Tsunami Stout - Pelican Pub & Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I like the FES style, thanks Derek. Smooth drinking. Dark brown with soapy head. Roast and malt nicely balanced, bitterness at the finish. Some coco, light coffee, and its in the nose too.Carbonation is suitable, medium mouthfeel.Nice balanced stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2008 21:56:18 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pitch black with only a glimmer of dusky garnet at the bottom edge. The cap is wonderful and is the color of buttered, well-toasted wheat bread. Thick, chunky sheets of lace coat the glass and look like they're here for the long haul. Unfortunately, they don't last as long as I'd hoped.

The nose is redolent of heavily roasted malt and bittersweet chocolate. I can also appreciate dark caramel and a swirl or two of treacle. No hops to speak of. All of the above described elements add to the nose, but are secondary to fire-roasted black patent malt; too much so. More aromatic accessory aromas would instantly change things from good to excellent.

Now we're talkin'. On the palate, the palette of flavors is much more expansive. Dark chocolate is uppermost with espresso close behind. There's a little vanilla lurking and a little citrusy hoppiness, but they ultimately get smacked down with a vengeance by the darker flavors.

Sweet and bitter work together in the beginning and the middle, with pleasantly sour joining the party by the finish. As the beer approaches room temperature, the flavor gathers intensity and begins to break, tidal wave-like, over the tongue, reminding me more and more of a baby Imperial stout.

Although the mouthfeel isn't what I'd call full, but it's a more than adequate vehicle for this bewitchingly dark, flavorful brew. Supple seems an adequate descriptor. I'm enjoying the mouthfeel more and more with each passing ounce.

Who knew that 'white horses' is another name for a tsunami? Pelican Tsunami Stout is more like a herd of big, black Arabian horses rampaging across the taste buds. I haven't had a lot of Foreign/Export stouts, nor do I purport to understand how they differ from other stout styles. What I do know is that this beer is delicious and is a testament to the skill of the good folks at Pelican Pub & Brewery.

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2005 21:34:19 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thick black with you nice nitro layering of the creamy caramel colored head. Lots of settling carbonation and great head retention made this one a keeper from the start. Smell was nice, caramel sugars, hints of roasted chocolate and a nice nutty presence filtered through. Very well rounded and fresh scent. The taste was right on board. Very creamy, and full flavored. Very nice smooth feel going down, awesome. Even better as it warmed! Main flavors were choclate and a nice caramel sweetness

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 02:53:12 | More by mikesgroove

brentk56

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours an espresso brown color with a stiff tan head that sticks nicely and leaves nice patterns of lace around the pint glass

Smell: Surprisingly, lacks much aroma, but there is some roastiness and coffee, too

Taste: Black bread, roasty and coffee flavors wallop the tastebuds at the outset, with some dark chocolate developing by mid-palate, as the sweeter elements try to make an entrance; after the swallow, the going gets better for the sweet flavors, with a growing dark chocolate presence, but the bitter roasty elements are always there, lurking as an undertow; the hops are always hanging around, too

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Drinkability: A little too over the top in the roasty department to me, but that is a minor detraction from an otherwise very good beer

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2008 20:18:28 | More by brentk56

UCLABrewN84

California

3.93/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to MaxStout for sharing this one at jmgrub's birthday tasting.

Bottled 8/22/12.

Pours an almost opaque super dark brown with a foamy dark khaki head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of dark roasted malt, cocoa, and slight coffee. Taste is much the same with cocoa and cookie dough flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of roasty bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that is tasty and easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 02:03:54 | More by UCLABrewN84

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.25/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

GABF Weekend '08:

A terrific, sessionable beer that's true-to-style, but won't necessarily knock your socks off. Begins with an inviting, dark-brown pour with slight highlights of ruby, light-tan head formation that rises about 1/4" and lasts the session with mild lacing throughout. Faint aromas of char, coffee, and mild maltiness- reminds me of Kostritzer Schwarzbier. Flavors, however show a bit more intensity with firm maltiness, light caramel sweetness, with most of the emphasis on the moderate roasted grains which gives the beer a coffee, nutty, cocoa flavor. Creamy, light, and airy body with some roasted grain astringency late. Finishes with a moderate roasty taste and powdery feel. Quite sessionable and non-offensive. A pleasure to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

11-10-2008 16:00:14 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours jet black with a deep mocha colored quick to fade head,even when held to the light nothing gets thru this body.Coffee roast and molasses mainly in then nose,a bit of rawness to it.Not as creamy and full as the label suggests,its not thin or fizzy but not quite what I expected.Earthy and roasted flavors with mild molasses-like sweetness,it's a litle raw in the finish with some woody tomes.Its pretty good but not great,the sweetness creeps up more as I drink more.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2011 20:55:17 | More by oberon

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Dogfish Head snifter.

