Mother Of All Storms - Pelican Pub & Brewery

gkunkle

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass at the pelican feb 2012. Pours a transparent hazel color, only a slight bit of foam exists in the glass as it is brought to me, but I don't there was much to begin with considering the 13.5% ABV. Smell is of raisins, dark fruit, alcohol, smooth vanilla and caramel smell. The smell is really potent, I didn't really swirl the beer at first, and it didn't have much head but it was still very aeromatic. The taste resides in the same vein as
The smell, once again one of the most potent flavor was that of raisins/dark fruit. I let my glass warm for a good bit before I drank it, so it may have different notes when onsumes colder. I also get some notes of bourbon. This was still really hot, I'd like to get a bottle of this age for a while then try it in two years once it has mellowed. While it was very aggressive when I tried it, I thing it would come out very smoothly with some age. Mouthfeel id relatively thick, with mild carbonation. If you enjoy a boozy beer and you like those sweet dark fruit notes, give this a try.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 08:15:13 | More by gkunkle

BilbosNuts

California

4.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap at the brewery.

A: Pours a dark black with some mahogany tints, letting no light through. Small bubbles cling to the sides. A small tan head sits on top.

S: Sweet caramel candies and dark fruits come through at first. It's aroma is very inviting. A touch of alcohol finishes it out.

T: Very similar to the taste with dark fruits and a caramel sweetness as the backbone. I could sip on this all day.

M: Medium bodied and adequately carbonated to allow the sweet flavors to migrate on the palate. A slight alcohol warming finishes it off.

O: This was really a treat to try on tap. Highly recommend. Close to perfection.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2011 21:47:44 | More by BilbosNuts

black13

Oregon

5/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

****2010 Mother of all Storms***

Surprised to find thus on tap before I can buy it tomorrow. This is going to be a great weekend.

Served in wine glasses from fresh tap (first glass in fact). No head was left nor any lacing, but who cares. This dark honey beverage looked spectacular.

The aroma was everything I expected. First and foremost was a suble bourbon overtone. To go with was some mollasses, caramel and vanilla.
They are some others aromas present, but my novice alfactory organ fails to identify them.

Holly crap. This thing is amazing. All the flavors blend together perfectly. Nothing overpowers, but rather everything is perfect beer symphony. Despite clocking in at 13%, the alcohol does not dominate. The flavor is sweet, but certainly not cloying. My taste buds are happy!

The mouthfeel can only be described as a creamy smoothness.

I could drink this all night, but I have 09 Perfect storm to attend to. A wonderful beer that does not dissapoint this newbie and will likely please the seasoned veteran.

Another stellar beer from Pelican.

Consumed on 11-19-2010

Serving type: on-tap

05-14-2011 21:20:54 | More by black13

olympuszymurgus

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

an already outstanding barley wine gone barrel aged? ridiculous. on tap at the end of a vertical flight of stormwatchers at the beautiful pelican.
it takes you to a mystical land, a dream world of murky depths and heavenly summits. pours dark red and a bit murky, pungeant, bourbon, vanilla, sweet malt, caramel, dates, and figs. its aroma is surpassed by the flavorful assault. the sweet malt and bourbon ride in first, flanked by vanilla. the fruit flavor and caramel then storm to the sides, capturing your entire match in ecstasy. it finishes with just the right bourbon bite and malt sweetness, leaving you desirious for more.

Serving type: on-tap

03-07-2010 23:58:27 | More by olympuszymurgus

francisweizen

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

In Oregon.

Struck by a nectar dark and ruby red.

Little head, but better can be said.

Delicous aromas of alcohol and bread.

In the mouth nothing can be said.

I'd like to drink more of this before that I am dead.

Thanks be to my Oregon friend Fred.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2010 04:31:47 | More by francisweizen

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.63/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewpub today.

