Tsunami Stout - Pelican Pub & Brewery

Jredner

Florida

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

The obligatory chocolate/coffee in high concentration makes up the bulk of the aroma. Strong roasted malt elements follow with am ever so faint hint of brown sugar and chocolate cake. The body is an uncanny stygian black. One of the darker beers you’ll see. The head starts off a full two fingers thick, but slowly compresses down to a thumb thick mocha affair. The fore features highly concentrated burnt/roasted malt with dark chocolate and dry cocoa notes. Some slightly sulphery blackstrap molasses and nutty notes in the dry chcolatey finish. Great palate. Solid aroma. Decent flavor.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2006 21:58:28 | More by Jredner

edmundfitzoil

Florida

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I picked up my bottle at the brewery this past spring, the bottle suggests to keep it in cold storage, but I kept mine at a consistent cellar temperature. I poured mine into a standard pint glass.

The beer poured the "midnight" black promised by the bottle with a inch thick, dark, dark tan head. The foam left nice lacing down the side of the glass in a variety of bubble sizes. It's a beautiful beer. A few co2 bubbles cling to the side of the glass just below the top of the liquid as the marathon retained head looms over the dark, mysterious liquid. The nose is an enormous nose of dark, burnt and chocolate malts, leaving an impression stronger and more memborable than some imperial or double stouts than I've tried. The flavor is robust maltiness, both dark chocolate and burnt flavors predominately, with a medium to lighter mouthfeel and a definite dry finish. It's lightness on the tongue and an entirely hidden, but with the expected higher abv because of its style, makes the beer one to watch but one that I don't want to stop drinking. An oiliness develops in the texture as the beer slowly warms in the glass.

This is a brewery/brewpub on its way up. The India Pelican Ale is a great hoppy beer, and this one is a sleeper and not nearly heard about enough. A place to visit and a beer to try and/or trade for if you can. A true treat.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2006 22:14:06 | More by edmundfitzoil

HimerMan

New Jersey

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

22oz bottle.

Pours black with a very dark brown head that has intense aromas of chocolate and a malted cream. I prefer this to be very cold - as this warms up a substantial amounts of hops emerge and tend to overtake the flavor of this incredibe dry stout.

When warming - this beer does have a very different texture in the mouth and palate. Flavors change from chocolate to very flowery/citrus with more alcohol taste evident.

Overall - Perhaps the finest dry stout I've tried; rated highly due to what gets packed in that 22oz bottle. The only thing keeping it from being a 5/5 for taste for me is the hops - but, if you like a lot of hops at the finish of a stout - this is flawless.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2006 18:05:12 | More by HimerMan

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

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

mattcrill

Ohio

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

Mad props go out to cmaruschak for the chance to sample this West Coast goodie.

Appearance: Midnight darkness descends into this glass leaving a nice tan head. No visible carbonation and no light getting through this bad boy. It's black from the body to the edge. Pretty impressive.

Smell: One of the best smelling beers I've had in a while. A garden party for the nose! Sweet dark fruits, raisins, roasted coffee, heavy whipping cream, chocolate syrup, and dry cocoa all stimulate the senses. Perfection in a glass.

Taste: Hot chocolate powder, roasted malts amped up, coffee, and chocolate syrup all coat the palate with a wonderful yet understated hop bitterness at the end. Just a lovely roasty, chocolate profile.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, creamy, and light carbonation that keeps it interesting.

Drinkability: Hook me up to the IV. This is great. Wonderful tasting, not too heavy handed. Very well done. Strongly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 15:28:38 | More by mattcrill

Knuckles

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's about 80 degrees outside. I walked my wife to yoga from the ferry. Then I walked back to the truck and drove home. I've felt dirty and sticky all freakin' day. I want a beer. What would go perfectly with the first hot-ass day since summer officially began? Oh yeah, that's right: Pelican's Tsunami Stout.

Me, I'm a year-round stout drinker. Stouts in the summer, stouts in the winter, stouts all year long. Don't get me wrong, I love me an IPA (or better yet, an imperial IPA), but there's something about stouts that appeals to the not-so-hidden fatass beer snob in me. So yeah, I'm one hirsute stout drinkin' mofo, and at this precise moment, I'm pretty damn happy to be one.

Appearance: Gloriously, splendidly black. Opaque. Black like someone painted the inside of my glass in case the air raid sirens go off and I need to finish my beer. Held up to the light in my lovely Duiske 20 oz. mug there is just the faintest hint of ruby around the edges of the beerl. Gorgeous.

Smell: Coffee and just a wee hint of dark chocolate. Out of the fridge, of course, there's very little aroma at all. But let this beauty warm up and the smells come out. They are faint, sadly, as I really love that bitter, roasted smell from the roasted barley, but they are there. I'd love to have that be a little more prominent.

