Eye of the Hawk - Mendocino Brewing Company

BeefyMee

Connecticut

3.98/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Good looking deep coppery body. Pretty good head that leaves a little bit of lacing.

S: Big and malty but maybe a little too much. Buttery rotting grain and some alcohol.

T: Big improvement in flavor. Still a malt monster but it picks up a nuttiness that gives the huge malt bill something to hang its hat on. Alcohol isn't too noticeable. Finishes slightly tangy.

M: Nice and rich but carbonation is more assertive than I'd like.

A good to great beer overall. I'd like to try it on tap sometime.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 22:45:08 | More by BeefyMee

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hazy orange with a dense, off-white head. Great retention, thick, streaky lacing. Citrus and grassy hop aroma, oranges, bready and fruity. Very rich and creamy in texture, medium bodied, quite fruity with moderate bitterness. A little bready with some alcohol warmth and flavour in the finish, along wit grassy hops. Caramel sweetness throughout. I enjoyed it and would purchase it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 04:09:39 | More by DrJay

zest4itall

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice golden honey color, maybe a little darker copperish...Great creamy head...nice and lacy . It just stayed with it too!
It had a nice clean fresh smell, hops...and roasted malt.
Had a good oaky flavor...nice balance between the maltiness and the bitterness of the hops. A really good beer!

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 01:14:58 | More by zest4itall

magictacosinus

California

3.93/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass from a 12oz bottle.

Appearance: A cloudy, orange-amber color with loads of carbonation. I actually mistook this for a double IPA at first. Poured with virtually no head to speak of.

Smell: Full and fruity, with a strong malty taste and a sweetness of all booziness. The hops balance the smell quite well, giving off hints of oranges, mangoes, sugar cane and coriander.

Taste: Tastes much maltier than expected, but still has an overpowering sweetness that is perhaps due to the high ABV. There is virtually no overbearing hoppiness in this beer, which is disappointing. Nevertheless, it still is quite fruity in taste, despite lack of bitterness. However, as it warms up, it sadly became slightly nauseating to drink for me due to the high sweetness.

Mouthfeel: To this beer's advantage, it's very easy to drink due to low bitterness and high watery content. It remains refreshing in nature and creamy on the palate. Normally I find strong ales to be ruinous on my taste buds, but this holds no such effect. Plus, there are loads of carbonation in its feel, which makes it a fun drink to sip.

Overall: A good beer, but one that appears to be more of a high-alcoholic pale ale than a strong ale. The taste is nicely malty and fruity, but it needs more IBUs! I personally enjoy a higher hoppiness with stronger beers. However, it's worth a try, and definitely flavorful enough that it could become more regular in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 02:08:37 | More by magictacosinus

fx20736

New York

2.3/5  rDev -36.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Pint Glas

2 inch off white head on top of a deep coppery garnet, modestly carbonated.

Aroma: Caramel malt, fruitiness like apples and a slight floral hoppiness.

Taste: Powerful sweet maltiness comes on in on a woosh. Back taste has a medicinal alcoholic ester with a buttery diacetyl aftertaste.

Notes: Too strong, too sweet. Too Alcoholic. Combination of esthers & diacetyls remind me of vanilla extract and caramel apples. I would classify this as an Imperial English Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 00:37:05 | More by fx20736

ckollias

Maryland

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Mahogany colored ale with blonde highlights on the side. Has a one-finger white head that quickly dissipates.

S: Strong malty aroma surrounded by a fruity tang that fills the nostrils.

T: Sweet malty flavor with a nice caramel background. Has a yeasty finish towards the end. Alcohol is present but is masked brilliantly by the malt.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation

O: Well balanced American strong ale. A nice sipping beer @ 8 % alcohol by volume, although you can’t tell it is 8%.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 03:47:37 | More by ckollias

kindestcut

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The Mendocino Eye of the Hawk pours a bright red with a vibrant off-white head that lingers past the first minute and first few sips.

The aroma is a combination of sweet malt with notes of citrus. The alcohol is definitely evident at first sniff, however not overpoweringly so.

The first taste is dominated by caramel sweetness. The citrusy, bitter hops balance the taste. And then there's the alcohol. For an 8% beer, this one is incredibly drinkable. While the alcohol is not hidden by any means, this not a boozy beer. The mouthfeel is nice, given the active carbonation.