Thanks to hopsbreath and the Support Your Team! BIF for this bottle!

Let it be known: Here begins my final push before the move. It will be just as epic (read: wide-ranging in terms of beer) as the post-DLD death march, and we all remember how much fun that was. This epoch shall be dubbed the Leaving Falls Church uber-bender. Let the first drops fall:

It pours an opaque black-brown topped by a finger at best of light khaki foam. The nose comprises coffee, dark roasted malts, blackened biscuits, charcoal, and a few slow, viscous drips of molasses. The taste still has strong coffee and roasted malt notes, but these are tempered by some figs, dark wheat, raisins, graham crackers, and dark chocolate powder. The body is a solid medium, with a moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a nice stout; a pleasant occasional quaff, but not something I'd drink regularly.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2010 06:30:28 | More by TMoney2591

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: deepest,darkest black, wholly opaque, with a considerable, creamy, thick, roasty brown head.
Aroma: dark, bitter, nicely toasted, with fruity undercurrents, an almost perfect nose for a stout.
Taste: good smattering of hops up front, but smooth soon after. Very firm-bodied, with recurring fruity aspects, (I'm tasting cherries...you?),
though still dark, acidic, and bittersweet. Full of lasting flavor, too. the name, however, had me anticipating a monsoon of flavor, like an Imperial Stout, and that is not the case. An excellent "regular" stout, shall we say, but one still abundant with flavor. Quite nice, actually, and remarkably similar to Guinness Extra Stout.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2003 08:39:20 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

First Pelican beer, opened at Mike's house last night. Not sure who's bottle it is. Beer is black with a thin brown head, low carbonation and low lacing.

Aroma is a little sweet, mildly roasty.

Beer is medium to light in body forward sweetness. The finish is a little bitter and a little ashy. Its a decent beer, pretty drinkable but a little thin. I like it, FES are all about like this. Sweeter, lighter, this one is a little ashy and just OK.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 22:05:33 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured out an opaque, jet-black color with a one-finger, light brown head of foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled very roasty with coffee, chocolate and molasses notes.

T - It tasted of dark chocolate, rich roasted coffee and burnt molasses. Subtle piney bitterness, too.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a clean finish.

O - This is a really good stout. I hope to find more brews from Pelican.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 00:54:08 | More by zeff80

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours with a creamy, dense, three-finger thick, full, milk chocolate colored head. The beer is a pitch black color, nice and opaque. The aroma is acidic up front; redolent of ample dark malts. Rich notes of dark chocolate, espresso beans dominate afterwards with sharp, burnt astringent grain husk notes in the finish, that aren't nearly as harsh as it might seem. Actually the finish is quite nice, the overall aroma is quite warm and inviting.

The taste has a sweet chocolate note to it up front, which is quickly dominated by an ample roast character that reminds me of chicory, and black coffee. The beer has a nice palate fullness to it; coating but not cloying, just thick enough that the contemplation of the upcoming 22oz bottle is not too overwhelming. The beer finishes with a burnt acidity that actually tends to keep this Imperial Stout a bit lighter than it otherwise would be. This is pretty light on the hops, at least for this type of beer; there is a bit of bitterness just noticeable under all the dark malts (which means there is probably quite a bit), but not much in the way of any flavor hop additions. This lets this beer focus on the malt, which in this case is mostly the dark malts.

This beer is quite tasty, but it could definitely use a bit more general malt character; a bit thicker and maltier would make this beer a bit more balanced, but then it would be a bit harder to get through a 22oz bottle. As this beer warms up a bit it gains a bit more fullness in the mouth, and correspondingly a bit more malt character. It could still use a bit more, but it is a bit more balanced than it first was when it was 50*F.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2006 04:38:45 | More by Gueuzedude

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Poured black with great carbonation leaving a big brown cap, nice lacing

S: Big roasted malts bith huge bitter chocolate presence and some coffee

T: Immediate big roasty and bitterness. Bitter and dark chocolate, very dry with coffee lingeing.

M: Again, big body for this beer, lots of bitterness, especially as it warms, I am suspecting this from the buttloads of black malts

O: Very good, drinkable and good representation of the style

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 18:26:09 | More by barleywinefiend

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap @ the Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City, OR) on 8/30/11. Served in a pint glass.