Like the bottled version, PS pours a dark brown color, but with fair at best head retention and a decent amount of sticky lacing all around. The nose on this BW is really impressive, with a considerable amount of brown sugar, toffee, chocolate, milk duds and vanilla. As good as this beer smells, it tastes even better. If anything, the flavor profile is more intense then the aroma profile, and this beer has almost a gooey sweet, soft creamy mouthfeel. This is like eating/drinking the essense of BW nougat. Also, there are some wonderful dark fruits in the flavor profile, something I don't recall being all that prevelant in the bottled version. Otherwise, the beer is exceptionally soft, plush and creamy... yummm! This beer does seem a bit boozy, but at 13.5%, that's hardly a surprise. Like the sweetness in this beer, it's not at all intrusive, and is something that I suspect will dissipate over time (and as I have another 3 bottles, I'll get to find out!). Drinkability is pretty good considering the abv., though needless to say, a little bit goes a long way. Also, although this beer is pretty sweet, it's not over the top and is, I think, perfect for the style.

One of the best young BW's I've ever had the pleasure of tasting. The draft version seemed a bit more mature then the bottled version, though I'm sure it will improve over time as well. Otherwise, I can't say I found all that much difference between the draft version and the bottled version. In any event, very, very impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2009 04:55:41 | More by johnmichaelsen

jmarsh123

Indiana

3.86/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4

2011 vintage

Pours brown with a little bit of red letting in some light. Bright beige creamy head.

Lots of toffee and vanilla in the nose. Brown sugar, perhaps a bit of fig and bourbon.

Big maltiness in the flavor. Brown sugar and toffee mixed with a lot of vanilla. Bourbon has died down a lot. Still present and heats up at the end, but this is a malt bomb.

Full bodied and sticky. Low, but present carbonation. Pretty spot on for the style.

Probably waited a bit too long on this one. Still pretty good, but I'd prefer more heat and less sweetness. Will be drinking any future ones closer to fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 12:27:14 | More by jmarsh123

dcloeren

Texas

4.71/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Review from notes...

Poured a deep brown with mahogany edges, 1 finger of cinnamon colored head lingered for a quick minute and slowly succumbed to the weight of the beer.

Nice aromas of toffee, caramel, oak, bourbon and vanilla. Smells awesome.

Toffee dominates my palate right off the bat with an amazing bourbon burn following it. Great caramel malt carrying the weight throughout with some vanilla rounding it off on the back end.

Medium to full in body with a perfect amount of carbonation. I really love the carbonation on this beer! It gives it an amazing mouthfeel. I also love the smooth burn from the bourbon on the finish of this beer. Top notch!

This is an amazing barleywine. Amazing flavor and mouthfeel! This is a must have and it is definitely a world class BBBW.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 20:52:12 | More by dcloeren

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2012 bottle

A: Pours a dark brown/red color with very little head. Almost looks like wine when the head dissipates.
S: Smells so strong, I could smell it across the room when I opened the bottle! Huge caramel, bourbon, vanilla, oak and brown sugar/molasses aromas. Smells amazing.
T: Just like the smell, this has a ton of caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and bourbon. Raisins and figs are in there too, but brown sugar dominates. There's a slight hint of dulce de leche and chocolate hidden in there. Big sweetness in the beginning but it fades towards the finish as you get the blast of oak and bourbon. A nice bit of burn at the end as well.
M: Very balanced for 14%. Nice and thick bodied with low carbonation. Incredibly smooth and velvety.
O: One of the best barleywines I've had, up there with Leon and King Henry. I will need to revisit Sucaba soon to see where that one stands.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 07:53:21 | More by standardcherry

zipper8650

New York

4.69/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Good Beer Sunday
2012 in snifter
High hopes for this one....
A - poured down the middle, starts as a nice amber color, head is a thin golden/brown that dissipates quick. full glass is a nice dark brown with ruby highlights
S - could smell this one since the second I started pouring it, big bourbon smell in the air. Stick you nose in it and you a thick/sweet/molasses and bourbon smell with some vanilla. Thick and sweet best describes this smell for me
T - I am SO impressed how this beer finished off! Its got that great bourbon and barley wine start but the heat from the booze finishes and dies so smoothly. Brown sugar, vanilla, bourbon, its all really well balanced
M - heavy and syrupy
O - exceeded my hopes, i really enjoy this one, its a huge thick sweet boozy beer that is perfectly balanced for me. I went in to this one in the headset that maybe we don't need to bourbon the hell out of everything but the way it works on this one restores the faith that Doom destroyed. Definitely going to keep up with the releases on this one
Skol

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 22:17:38 | More by zipper8650

alpineclimber

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Rutager for this bottle!

