Mendo Mellow
Anderson Valley Brewing Company

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From:
Anderson Valley Brewing Company
 
California, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.46 | pDev: 10.69%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
28
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 06, 2016
Added:
Oct 31, 2008
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by litheum94:
Photo of litheum94
Reviewed by litheum94 from California

3/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap at Toad in th Hole.

Clear, golden body. A small white head with fairly good stickiness, leaving moderate lacing on the glass.

Very malty on the nose, with biscuit and cracker tones. Some pine and citrus. A little catty.

A very promo ounces malt profile, with caramel and bread flavors. Hops take their while to show up, presenting flavors of pine and citrus. Very slightly oily, with a ton of carbonation.

I'm a little disappointed by this. It's way too malty for a fresh hop ale. I don't mind malts in an IPA, but the hops should dominate in a wet hop ale. An average IPA.
Oct 05, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.61 by tomb_ride from California

Nov 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.55 by VABA from Virginia

Oct 30, 2015
 
Rated: 3.16 by AGust82 from Connecticut

Aug 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.17 by Jfishe13313 from Florida

Mar 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by Lelampp from Ohio

Feb 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.92 by lsummers from California

Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.76 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

Aug 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by davegray from California

Jan 22, 2014
Photo of UCLABrewN84
Reviewed by UCLABrewN84 from California

3.31/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Tony's Darts Away in Burbank, CA.

Pours a clear yellow-orange with a foamy bone head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, earth, and citrus zest aromas. Taste is much the same with earthy citrus fruit and citrus zest flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an above average beer with some fairly subdued aromas and flavors.
Dec 16, 2013
Photo of plaid75
Reviewed by plaid75 from New York

3.28/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On draft at The Lark, East Northport, New York.

Poured a light brass hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell and taste featured faint grassy hops and a seemingly washed out pale malt. I got more of a creme ale vibe off of this one than IPA.

The mouthfeel was clean with a touch of lingering sweetness.

Overall an uneventful experience.
Dec 03, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by GrindFatherBob from New York

Jun 13, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by BKBassist from New York

Mar 09, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Sturmthis from Ohio

Jan 16, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by campfirebrew from New York

Jan 10, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by Jenray from Texas

Nov 12, 2012
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Raw and unabashed, the somewhat naked flavor of hops that are stripped from the farms of Anderson Valley Brewing Company find their way into America's classy pale ale in their freshest state- before drying, before vacuum sealing, and before long-term storage.

The results manifest into a charming copper-golden appearance that projects in front of its hoppy cloudiness. The ale releases an airy head of sea froth that caps the beer sturdily and laces the glass with ease. It does all that is asked of a pale ale.

The common hop aromas in pale ale are well on display with the grapefruit and pine needle character necessary. But the fresh aroma of a freshly mowed lawn, torn garden greens, tropical fruit, tree sap, and herbal cannabis. All this hop character rides in the foreground as a thin caramel or honey-like note resides in support.

But the balance in flavor fare much better. The beer lays a foundation of malt sweetness with the caramel, honey, and bran-like toasted grain. Both malty earth components and sweetness ride along side of the citrus and tropical fruit taste, neither allowing the other to gain any ground at middle palate. Finishing with the hop bitterness pulling slightly ahead of the malt sweetness, they also draw in a mild spicy bite of chlorophyll, light tobacco, and tea leaf.

Medium-light in body, the malts portray an aura of caramel, but with very little of the associated sweetness. Simply the implication of sweetness resonates as creamy weight because of the sustenance of carbonation. But as the carbonation recedes, so does the dry malt taste. This ushers in a quick and dry finish with spicy alcohol warmth, and light hop-derived astringency.

Mendo Mellow certainly captures the liberal notions of Northern California in pale ale form. For true herbal portrayal, I would also like to see the recipe elevated to IPA status so that there's a better showcase for hops and even less interference from malt. This beer showcases well the close relationship that is shared both the hop plant and the cannabis plant.
Nov 10, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by Nage37 from California

Nov 02, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by yossarian14 from Massachusetts

Sep 12, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by ryko from Nevada

Aug 21, 2012
Mendo Mellow from Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 28 ratings