Eye of the Hawk Review (with video)

I had been seeing Eye of the Hawk, along with other Mendocino beers on the shelf at my local ABC for some time now. Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me (with the help of Beeradvocate).

Eye of the Hawk is categorized as an American Strong Ale on Beeradvocate.com and gets a B out of 336 reviews, so far. Now, American Strong Ale is just a catch-all category for any high abv beer that doesn't fit into any other category so I wasn't sure what to expect from this beer. What I did know is that Mendocino Brewing Company is highly regarded. Check them out at mendobrew.com.

This 8% abv brew pours a dark dirty copper color and gives very little head. The little head it does produce recedes quickly and half way through the glass there is nary a trace of head left.

The nose is of malt with hints of dark fruit and hints of hops. It is inviting but the malt is the predominant smell. The hops are hard to pinpoint but they are there.

The taste is of malt, dark fruits and mild alcohol up front, with weak but present hops on the finish along with alcohol warmth. Caramel malt mixes with plum and alcohol heat, specially as the beer warms. You also get a touch of hop resin on the tongue in the aftertaste.

The mouthfeel is on the heavier side of medium but, even with the little head, the active carbonation keeps it crisp. The 8% abv is not very obvious as one would expect and the beer is very well-balanced overall. It is a pleasure to drink even for someone like me who isn't a huge fan of malty beers. There is enough going on with this beer to make it enjoyable regardless of the malt or the abv.

This is not a beer I want to drink on a regular basis, and I might not ever have it again. But I still respect it as a special, well-made beer and I hold it in high esteem. Malty and complex, with enough alcohol to make it dangerous in the wrong hands, Eye of the Hawk is a memorable American brew and a Glass 1/2 FULL leaning towards like 3/4. Find out for yourself if you come across it. Cheers!