Pours black, with a ½ finger of mocha colored head. This maintains some rich edges, along with near ½ finger flare-up that throws up a foamy cascade of lacing which hangs in sticky swathes down the sides of the glass. Chocolate and dark roast control the aroma, which melds nicely with some underlying earthy green hops. The sweetness here and smokiness from the roast are giving off a bit of an acrid twang in the nose at times.

Things get switched up a bit in the taste, with a tight feeling green bitterness that unfurls into bittersweet chocolate character. A flush of dark grains comes out across the back, while the hops hang in there, lingering a bit in the finish along with a mostly dry roasted feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, maybe a touch fuller; with a pretty lively and sharp feeling carbonation that luckily doesn’t overstay its welcome. This fills up the mouth nicely upon each sip, with any alcohol presence for that 7% merely intensifying the already robust roasted character here.

Man, this was really great Stout, full flavored as heck, and just drenching the mouth with a well balanced mix of sweetness and bitter flavors. I just love when a beer that you didn’t have many expectations for just blindsides you with its sheer goodness the way this one did. The Pelican has a real winner here with this one.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2011 17:13:57 | More by Kegatron

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewpub today.

Tsunami stout pours a blackish brown color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is very attactive, showing considerable licorice, but then with an impressive amount of dark chocolate, vanilla and light coffee as well. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but the licorise isn't as prominent, and I'm impressed by the excellent balance in this moderately sweet beer. Also, there's just enough underlying hoppy bitterness to counter the licorice and vanilla, which dries this beer out on the finish, and really enhances this beer's drinkability. Mouthfeel is pretty full, with a long, vanilla and licorice, light bitter finish.

Really, this is just an excellent beer from Pelican brewing.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2011 02:36:49 | More by johnmichaelsen

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber purchased from Whole Foods in Pearl, Portland, OR.

Pours a very pleasant deep black-brown, with a very frothy and persistent head of mocha. Lacing is punchy and bubbly, but sticks well. Body is firm. Looks very good indeed.

Chalky cocoa on the nose, with a hint of carbonic bite to it that lessens its impact. Roasted notes come through with a touch of bland husk and char to it. There's not significant depth, but it's pleasant.

Taste is nice, and suits the style well. It's charred, dry and crispy, with a very pronounced roast. Malt sweetness is muted, leaving the roast to really come out strongly—that's what I want from an export stout, and this delivers. Finish is bone-dry. Almost puckering. That's powerful stuff.

Feel is dry and light on the finish, but with enough power to support the flavours at the start.

Yeah, I'll pay that. That's really powerful and unapologetic, and it works as it is. I can imagine you could make an imperial version of this that I'd enjoy more, but this is under no qualms about what it's trying to do, and for that it's successful.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 03:43:43 | More by lacqueredmouse

glid02

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this courtesy of ChuggyMcBeer, mbudner, and TempsPerdu - much obliged!

Pours one shade away from black with dark ruby highlights and a one-finger light brown head. The head recedes into a thin pancake on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of deeply roasted malts with hints of unsweetened chocolate.

Doesn't taste quite as roasted as the smell led me to believe. Roasted malt flavors with a good deal of sweetness lead things off, followed by mild chocolate and coffee flavors that lend themselves to a bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a very nice thickness with soft carbonation that make this go down smoothly.

Drinkability is good. I had no problem finishing my glass and could drink a few of these in one sitting.

Overall this is a very nicely balanced stout that doesn't try and cram too many flavors in one beer. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2009 18:13:18 | More by glid02

Gusler

Arizona

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The pour as dark as they get, head is voluminous, lace is fine sheets, both chocolate brown and both deliquesce quickly. Nose is malt, light hints of coffee, toasted grains, sweet. Front is malt sweet, the top light to medium in mouth feel. The beer finishes with mild carbonation, the hop pleasantly persistent through the droughty malt aftertaste. Quite a nice stout, drinkable and robust enough to keep my interest. Ranks #178 on my current 1000 beer master list.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2002 16:17:06 | More by Gusler

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle care of joefc, thanks man! The good Joe claims I need to try this Oregon offering so lets see what this is all about. If my understanding of their "dating system" is correct, this brew is from December 2009.

Poured into a snifter this brew appears a dark brown to black color. Around the edges it displays a lighter brown and decent clarity. An initial finger of brown head appears and quickly fades to a thin layering atop the brew. Rising bubbles of carbonation hardly offer any support to the quick dissolve. A light swirl revives the head but it is quick to fade back to a thin line around the inside perimeter of the glass. Some faint patches of lace cling to the glass.