Overall, I'd say this is a very good beer. My one complaint is the big starburst on the 6-pack screaming "8% Alc./Vol." If the main selling point if your beer is that it'll get you drunk quickly, then what does that say about the taste? It's a better beer than that.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2011 23:18:48 | More by kindestcut

theboozecruise

Louisiana

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass. It's a reddish orange color, clear with a couple fingers of slightly off-white head.

The aroma is a good blend of caramel malt and bitter hops. It's a well balanced nose that's very inviting.

The taste is mostly hoppy up front then a more malty warmth later through on the sip. Definitely more bitter hop flavor than the smell indicates, with a mostly pine flavor and hints of grapefruit.

It's bitter on the end and full bodied.

A very nice beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 23:20:04 | More by theboozecruise

AmericanGothic

Iowa

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Unibroue tulip.

A: Pours a pretty copper orange color with no cloudiness. One finger of ecru head with good retention and lace.

S: Sweet bread and stewed fruits, good stuff.

T: Sweet fruit (mellow banana) up front yields to a sweet malty flavor. The first couple of sips had a metallic twang that was a bit annoying but not serious and also didn't last for more than maybe the first minute of the glass. Once past that flaw, this is good but not great. There are some gentle mineral notes that emerge on the finish about 1/4 way through the glass. A slight vinous quality overall which grows as the beer warms, but the alcohol is well hidden. Minimal complexity. Touch of bubble gum near the end.

M: Medium heavy, considerable creaminess.

O: A good but not great beer. I did enjoy this and would buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 23:30:46 | More by AmericanGothic

DoubleJ

California

1.95/5  rDev -46.3%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Gosh, I don't remember the last time I had a Mendocino BC beer. I remember that I didn't like it, so let's hope Eye of the Hawk is at least better. On to the beer:

Dark orange peel color with a big, frothy head that leaves a lot of webbed lacing around the glass. Does anyone have secented candles nearby, because I don't know what I'm smelling. It's a little stinky at first, then spicy alcohol that's enough to decongest your nose, and something that's most resemblant to sour apple. Oh no, not again....

It happened again. There's some sweetness, like a cough syrup sweetness, that hits first. Yep, a little sweet, then it's all downhill. Spicy, alcoholic, over carbonated, and plain bitter are among the themes to this underwhelming brew. As times goes on, the beer's sweetness has an extended life and the carbonation tails off a little. At times, I can taste sour melon. Still, that won't make the beer good, it will only make the beer less bad.

Let me be honest, I wanted to poke the eye out of the hawk as I was drinking it. There's no way that I would recommend this as a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 06:22:56 | More by DoubleJ

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.63/5  rDev -27.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours out as a golden yellow color with a light haze to it. The head was white and fizzled away within a few minutes. The smell was grainy and semi sweet. There wasn't much hop aroma. The taste was grainy too and didn't really have much going on in it. The mouthfeel was decent but this beer really isn't something I'd wanna have again.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 15:12:55 | More by Knapp85

bsuedekum

Missouri

2.68/5  rDev -26.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Bells tulip from a 22oz. bomber

A - Golden to light amber color. Somewhat cloudy with a two finger head that fades quickly to a minimal head lacing that remains.

S - Faded malts some slight fruit aroma is in there too.

T - Not that good. Almost reminds me of a cheap Milwuakee lager with a heavier malt presence.

M - Light, nothing overwhelming.

O - Just not that good of beer to me. I typically love American Strong Ales because of the diversity and range of beers that are included in the style, but this is one I'll likely not be seeking to have again. Average beer at best.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2011 02:45:17 | More by bsuedekum

whatthehull

California

4.08/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tasted April 26th 2011 (from notes)

Poured into a New Belgium snifter

A - golden orange sunset, one and a half finger off white head and nice lacing

S - very pungent, tart, citrus hop, sweet yeast, toasted malt and some serious alcohol

T - a bit if alcohol, light citrus hops, sweet malt, sweet yeast, toasted grains, a bit earthy, grass and some oak

M - sticky, a bit chewy, medium acidity and a medium finish

D - for 8% this thing drinks like a charm. Everything is balanced and lovely. Loving this beer

Final thought - when the 12'er is $12 this is the best beer ever

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2011 03:51:45 | More by whatthehull

MadeInOregon

California

3.28/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

#3 of my 6-pack. The first one I had at fridge temp (bad), the second one I had at somewhere between 55 degrees and room temp (much better), this one I'm trying at about 50-55 (perfect).

