Mesa
Cismontane Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Found this to taste much better on the warmer side of cold.

 

500 ml bottle, No. 2, 12/19/13:B2 printed on the label. Served in a chalice, the beer pours a clear gold with about an inch white head that fizzled away very quickly. Pretty much no lacing at all. Minutes after pouring the beer, it's still easy to see a bunch of bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass to the top. The brew smells like sweet and doughy malt, white grapes/wine, apples, and pilsner malt. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some tart green apple, orange peel and pear flavors noticeable. It's sweeter tasting than I expected it to be. Mouthfeel/body is light/medium, it's refreshing and well carbonated. I'm still not sure what I think of this, too bad I only had this one bottle. I do know that I enjoyed it, and it's definitely worth a try! $9.99 a bottle.

 

 

 

 

Reviewing The Mesa No. 2, a blend of 70% pilsner, 15% riesling and 15% viognier wines from Mer Soleil winery.

Pours with what seems to be a foamy pilsner head, but then, poof, in 30 seconds, it just completely disappears. First pour was clear gold, second pour a little hazy from the yeast precipitate in the bottle.

Bouquet of pilsner and white wine, and pilsner malt. A little funky yeast that smells Belgian
in character, and some wood spice.

White wine is forward and prominent, with sweet and sour notes, perhaps from the riesling and viognier. This is supported by a definite but light taste of malt. The yeast (described as a blend of wine yeast) is tasty and more Belgian in character than pilsner yeast, with a slight hint of copper penny and slight bitterness in the long and tasty, spicy finish. This unusual combination of beer and wine goes together seamlessly and is nicely crafted, a smooth tasting blend with some complexity. I like the slightly sweet taste of the riesling which kind of unites it all, taking it in the direction of a Belgian tripel.

Has a smooth, soft mouthfeel with a slight prickly carbonation.

Well, I have to say I like this beer/wine quite a bit. For a rare blend of beer and wine, it works out nicely, yielding a beverage that is light, fruity, spicy and quaffable. At 6%, it is a beer that you can really enjoy on a warm day. If you enjoy the intersection of beer and wine, this is a significant effort.

 

On tap at Newhall Refinery in Newhall, CA.

Pours a clear yellow with a foamy off-white head that settles to a partial film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, grain, fruit, yeast, and white wine aromas. Taste is much the same with grain, white wine, pickle juice, and jalapeno flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of yeast bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty poor beer with a solid aroma, but the pickle juice and jalapeno flavors I am getting are really odd.