Weekend Brews Week Five... Uhhh I Mean Four

Alright so I admit I'm a fool and let the tryptophan phase out my brain cells and force me to forget about the Weekend Brews post last Friday. I'm pretty sure it was the turkey's fault, although it could have been the Anchor Christmas beer and other assorted seasonal beers we enjoyed while watching the Packers beat up on the Lions. (Go Pack Go!)

Hey, did someone say, "seasonal?" Oh yeah, that was me. Speaking of seasonal beers, how about a winter ale to add to your weekend fun? Sweeeeeeeet.

This Friday's follow-up to Turbodog is a tasty brew from the Mendocino Brewing Company (there's a link to their website, but damn do they need a new designer, this site is awful... hello! Call me, I know some good web people).

It's the Limited Edition Imperial IPA. Did I hear a call for more hops? Well, then this beer is for you.



It pours a comforting copper (Chester Copperpot is possibly what I'd call it) hue, with a fairly creamy head that sticks around only long enough to let you know you just put beer in your glass.

It's a smelly old bugger that lifts the nostrils with a strong piney scent that puts me in the mindset for a nice stroll in the Adirondacks. (ha ha ha. Sorry, that just made me laugh. What am I writing as a critic for the Wine Enthusiast?)

The strong fumes from what appears to be a massive hop addition plays out well for this hop head. The title "Imperial IPA" tells me this is a beer fit for royalty. Yes!

Sip... sip... gulp. Ahhhhhhhhh. Well maybe King Ferdinand of Spain would disagree with the taste, but I'd bet Jerry "the King" Lawler would suck down a few of these IPAs with me. He is surely the type of gent that would sit down at the tavern table and speak of revolution with his fellow friends.

The Mendocino Imperial IPA grabs with a strong bitterness that should be part of every solid IPA brew and keeps a decent amount of maltiness in the flavor as well. The aftertaste is a bit harsh though, so if you are not prone to drinking hoppity hop hop beers, you might want to steer clear of this one. It will leave that taste in your mouth for quite some time.

Me, well, I'd wear it as a cologne and swear by it as a breath mint. Tic Tacs my ass.


I know I love Pale Ales of all kinds, and I'd recommend you try this one. Granted, it would not be my first choice, or even my third choice amongst IPAs out there, but Mendocino does make some good brews and thus deserves the support of the craft beer drinking world.

This is the first I've seen it in our neck of the woods, and from what I understand, it is only available for a short time (see label that reads, "Limited Edition").

Overall score on the Mendocino Imperial IPA: 3.25 out of 5.0