Image by Speed-Light via Flickr
Last week I held a BBQ at my house and all the guests brought beer that they thought I had never had before. This only proves that I have some really cool friends. Truth be told, two of them heard about my beer tasting nights and admitted that they wanted in and brought craft beers as a way of buying their way in. At this point I’m forced to admit that this bribe of beer worked on me and two more guests have now been added to the beer tastings. The next day when I was going through the cooler I found a beer that I had not sampled the night before. Truth be told, I went on a Chimay Blue label bender and forgot about most of the rest. The beer that I found was called Eye of the Hawk brewed by Medocino Brewing Co. of Ukiah, Calif. Since it was not only left in my cooler and also free, why not give it a review.
Appearance: I poured this beer into a glass shaped like a pair of breasts. This bit of information may not be important to the beer review but I thought that I would set the mood for you. The pour produced a great deal of head which very well may be explained by the shape of the mug. The head was white and the beer was an amber color that matched the color of the bad ass hawk head that is on the label.
Smell: This beer smells very sweet to me. This isn’t all that odd for imported ales but for a domestic beer this seems very different.
Taste: Just like it smells folks. This is a beer that has a hint of sweetness to it while at the same time a bold flavor. The taste isn’t candy like, nor does it make me have the urge to run and brush my teeth afterward. Picture taking an amber ale with a nice batch of hops and pouring a pixie stick into it. Don’t let this description scare you. The taste is a good one and quite inviting.
Alcohol by Volume: 8% (NICE!)
Cost: Have no idea, once again this was free beer! Let me check BEVMO for you……………. ($9 a six pack)
Final thought: Eye of the Hawk Select Ale is not too bad. For those that are strictly American domestic drinkers it may not be for you, however for craft beer drinkers with a bit of a sweet tooth, it may be just the thing. This ale is strong in flavor and of course with a hint of sweetness but no too harsh for the casual drinker. Would it be good for a tailgate party? Well I would start with a a six pack or two and see how it goes. Depending on the weather and the food being served it may or may not work for you. What you give up in crispness of a domestic lager with this beer, you gain in ale flavor and a nice alcohol volume. If the tailgate weather is on the cooler side then this may not be a bad choice. If the temperature starts getting a bit warmer, this beer might not provide the refreshment needed.
Thanks for reading the review and please keep the suggestions coming. You can email Mike a suggestion for his next beer review HERE.