Mendocino Brewing was founded in 1983 and is located in Ukiah, California, about 2-hours north of San Francisco. Red Tail Ale was their original brew and remains their flagship.

Mendocino Brewing, Ukiah, California
Style: American Amber Ale
Serving Style: 22 oz bottle

Aroma: As stopped up as I am from this cold it’s kind of hard to tell. I think there is some minty/spicy hop in there and maybe a little caramel malt.
Appearance: Light copper, lighter than expected for an amber. Moderate off-white head.
Flavor: Spicy and piney hop notes dominate with moderately high bitterness. Light caramel malt. Clean yeast character with no fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: Medium light body with medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: Less caramel character than desired, but overall a solid American Amber. Nothing to get all excited about, but a good every day beer.

I am in the San Francisco Bay area for the holidays so I am tasting a lot of west coast beers that cannot be purchased in the Twin Cities. The most recent is the Imperial IPA from Green Flash Brewing of San Diego.

Green Flash Brewing, San Diego, California
Style: Double/Imperial IPA
Serving Style: 22 oz Bottle

Aroma: Light orange/tangerine citrus. Citrus and pine hops. Background of grainy malt.
Appearance: Crystal clear. Deep golden. Persistent fine, white head.
Flavor: High bitterness, but not overly so. Reasonably balanced with grainy malt. Big citrus and pine hop flavor. Tangerine and orange notes. Light alcohol.
Mouthfeel: Light and drinkable for 9.4% ABV. Light carbonation.
Overall Impression: I have a cold, so my taster may be off. I found this to be an acceptable DIPA. Not outstanding. I like balance in a DIPA, but I found myself wanting more bitterness.

Alaskan Brewing Company, Juneau, Alaska
Style: Smoked Robust Porter
Serving Style: 22 oz. Bottle

Aroma: Smoke and roast with light caramel
Appearance: Black with a rich, creamy, off-white head.
Flavor: Nice balance of  meaty smoke, roast malt, and caramel. Expected stronger smoke character with a new release, but was pleasantly surprised by the balance. Low bitterness and no hop flavor.
Mouthfeel: Smooth and creamy, light carbonation.
Overall Impression: Lighter body than expected, but still huge in terms of flavor. Nice balance of smoke and malt. Nice beer that would go well with cured meats. I’ll take another, please. Oh…I’ve got another in the cupboard!