Taste: Magnificent. It's all I can say. The first taste is just a bit of sweet from the malts, and then BAM! the roasted barley takes over. However, this hostile act is only briefly successful, as it is almost immediately escorted off the premises with a gentle hop finish. Mmm...

Mouthfeel: I've said it before and I'll say it again: NOTHING pisses me off more than a thin-tasting stout. As you can probably surmise from my rating, this isn't one of those. The viscosity is perfect.

Drinkability: As always, this is a pretty damn subjective rating. I could drink this sumbitch all night long. It's THAT good. It's also quite deceptive. Some stouts fall prey to a malt bill that really overtakes the beer when it warms, but this is definitely not one of those beers. The malts play very nicely with the rest of the beer, so I'm inclined to allow recess to continue for another, oh, twenty minutes or so (gotta pick up the wife).

My friend picked this up for me from the Pelican. He raved about the views, but didn't care much for the food or the beer. So far I've had the India Pelican Ale (which I didn't rate, but came to enjoy after it warmed and the malts had a chance to beat down that insane hop nose and finish) and this splendid stout. I'm hoping his culinary experience was an aberration, as I'm going to be hitting that place up over Thanksgiving (and I refuse to leave the premises without at least four bombers of this). Excellent stuff, and one of the best new (to me) stouts I've had out of an Oregon brewery in quite some time.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2005 02:20:35 | More by Knuckles

mjohn27603

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at the brewery in July 2005. I had the mega pint for $5. The first stip reveals a strong taste of coffee and roasted flavors. A typical stout. The mouthfeel is a little creamy. I'm not sure of the ABV but it seemed to pack a little bit of a punch. Maybe because I hadn't had anything to eat. Good perhaps a little overrated but a decent and solid stout offering.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2005 17:59:08 | More by mjohn27603

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

charlatan

United Kingdom (Scotland)

3.83/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This had little head and a faint pickled onion smell when I bought it on tap at the Basement Pub. That seems to indicate that it won't have an oveprowering coffee taste.

Indeed this had only a faint coffee flavour. Instead I found big malts and a pleasant slightly charred yet rather sweet taste. It slid down worryingly easily for such a potent beer. This is definitely one of my favourite stouts, and along with India Pelican Ale is thoroughly recommended if you happen to go to Pelican's brewpub in Pacific City (which coincidentally) I did the next day.

How did the Basement Pub know to select Pelican's two best brews? Good work.

Serving type: on-tap

05-26-2005 23:42:17 | More by charlatan

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on tap at 'bones...Very black and opaque. Dark coffee colored head, looked like espresso. Dark roasted coffee aroma. Let's carry the whole coffee connection throughout the review...Tastewise it hought it was coffee like all the way, no room for cocoa or chocolate notes. Mouthfeel was medium and prickly. I thought this was a well made brew, nothing was lacking.

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2004 15:37:44 | More by PatandDavid

freed

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Doug for this beauty. A bottle specially delivered from the brewery.

Poured a thick, uh, stout black with a rich brown head that started out thick but thinned to a nice thin covering.

Aroma was smokey, and improved as it warmed.

The taste was an abundance of chocolate and dry smoke. The sensation of dry malt chaffe creates a nice smooth and full body.

It drinks well too.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2004 03:38:18 | More by freed

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

CRJMellor

Arkansas

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with maroon highlights and a thick, dark, ecru head that leaves traces of lace.
Aroma of roasted coffee, chocolate, caramel and some nuttiness.
Flavors of sweet chocolate, lightly bittered, roasted coffee and some smooth, buttery and biscuit notes.
Mouthfeel is full-bodied sweetness and light roasted and bitter notes. Smooth and creamy.
Drinkability is very high. Classic progressions of a sweet stout. solid representation of style and very nice flavoring.

Thanks to Skyhand for this beauty.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2004 02:30:34 | More by CRJMellor

Thrasher

Oregon

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Similar to Shakespeare Stout but I prefer this. Ink black with brown highlights, a soft and substantial head forms but dwindles to a ring, leaving little wisps of lace down the glass. Chocolatey aroma with a charcoal roastiness. Tsunami Stout is initially quite bitter, with herbal hops leaping across the tongue. They are soon mellowed by the full, thorough roasty quality of the malts. Evocative of both the salt sprayed air of the Oregon coast, and the proliferation, nay, infestation, of espresso bars throughout the Northwest. Slight flecks of chocolate, brown sugar, licorice, and raisin flavors soon fall by the wayside as the hop bitterness returns to pair up with the burnt, huge malts. Aftertaste is creamy, chocolatey, balanced by slight mint and pine hop qualities. Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety, just the right amount of slippery. Drinkability a bit low for me; as with many serious stouts, patience is rewarded, and haste makes for unneccesary and unwelcome waste.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2004 05:29:47 | More by Thrasher

deejaydan

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Wow.. what a nice roasty beer from skyhand. Pours with a nice whipped cream tan head. Pitch black body as should come from a stout. Almost, but not quite overpoweringly roastly flavor. This flavor is right on the edge for me. Its there, but not over the top. A great potential session beer. Overall, a darn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2004 05:22:27 | More by deejaydan