The aroma is full of dark grains. It is quite roasty suggesting coffee and some chocolate. There is also some dark fruity element to this brew smelling like plum and raisin with a bit of a vinous quality about it. As it warms, the alcohol character becomes increasingly evident with more dark fruit suggestions which force the initial dark roast character towards the back of the nose.

The taste upfront is quite bitter from the heavily kilned grains. This is a very roasted brew that leaves a long lingering flavor of the burnt grain residue inside the mouth. Each sip brings to mind thoughts of strong black coffee but with a slight citrus hop component throughout the body. The alcohol flavor is noticeable but it blends well with the bold character of this brew. It certainly warms the back of the throat but not overly so which is consistent with the 7% abv.

This is a medium bodied offering with a high level of carbonation. What is strange about the carbonation is that it doesn't display much visually but when the brew hits your tongue it is overboard. Overall this is a fine example of the style and very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2010 01:19:59 | More by stakem

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Thick black with a dark tan head, very little retention but a nice lacing.

S: Roasted coffee, bread & chocolate.

T: Java (coffee & chocolate), bread, brown sugar, roasted grain, hint of tar-like bitterness, alcohol is subtle.

M: Moderate to full body is creamy & smooth, dry finish, modest carbonation.

D: Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2008 00:09:16 | More by Derek

Dogbrick

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to cmaruschak for the surprise hookup. Deep black color with a thick and foamy brown head that dissipates steadily. The aroma is chocolate and malt, with a subtle vinous character here and there. Rich body, with a nice blend of coffee and cocoa flavors along with roasted malt and hops. The finish is hoppy and nutty and roasty. Very enjoyable from start to finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2006 22:13:53 | More by Dogbrick

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 enjoyed a few weeks back at ditmier's house.... bottle provided by buckeyeboy.. Thanks to Jeremy for the brew and to Eric for hosting.. Poured into my small La Trappe glass.

Nice dark tan head and lace... black brew with a good lasting cap.

Nose is lite chocolate and some caramel ... but pretty much a dry dark maltiness in the aroma.

Flavor is pretty much what I was expecting from such a highly recommended brewery... lite bittersweet chocolate and some background coffee.. descent hop bite but the grains envelope most of it... Body is a bit light for the style especially given the abv. and the carbonation may be a touch high..

Thanks Jeremy... I appreciate the opportunity.. a pretty damn solid beer from a brewery that I almost always overlook.. and a style that I rarely go after.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2009 08:21:47 | More by JohnGalt1

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Aroma is strong and oily with tones of coffee and unsweet chocolate and an overtone of molasses. It pours a deep, warm sable with a thick chocolaty brown head - would have gotten a perfect score in this department if the head had been a little more persistent. Flavor is smoky and sweet, tones of quality coffee, molasses and licorice with a touch of chocolate. Texture is smooth and fizzy, a teensy thin for a stout but still good.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:23:35 | More by Cyberkedi

ccrida

Oregon

3.38/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Draught pint at the brewery, black with a small tan head that left light lace.

Smell is soft, dusted coco and coffee.

Taste is also rather soft, roasty, with more coffee then chocolate, and a dry finish. Very smooth and balanced, although I'd prefer a bit more umph. Also, I prefer a slightly sweeter export stout. Served too cold, it didn't really open up in the 30 mins or so over which I sipped it.

Mouthfeel is full and velvety, although I'd like a bit more carbonated creaminess.

Drinkability is just above average. While it's a nicely rounded and well executed stout, and drinks lighter then 7% ABV, it just didn't excite me to much.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2008 17:50:19 | More by ccrida

RoyalT

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance – This one is black in color with a tanned, foamy head. The head formed into clumps as it slowly subsided. Nice.

Smell – The aroma here in incredibly smooth and even with a rich texture. The darkish malts and light, dark sugars dance in perfect harmony. Simple, yet extremely well done.

Taste – I’ll christian this one “Mr. Smoothie”. The dark, roasted malts and high-quality sugars are expertly balanced. Again, nothing fancy here, just Stout done right.

Mouthfeel – This one is heavy and full-bodied with a wonderful mouthfeel. It is satisfying on so many levels. I can’t overstate how incredibly smooth this is in the mouth. It’s one of those Stouts that you just want to hold in between your cheeks all night long.

Drinkability – This one was exciting enough to earn the “Tsunami” moniker.

Comments - Big thanks to skyhand for popping this one at one of her famous tasting events.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2004 16:33:40 | More by RoyalT