Along the Oregon Coast ominous clouds can blow in at a moment’s notice. These storm systems bring heavy precipitation and high winds across the entire Pacific Northwest seaboard. Often the strongest squalls will be over in a matter of minutes while others can last for days. Monstrous waves, some twice the size of a two-story home, can batter the coast. Knowing exactly when a storm will hit land is very difficult to predict. There are, however, a couple storms pounding Peaks and Pints today, thanks to Pelican Brewing Co. The Pacific City, Oregon brewery’s coastal chaos craft beers are swirling in circles at the North Tacoma bottle shop, taproom and restaurant. And, by circles, we mean our circular tree crosscut flight board. We’re pouring three huge, coastal-themed Pelican beers in our three-beer flight, Craft Beer Crosscut 3.6.18: A Flight of Pelican Brewing.
Pelican Captain Of The Coast
9.5% ABV, 25 IBU
Captain Of The Coast is back on watch after time spent in Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey Barrels. Pelican’s award-winning MacPelican’s Wee Heavy emerged recognizably Wee Heavy, but with added notes of chocolate covered cherries, toasted oak, spice and vanilla in the aroma. The first sip produces flavors reminiscent of malted milk balls and crème brûlée with a silky smooth mouthfeel. Sail with the Captain and you’ll find dried apricots, sherry-like flavors and dark marmalade.
Pelican Mother of All Storms
14% ABV, 40 IBU
Mother of All Storms was originally released back in 2008 under the name “The Perfect Storm” but due to a copyright issue they changed the name to Mother of All Storms in 2010. Oh, mother, either way it’s a fitting name for this Kentucky bourbon barrel-aged beast. The 14 percent ABV English-style barleywine surges with Golden Promise, Munich, Melanoidin and Caramel malts as well as Magnum, Glacier and Mount Hood hops. The beer then spends several months aging in Kentucky bourbon barrels before being bottled and kegged. The Storm opens with a straight on bourbon slapped in the face before hints of dark fruits, toffee and oak start to appear. The bourbon returns on the tongue before other flavors begin to emerge: tawny port, pie cherries, leather, cacao nibs, rich malt, and velvet-y caramel with toasty coffee edges. Did we mention a fair amount of bourbon?
Pelican Father Of All Tsunamis
11.2% ABV, 55 IBU
The third storm arrives in the form of Pelican’s Tsunami Imperial Stout aged in rye whiskey barrels. “Father [Of All Tsunamis] was initially born when we imagined how fantastic it would be to age an Imperial version of Tsunami Export Stout in whiskey barrels to create an incredible Imperial Stout,” says Darron Welch, founding Pelican Brewing brewmaster, in pre-Father release hype. “Father offers a stout black color, dark chocolate, coffee-like roastiness combined with the inherent spiciness of the rye to make a pretty darn special beer.” Indeed. Rich roasted malt aroma with notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, earthy rye, caramel, oak and whiskey hits before a wave of rich roasted malt, caramel, dark chocolate and vanilla. The Tsunami pounds until smooth and decadent earthy rye, oak and whiskey flavors announce the end of the storm.