Poured out, Eye of The Hawk is clear with a honey-bronze color and a red undertone. It has a huge, slightly off-white airy seafoamy head--definitely malty! Looks nice.

THE SMELL is very minimal. There are faint sweet malt aromas and an even fainter hop smell. There is some floral aromas and the high alcohol content is easily detectable. There is a sour lager-like smell, which is weird for an ale. Overall smell is pleasant, but seems off.

THE TASTE is good, but only if drank at the right temperature. Lower than 50 and the alcohol overpowers everything and this beer tastes like sour malt liquor. At around 60 the alcohol is well masked by the hops but there is still a noticeable astringent sting in the finish. As with most "American strong ales" this one is hard to classify. My thought for Eye of The Hawk is: 25% Imperial IPA, 25% barleywine, 50% West Coast pale ale. This beer is complex, malty, sweet, and alcoholic. It is also quite heavily hopped. All these usually separate qualities make this taste like a sour, hoppy version of a maibock.

THE FEEL is very nice and full thanks to the heavy malt.

CONCLUSION: A good beer but not mind-blowing in any way. The fact that this tastes bad when cold is a pretty negative characteristic to me. I like to drink my beer at around 50, but I think a good beer should be able to be enjoyed straight from the fridge or from the cupboard. Because of that I won't be buying this again and would not recommend it. But if you like interesting, heavily-hopped American brews then you should try this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 23:55:53 | More by MadeInOregon

KidsDoc

California

3.03/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle from mix pack my wife bought me. Poured into a standard pint glass.

A: Nice deep amber with minimal head and lacing

S: best part of this beer but not what I was expecting. Smelled more like a barleywine on the strong, caramel/sweet malt side of the fence
T: the heavy malt was appealing but did not mesh well with an odd bittering, earthy hops - just a combo that did not seem pleasant to me.

M: this was decent. nice medium-full body and soft, adequate carbonation

Overall: just not very impressive flavor profile for me. I could sit and just waft this beer and enjoy the scent without having to drink it. (I had to research this beer halfway through to see the style it was meant to be). This won't be a repeat beer for me, but still glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 11:17:38 | More by KidsDoc

generallee

New York

3.95/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. The label has no freshness date or abv%.

Appearance: From the pour I got a tall creamy off white colored head. This covers a deep amber brew with good clarity. As I drank the tall head slowly faded out to just a light ring around the edge of the glass which left a little slick lacing.

Smell: There is a rich malty character in the nose with a mix of bready and candy like notes. Hop notes are slight and way off in the background.

Taste/Palate: The flavor matches the aroma with a sweet candy like, almost fruity malt base. Inside there is a well hidden abv and some mild floral/spicy German lager like hop notes. It finishes smooth and feels smooth (somewhat slick) on the palate with soft carbonation.

Notes: This is a well made ale with a well hidden 8%abv that can sneak up on you.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 15:35:04 | More by generallee

notchucknorris

California

3.4/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Golden color with a thin, cream colored head that fades to a ring around the glass.

S: I'm not getting a lot here. Some faded malts and a bit of alcohol.

T: I used to really like this beer. Now, I don't know. I feel like the biggest problem is that it doesn't taste that fresh. If it was fresh, the results may have been a little different. I'm getting a lot of bready malts here and a hint of grassy hops. The alcohol is pretty well hidden but there's just not that much going on here.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 00:20:50 | More by notchucknorris

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours out looking average brown, minimal head. Strong alcohol and caramel presence in the aroma.

Tastes hoppy when fresh, malt tones jump out the older it gets. Fairly easy drinking for its size abv, but this stuff has been described as liquid quaaludes before, it tends to knock you down, maybe because it tends to be served in larger size formats (6pack, pints etc. . . ).

