Talon - True Style Barley Wine Ale
Mendocino Brewing Company

Talon - True Style Barley Wine AleTalon - True Style Barley Wine Ale
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From:
Mendocino Brewing Company
 
United States
Style:
American Barleywine
ABV:
10.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 11.8%
Reviews:
216
Ratings:
252
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Mar 10, 2018
Added:
Mar 11, 2004
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  12
No description / notes.
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Ratings by mzwolinski:
Photo of mzwolinski
Reviewed by mzwolinski from California

3.11/5  rDev -16.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Clear amber in color with ample carbonation and a medium-sized off-white head. Aroma dominated by brown sugar, light fruity notes and alcohol. Altogether too sweet and sugary in flavor -- a bit of fruit mid-palate, but just too much sugary sweetness and a bit of a harsh alcohol bite on the backend. Not my favorite by a longshot.
Aug 10, 2005
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by heysuz from Indiana

Mar 10, 2018
 
Rated: 3.5 by brittanylicious from Indiana

Mar 10, 2018
Photo of Siebert
Reviewed by Siebert from California

4.2/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
I will miss Mendocino Brewing Company, one of the vanguards of the West Coast IPA style. The talon pints, or "bombers" as they call them here, are a big thing for celebrations, and the Mendocino Talon was always a welcome offering for a true IPA fan. Not too hoppy, not too sweet, but boy did it provide a kick. Because of the +10 ABV they had to call it a barleywine. Excellent stuff. I will miss it.
Feb 14, 2018
 
Rated: 3.53 by generallee from Virginia

Apr 12, 2017
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.67/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
This is one of the brighter barleywines out there, definitely looks American as opposed to English, comes in orange. Thin off white head, 1/3". Aroma had a minor amount of sweetness from caramel like malt note.

Taste is almost like there is rye in here, has that alleged bready spice. Alcohol kept in relative check. Woody at times. The hops pretty much just provide bitterness, not much in the way of flavor going on in here. Normally I would complain about the bomber format, but here, and with a barleywine, it makes sense, its affordable and a legit 10%+ beer, so it actually works.
Sep 12, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by Hohnbaum from Kansas

Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.46 by jaydoc from Kansas

Dec 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.07 by Tertullian007 from Missouri

Aug 18, 2015
Photo of papat444
Rated by papat444 from Canada (QC)

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Flashback #23 - Purchased in Orange, FL. Hits the notes of a barleywine but doesn't elaborate on the style.
Aug 17, 2015
Photo of zotzot
Rated by zotzot from Vermont

4.05/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Very nice solid Barley Wine
Jun 01, 2015
Photo of donnierickles
Rated by donnierickles from Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I was pleasantly surprised with the smoothness of this barley wine. I will always buy this when I see it.
Apr 07, 2015
Photo of StoneTSR
Reviewed by StoneTSR from Colorado

3.61/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
No date on the bottle, but I believe this is almost exactly three years old. It has been in my cellar for two years, so it’s at least that old.

APPEARANCE: A slightly darker shade of mahogany than most Barleywines, but shining my phone’s light up to the back of it reveals a few floaties. The brownish head was much more impressive than expected, with a full finger lasting for about a minute before a very quick collapse. A few wisps remained on the surface of the beer making it look more like a big, high-ABV, aged Barleywine. Very little lacing.

SMELL: Huge raison, fig and date aromas hit assault the nose right off the bat. An underlying molasses rounds out the sweeter smells with pleasant spicy notes just beneath it.

TASTE: The nose doesn’t lie on this one. All the dark fruit flavors, the fig, raison, date plus maybe even a bit of cherry, are there. Brown sugar, caramel, cinnamon and some other spices all make an appearance as well. What the nose left out though was a bitter hop character that is far more intense than I could have imagined for this aged Barleywine.

MOUTHFEEL: The first sip seemed a little harsh on the boozy side, especially with a very strong hop character (for a beer this old). It mellowed out quickly though, and instead became a sweet, decedent, velvety, dessert-like beer. Although the booze becomes more mellow, it is still there in full force throughout the whole glass.

OVERALL: The booze is intense. I am a Barleywine fan and a Barleywine drinker. I can drink more than one in a single sitting, but I’m not so sure about this one. With my fiancé not here to help me polish this bomber off, I’m not so sure it’s going to happen. However, it is a very enjoyable beer, especially with a little St. Agur Blue Cheese.
Mar 02, 2015
Photo of Boto
Reviewed by Boto from Connecticut

3.77/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
22oz bomber: This one pours a dark caramel-brown color. There was almost no head on it. The nose is pretty good. Caramel, dark fruits, perhaps some rum raisin notes. The taste is OK. caramel, raisin, some dark fruits. Minimal sweetness with a small touch of dryness in the finish. It’s good, but just seems to be missing something I can’t quite put my finger on.
Feb 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4.48 by Jesse1515 from Maine

Nov 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Sep 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by wrightst from Maryland

Sep 11, 2014
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
22 ounce bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours hazy/cloudy very dark brown color with a small dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lacing cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings around the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, brown sugar, toast, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good complexity and solid balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop notes; with solid strength. A bit strong on fruitiness, but not bad. Taste of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Light amount of earthy hop bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of raisin, plum, fig, cherry, caramel, molasses, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light chocolate, herbal, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop flavors; with a good malt/bitterness balance and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a smooth and moderately creamy/slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with only a small warming present after the finish. Overall this is a very good barelywine style. All around good complexity and balance of dark/bready malt, fruitiness, and earthy hop flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the big ABV. A nicely enjoyable offering.
Sep 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.8 by Nbdreher

Aug 19, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by 6d7073 from Michigan

Aug 14, 2014
Talon - True Style Barley Wine Ale from Mendocino Brewing Company
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 252 ratings