Vintage 2011 served up at cellar temp.

A dark mahogany brew with a small tan head

The nose is of sweet caramelized sugar, not much else on the nose.

The taste is of bourbon, vanilla and caramelized sugar. This brew is on the sweeter side, not surprising considering the ABV is 14%. The mouthfeel is full and vinous.

Not bad when a sweeter and bigger brew is called for.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 03:06:45 | More by alpineclimber

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

4.39/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2011 vintage. Review #900.

Appearance. Pours a deep brown with some red-amber coming through at the edges of the glass. Topped with a finger of orange-tan head.

Smell. Sweet toffee, woody bourbon and vanilla, some brown sugar and molasses with just a hint of dark fruit.

Taste. Brown sugar and caramel, bourbon and fresh barrel wood, a little molasses and burnt sugar. Not as sweet as it may sound from this description. A little hop bitterness in the finish, but not a ton of hop flavour. Nice stuff, just a little boozy.

Mouthfeel. Full body, just a bit sticky. Medium-low carbonation.

Overall. A really nice barleywine that could probably stand another year or two at least to mellow. That being said it's very tasty right now.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 02:29:25 | More by Rutager

s1ckboy

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2012 Bottle, 5 months of age on it.

A - Almost black body. As I hold it up to the light it looks a very deep red. 2 finger head from aggressive pour that quickly settles leaving a small rim of bubbles.

S - Heavy bourbon, lots of wood/oak, rasin, plum.

T - Bourbon/booze at first, vanilla, sweet but not overly so, a lot of dark fruits in the finish.

M - Medium to full, not a lot of carbonation, smooth.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2013 00:37:46 | More by s1ckboy

CraftBrewhaha

Washington

5/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured from the bottle into a glass and straight into my mouth-face. Mother of All Awesome. Drinkin delish. Sweet and boozed up like I like my ladies. It's a bomb didally-bourbon explosion on my palate. If you got one pop that top cause she's drinkin like a champion.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 06:18:30 | More by CraftBrewhaha

bonkers

New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

I recieved this as part of a BIF, split with a friend. It pours very dark, medium head, light lacing. Stong bourbon aroma, vanilla, chocolate. The beer is boozey, bourbon, vanilla, chocolate. Nice sipper, lightcarbonation, full body. Very excited to try it, worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:56:38 | More by bonkers

mynie

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This was the first buzzy barrel-aged barleywine I remember reading about. It’s good and all, but frankly I’m burned out on barrel-aged things. It tastes like vanilla. Or—OR, it tastes fiery like whiskey. And also a little like beer. Whoopie.

I mean, again, it tastes good and all, but I kind of miss the days when we got excited because beer tasted like beer.

Back when I brewed, I sucked. I could understand brewing on paper and had a decent enough nose and palette to tell between different hop and yeast varieties. But I’m impatient and have ADD and am 1/18th basset hound and therefore prone to running through glass porch doors in pursuit of sparkly butterflies. Where was I going with that? Oh, yeah! Impatience! That and brewing do not mix, and so I’d always do something stupid or forget something important and my beers would turn out not very good.

But one time I brewed a high-acid double IPA and I put a cheesecloth sack full o’ oak chips in the secondary. It tasted pretty damn good. All of the off nodes—which, trust me, simply must have been there—were blotted out by vanilla and alcohol and citrusy hops. I cheated, and so I won.

