Mendocino Brewing Company is one of those breweries that I didn’t know about until I received one of their beers via a “beer of the month club” package. Out of this package I got two beers, one of them the Black Hawk Stout and the other the White Hawk IPA. Today I’ll be reviewing the White Hawk as it is 60 degrees at the end of January, and an IPA seems fitting and refreshing.

The White Hawk has a golden orange color with some quickly dissipating head and a some good sticky lacing. The aromas are lighter than expected for an IPA but contain all of the required IPA elements. Piney hops, a bit of earthiness, hints of citrus and a little spice. Certainly a lot to be desired on the nose, either stronger aromas or a bit of inventiveness and variation.

Bitter hops come first on the palate, with the pine from the aroma showing a little more strongly here. There’s plenty of balance as the hops don’t overwhelm the malt allowing the citrus and sweet malt to play nicely together. For only having a 7% ABV there is a good hint of alcohol, more than expected, as it isn’t contained well. The finish is crisp and it is a nice full mouth feel with the right amount of carbonation.

Balance in an IPA is a good thing, but I feel that the hops do need to shine through a bit more and in the White Hawk – they do not. There wasn’t a lot of creativeness in this beer, and it felt pretty bland. From the flat aroma to the lackluster flavors, I was left wanting more. This is a sessionable IPA if you can get around the alcohol hints, but there are some better options. Overall this beer was enjoyable, but flat and uninteresting.

Rating

74
out of 100