Reidrover

Oregon

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

22 oz bomber bought on my last trip to Lincoln City, Oregon. Wonderful yet slightly understated roasted dark coffee aroma..slight hint of a milky smell. Jet black in appearance with a nice sized creamy tan head. A very, very tasty stout..very milk chocoalty, cocoa taste to start..then a liquorice tinted bitterness at the end..all the time very smooith and creamy. felles excellent on the tongue. Fantastic stout..anyone fed up with those Murphy/Guiness/Beamish nitro stouts should try this beauty.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2004 15:09:45 | More by Reidrover

jtfest

Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, dark chocolate -- opaque in the glass - -with a small, creamy mocha brown head. Smells of sweet malt, wet leather, and bittersweet chocolate. Excellent mouthfeel -- rich, chewy and full. Beautiful flavor -- woody, chocolate, toasted nuts -- with a well blended bitterness that is there, but not biting. Very drinkable for a stout of this complexity.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2004 04:20:41 | More by jtfest

aracauna

Georgia

4.08/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The stream from the bottle is a cola brown that turns into black in the glass. The head is a nice size, dense, a good medium tan that lasts as a fuzzy film and laces nicely. The aroma is almost spot on. Great coffee and chocolate nose with the java being dominant. Hops are present in the aroma, but more so in the flavor. The flavor doesn't quite live up to the aromas promise being a little overwhelmed by the hops. Still an excellent stout.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2004 07:06:28 | More by aracauna

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

ElGordo

Oregon

4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I lugged this one all the way across the country with me from Portland and resisted it sitting in my fridge until tonight. Beautiful, dark dark dark color. Pours fairly thick with minimal head. Malty, coffeeish aroma. Beautiful taste, a WHOLE lot of malt, some coffee, a faint hint of chocolate and chicory. Dry mouthfeel, but not too dry. Semi-sweet aftertaste. This is a wonderful beer from one of my favorite breweries in the world. Darren does a great job out on the coast, I wish I weren't 3000 miles away now.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2003 01:31:23 | More by ElGordo

beerguy101

California

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

Deep midnight black color, medium tan foamy head. Aroma is roasted malts, coffee and chocolate. WOW! Bid full bodied Dry stout. Roasted malt flavor. Coffee and chocolate, slightly sweet at the start and then transform into a dry hoppy finish. Bid bold flavor, yet nothing is overpowering. The sweetness is balanced by the hop bitterness. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is smooth and dry. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, more of a chocolate bitterness than a hop bitterness. Well deserving of the GABF Gold Medal. Painted/ Etched Beer bottle.

Serving type: bottle

09-14-2003 00:33:03 | More by beerguy101

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Brought this one back from the brewery and enjoyed it with a
roasted pork tenderloin. Big, black and malty these guys make
a fine stout. I really liked the rich mouthfeel that reminded me
of Samuel Smiths offerings. I would love to go back to the brewpub
in Pacific City in the winter and sip a pint of this beer with a storm
out at sea.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2003 21:54:07 | More by canucklehead

Wildman

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured very dark, almost black and formed a huge dark tan foam head that left lots of nice circular lace around the glass as it subsided. An aroma of malt, coffee and chocolate with some toasted/roasted elements. A flavor of malt, coffee and chocolate. A very interesting sweetness is present in the finish, yet a touch of bitterness. Almost like bittersweet chocolate. A very good stout.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2003 19:07:43 | More by Wildman

marc77

California

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

Completely absorbant opaque black hue. Well retained mud brown head leaves Belgian lace. Bittersweet dark chocolate, and sharp, carbonaceous roasted barley dominate the aroma, with secondary support from butterscotch diacetyl and nutty carob. Trace dryish date esters and heaty alcohol surface with a swirl. Quite appetizing in aroma. Prune laced sweetness initially in flavor is superceded by a melange of assertive burnt barley and citrus tinged hop bitterness. Chocolate malt presence melds with mellow, treacle undertones to lend an earthy, semisweet, raw cacao impression mid palate. Moderate in body, with a quasi dry, well attenuated mouthfeel. Finishes with a snap of roasted barley sharpness yielding to lingering deep, yet agreeable molasses sweetness. Tsunami stout has tremendous chocolate and roasted grain character, yet retains an elegant dryness. Delicious, satiating and quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2003 19:31:45 | More by marc77