Red Tail Ale -- Mendocino (Ukiah, CA / Saratoga Springs, NY)

Wow.  I'm rarely speechless after drinking a beer.  "Flavorful" is an understatement... I'm still trying to sort out everything going on -- clearly this is not your standard red/amber ale. 

Characteristics: Rich amber color, medium to heavy body, wide mix of flavors exploding sequentially across the tongue with a long, lingering, malty-sweet finish.

Minor Gripes: The label describes Red Tail as having a "dry" finish -- if that's true (and if I got an appropriately aged six pack), then I don't want to see a "wet" finish.

Bottom Line: This is NOT an everyday beer... it's very rich and somewhat challenging. Perhaps the most "volatile" beer I've had in some time -- the flavor profile varies widely with the temperature and presentation (straight from bottle, chilled stout glass, chilled pint glass, room-temp pint).  That's all good -- just not quite what I expected.

Rating: 6.5/10