Talon Double IPA
Mendocino Brewing Company

Talon Double IPATalon Double IPA
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From:
Mendocino Brewing Company
 
United States
Style:
Imperial IPA
ABV:
10%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.64 | pDev: 13.46%
Reviews:
27
Ratings:
107
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 28, 2024
Added:
Oct 25, 2012
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  13
No description / notes.
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Ratings by KevT:
Photo of KevT
Rated by KevT from California

3.5/5  rDev -3.8%

Jun 11, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Lexluthor33
Reviewed by Lexluthor33 from New York

3.73/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Medium amber color with small head and lace.
Aroma of light malts, caramel, hops, floral notes and fruit notes as well.
The taste was mildly bitter, good malt base, floral hops with bitter bite.
Medium body, medium carbonation and a smooth finish. There were caramel hints in the finish too.
Such a smooth, semi-oily finish.
Feb 28, 2024
Photo of Siebert
Reviewed by Siebert from California

4.84/5  rDev +33%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I drank one of these yesterday, I was actually tired of it being in my fridge. One taste and I knew I was in for something fine. The flavor on this one was overwhelming, and it lasts through the entire experience. I used to think of Talon as the perfect dining ale, and this last bottle was magnificent in how it retains the textures and flavors. Sure do miss Mendo brewing.
Nov 18, 2019
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

4.2/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Bottle from Safeway. Wan't expecting this to be this good. Wow! Kicks off with a deep golden pour, small, soft, clingy head. Aroma is caramel and earthy hops. Taste brings in a big full bitter hoppy taste, with the sweet caramel coming in underneath. Round and full and flavorful. Wonderful throughout, with a nice lingering burn. Two thumbs up!
Jan 27, 2018
Photo of R_i_P
Reviewed by R_i_P from California

4.05/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I picked up a bomber of Talon "Extra Select" DIPA from BevMo in Laguna Niguel, CA on 06/01/2017. No "bottled on" or "best by" dates. 10% ABV. Cool, artistic label. Mendocino Brewery hails from Ukiah, CA -- just 2½ hours drive north of San Francisco.

Talon DIPA pours a cloudy copper with moderate carbonation. 2 fingers of beautiful tawny foam. Good retention. Good lacing. The smell is of pine, dankness, bread, and malt with a hint of citrus. The taste starts with pine, toffee, citrus zest, followed immediately by bread and caramel, all against a big malt backbone. The alcohol definitely warms the mixture with a nice boozy taste that perfectly compliments the big malt backbone. Sweet, toasted malt with a subtle hint of pine and citrus hops linger on the palate after each sip.

This is an old-school DIPA -- an Imperial DIPA. You won't find much hop bitterness here. I like Talon DIPA, although I find it a tad too (cloyingly) sweet to drink regularly. Nevertheless, this is definitely a very good DIPA worth enjoying a few times.
Jun 04, 2017
Photo of hoping4hopps
Reviewed by hoping4hopps from California

4.26/5  rDev +17%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
I was in deep contimplation about the beer that I was going to drink last night. It was a battle between the local and the new. With such clout taking up my ability to decide I grabbed a cryptic looking bottle of dipa opened on a family day out it tasted of citrus and dank fruit with a mild toasted malt feel. Overall great beer would drink again.
Feb 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.98 by peachy-tay from California

Feb 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4.16 by CJNAPS from California

Dec 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.51 by Soulstrider from California

Oct 16, 2015
 
Rated: 3.73 by chrisjws from California

Jul 21, 2015
Photo of pat61
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: Pours brilliant amber under a 2” sudsy cream colored foam colar that slowly descends to a thick film while coating the side of the glass.
S: Big hop nose with minty, resiny pine notes.
T: Starts with a lightly sweetened malt and then alcohol and hops take over with a long lasting bitterness
F: Creamy, medium carbonation, a little above medium body, with alcohol warming that grows as you drink.
O: This is a nice bitter elixir for people who drink their bourbon straight up.
Jun 15, 2015
 
Rated: 3.44 by zotzot from Vermont

Jun 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.2 by travolta from California

May 11, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by ajcantu from Washington

Apr 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Fremont897 from California

Feb 08, 2015
Photo of MisterGone
Reviewed by MisterGone from California

3.43/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
22 into tulip. Orange, coppery gold with a white head. The aroma has many hallmarks of the DIPA we expect. This one with more piney-floral, than citrus nose. However, there is big booze in there, too. The flavor continued the piney-floral hop profiles as dominant. Add to that a pretty light malt that gets swallowed up by alcohol in the finish.

Honestly, I think this has potential, but I am used to DIPAs that bring big hops, balanced with notable malts that sneak the booze in. I do wonder what it might taste like out of the tap in Hopland...
Feb 03, 2015
 
Rated: 3.4 by Spaceman_Jer from Colorado

Jan 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by 8BaconBits from California

Jan 08, 2015
Photo of BeerAdvocate
Reviewed by BeerAdvocate from Finland

3.91/5  rDev +7.4%
From BeerAdvocate magazine Issue #71 (December 2012):

An aggressive and old-school American Double IPA here and well-named one, as this beer rips out your palate and then flies off to regurgitate it into the mouths of its frenzied young. It’s combo of 5 malts and 6 hops creates a unique experience too. Anyone who touts themselves as a true hophead should seek this beer now.

STYLE: American Double IPA
ABV: 10.0%
AVAILABILITY: Year-round

LOOK: Bright copper, frothy, creamy head with staying power

SMELL: Pine, resin, floral, citrus peel, toffee, bread, alcohol

TASTE: Smooth, creamy, viscous, syrupy, sweet malts, sticky, resiny, leafy, raw, gritty, pine, grapefruit, alcohol heat, melon, bready, ashy, bone dry finish
Oct 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by JMFP from Delaware

Oct 24, 2014
Talon Double IPA from Mendocino Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 107 ratings