Nothing to complain about, gets the job done, thick malt bill, plenty of hops, cheap and available. Kind of the middle ground between red tail ale and the Talon barleywine of theirs. Has that almost trademark Mendo taste going for it like all of their beers.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 19:06:46 | More by Beerandraiderfan

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

poured into a imperial pint glass.

Appearance: Amber with a glowing golden hue. White creamy head. Sticky lacing.

Smell: Malty, spicy and floral.

Taste: Very sweet, its a malt bomb! Biscuity malt flavours very present as well. Has some spicy taste that is attributed by the yeast I am guessing. Fresh and clean taste.

Mouthfeel: The malts make this beer feel full bodied, but it drinks really easily. Moderate carbonation.

Overall: I think this beer might be more of a really malty Amber Ale with not much hops presence. Solid beer! First beer I have tried from this brewery, I will try more of these beers!

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 18:43:29 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

NickRivers

California

3.88/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewing both an aged and fresh bottle.

A - The fresh one was golden with a bubbly head. Aged was cloudy golden orange with some sediment and a creamy head.

S - Fresh had biscuit and alcohol thoughout while the aged has mostly a malty syrup-like aroma.

T - Fresh was mostly a crisp then flat alcohol empowered taste with a hop bite at the end while the aged is filled with extremely fermented malt then somewhat bitter from the alcohol.

M - Fresh was medium bodied crisp then flat while the aged is heavier and mostly crisp.

O - Overall one I got to buy again.

I love the reviews coming in for this beer. I agree with the gent that also noticed the Dopplebock taste. I also agree with those who see this as Red Tail Ale with a little more *umph.* The fresh was strong and sort of unappealing yet appealing at the same time, but once aged it really gets you thinking. No clue why the aged bottle has sediment. You will definitely want to buy more of this just to fool around and experiment with. To my knowledge theres nothing that suggests aging, therefore the score I gave it was for the fresh bottle which was kinda unappealing due to its overpowering alcohol feel. If the review was for the aged i would have gave everything a 4.5. I'm looking forward to getting this again. Stay thirsty my friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 08:51:26 | More by NickRivers

raszputini

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This is a decent malt ale. It pours light amber with a foamy, airy head. Maintains a rich and hoppy nose. Notes of caramel first, followed by malts, then Saazs hops dominate the finish. Somewhat chewy, with a biscuity character. Finish recalls a dopplebock. Easy to drink and I will again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 02:39:34 | More by raszputini

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a honey amber with a slight head.

Smell: Heavy malts. Nice caramel malts. Alcoholic smell a bit reminiscent of wine.

Taste: This is where the beer's character really shows up. It settles sweet in the middle. There is a cherry sweetness. The beer is a bit chewy with a biscuit and butter cocoa flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied.

Drinkability: This is a very drinkable malt ale. It's one of the best strong ales that doesn't rely on hops to give it character. I also served it at my wedding along with the other Mendocino brews.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2011 06:28:24 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

ToAzwethinkweizm

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Date: 7 February 2011
Glass: Standard nonic
Type: 12fl oz bottle

Poured gently for a 1-finger head, reduces to nothing, average lacing. Aroma of prunes, muscat grapes, all are faint. Taste of muscat grapes is strong on the tongue, malts are sweet and alcohol is hot. Overwhelming bitterness on the palate. Would be better with age but I wouldn't have the patience to age some.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2011 00:42:49 | More by ToAzwethinkweizm

mdunman

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Slightly hazy amber that pours a thin head and has a bit of linger

S: Roasted malt, caramel, lemon and hops.

T: Starts off with the roasted malt and caramel, but is overwhelmed by bitterness

M: Medium body with good carbonation and a smooth feel.

Overall this is a pretty good beer. Lots of good aromas and flavors. I think I'll check out some more beers by this company.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2011 01:36:56 | More by mdunman

B967ierhunter177

Pennsylvania

2.7/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours a clear, light copper with a thin tan head that fades quickly. The aroma hints at caramel with some dough and malt mixed in. It's flavor is mainly caramel with malt sweetness followed by hoppy bitterness in the finish. As it warms the sweetness diminishes and the bitterness increases, well balanced. The mouthfeel is a creamy medium and slightly warming. Eye Of The Hawk is a good beer and could be enjoyed 2 or 3 at a time. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 03:50:21 | More by B967ierhunter177