Extremity erases character. That’s why it’s so weird to think that at one point Hitler was a sensitive painter type. Not to say this is the Hitler of beers. I mean, yeah, it gets Shit done, however messily—but I’m going down a weird road, here.
Again, this is not the Hitler of beers.

It does, however, win the award for most annoying shit I’ve ever seen written on a bottle. I’m too full of worms to get up and see what it actually said, but it was something like “you got to wait years on the ocean to see a storm this intense.” Breweries should hire writers. I could do much better. Like, I’d said “this beer is like vanilla and barleywine like a pelican’s salty, barnacled beak.” That sucked. Fine. But it was still less lame than what they wrote.

Full review: http://mynie.com/?p=374

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 15:02:20 | More by mynie

zeledonia

Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Thanks to BigTomZ for the bottle. 2011 vintage. I absolutely love barrel-aged English barleywines, so the real question is how much I'll like (or love?) this one. Tasted 2 March 2013, reviewed from notes.

Pours a very deep cherry wood red, almost mahogany. Clear coming out of the bottle, but so dark it's almost opaque. Just a touch of head, gone fast, and little lacing. Okay with that.

Smell bursts with that incredible brightness that all the best barleywines have. A divine blend of dark fruit, backed by brown sugar, with a soft touch of well-blended whiskey.

Taste is a small step down from the smell, but still really really good. It's just a bit more sluggish, with less pop and vividness than the smell. The bourbon comes on powerfully in the latter part, but backs off right when I want it to. Front end is brown sugar, molasses, plums, and everything dark and sweet that goes along with them. But where the smell was bright reddish, the taste is more muddled and orange.

Mouthfeel is really nice. Big, heavy, and sticky. Carbonation is exactly where it should be - right in the middle, enough to move things around, but not so much as to disrupt the flavors settling. And it sticks to my mouth, allowing those fabulous flavors to linger.

This is up there with the best. Haven't had Sucaba recently enough to say which I prefer, but this is in the same league. Among the top barleywines I've had. Fantastic.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 03:41:03 | More by zeledonia

dirtylou

Washington

4.29/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle, an old-school wale

Served in an oversized snifter - muddy garnet body, light cream lace. Pungent aroma fills the room - bourbon, spice, dark fruits. This is a monster of a beer - a rich array of barrel influences dominated by bourbon and oak. Brown sugar, raisins, dates, syrupy booze, thick malt. Very good - i think I favor Central Waters though, for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 23:16:08 | More by dirtylou

draheim

Washington

4.48/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle (2012) into a snifter. Pours a clear reddish cola brown w/ a thin crackly head that dissipates almost instantly, leaving behind a thin collar of bubbles.

Aroma is deep dark dried fruits - figs and dates - plus brown sugar, molasses, caramel... ooey gooey sticky goodness.

Taste is powerful and rich. Rum-soaked figs, burnt sugar, toffee, caramel, boozy bourbon and vanilla. A nice firm bitterness on the finish.

Mouthfeel is heavy, chewy, sticky, coating. Lingering aftertaste. Alcohol warms the throad as it goes down. Exactly what I'd expect, but even more so.

Overall I'm impressed. This is an unapologetically big bold beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 04:36:22 | More by draheim

Dope

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

2012 bottle.

A: Pours a dark murky reddish-brown. Big fizzy dark tan/almost brown head. Interesting coloration on the head, haven't really seen exactly that shade before. Fades at a moderate pace, leaving no lacing at all behind. Minimal head retention, fizzes out quickly.

S: Whoa. Big, huge malty notes. Loads of brown sugar, caramel and molasses primarily. A bit of vanilla too. Touch of dark fruits, mainly raisin. Super sickly sweet. Wonderful.

T: Notable bourbon up front with caramel and toffee and vanilla. Mixes in with brown sugar, molasses, even honey? Just brief hints of raisin and fig but the sugary sweetness is really what stands out here. Sweetness fades into the finish, leaving a bit of oak, toffee and the bourbon burn. Lingering bourbon and oak between sips.

