bodied with some thick overtones with good spicey complexity and balance with a palate that is very wet and coats nicely. The flavor is spicey with coriander, all-spice, orange peel, and maybe even some faint cinnamon with an aftertaste that is of stonger than usual peppery characteristics with a finish that is clean, wet, spicey, and peppery. Overall, a very good witbier here for sure and yet another good example of how the witbier-style can vary widely within breweries; good Summer brew here.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Cloudy golden pour with lots of sediment. Small off-white head that goes away QUICKLY. Watery mouthfeel. Aroma of spice and citrus. Flavor is of lemons/oranges. Not a bad beer, but I wont buy anymore once this sixer is gone.