M: Low carbonation and very heavy body makes this one thick and syrupy

O: This is big and malty and ultra sweet. Pretty much exactly what you'd expect from a 14% bourbon barrel english barleywine. Wonderful beer, the only real fault I could find is when the bourbon stands alone in the aftertaste, it tastes kinda like cheapish bourbon. I'm guessing evan williams like previous vintages. Regardless, not nearly as hot as you'd expect for a fresh 14% barrel-aged barleywine, hell this bottle is barely 3 months old. Honestly, sucaba has nothing on this beer, this should be #1 handily.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2013 03:40:55 | More by Dope

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle: Poured a lightly cloudy dark brown color ale with a medium size head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma of light whisky notes with some brown sugar, toffee and some pretty robust caramelized malt notes. Taste is a great mix between some toffee notes with some brown sugar and caramelized malt with some whisky notes which kinds of round off the rough edge. Body is quite full with good carbonation and no real apparent alcohol. Very well done but I would have like the residual sugar to be more subtle which would have provide more space for the malt backbone to shine.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 19:23:59 | More by Phyl21ca

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

4.7/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

MoaS 2012...thanks Scray for this one....finally opening it.

A - the beer, after an aggressive pour, displays a deep ruby black in color; this mofo has a 'sparkling sound' from the carbonation as well; the mocha head sits contently even after the initial pour; bubbled lacing sits but moves

S - there is a LOT going on in the nose here: bourbon covered caramel apple; that brown sugar sweetness; vanilla; candied plums; whisky yams...is that a legit concept? That's what I'm getting

T - man, I love this beer: everything going on in the nose and more! That whisky yam thing carries over predominantly; some cherries; some milk chocolate; oak char; vanilla; brown sugar; molasses; candied prune; f me...booze! Also, there are some cotton candy notes as this one warms up.

M - this one has a little heat to it...which at 14%, I can't say I'm shocked; the beer is nonetheless smooth and nicely syrupy; this one is a little chewy, but I dig it. The heat lingers after a swallow, but yeah...I dig that shit; heavy all in all

O - all I can say is, I'm glad I have another one. I'm looking forward to seeing how this beer develops. It's a damn fine barleywine...maybe the best BW I've had to this point. It's got so many different flavors, the perfect amount of sweetness, an awesome ABV....a sipping man's BW. I'll be working towards a case next year Pelican!

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 01:04:31 | More by SkeeterBoganski

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Vintage 2012: Big thanks tojzeilinger for opening this beast. This poured out as a deep brown color, there was a thin bubbly head on top that didn't last too long. The retention faded and there really wasn't any lacing either but there was some viscosity on the glass after each sip. The smell of the beer wasn't as potent as I was expecting or hoping for. The beer smells sweet and earthy with some subtle booze on the nose. The taste is sweet, there is a touch of maple in there with some earthy peat but it's very hidden. The bitterness is low just a touch of it in the finish but for the most part this beer is very malty and for the right reasons. The mouthfeel is smooth, it's slick and very mellow. Not much carbonation here but just enough. Overall it was a good brew, holds up well to the style, I found it to be enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 15:43:31 | More by Knapp85

tectactoe

Michigan

4.44/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hell yeah! Thanks to whomever opened this one up at a recent tasting (forgot who brought it). Never thought I'd get to try this one. Pours a deep-ass ruby-red color, appearing jet black underneath dim lighting. The tan head reaches about a quarter-inch, but fades quickly into nothingness. Aroma is dense, heavy, and robust as fuck. Loaded with sweet caramel, toasted brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, oak, wood, light vanilla, and candied dark fruits. There's no mistaking thing brew - it is powerful as all hell, and you'll know it after taking one whiff.

The first flavor to go to work on the palate is a delicate, yet strong display of booze-soaked raisins, dates, and juicy plums, with the booze, of course, being a whiskey-bourbon type blend. Malt bomb, incoming - melted brown sugar, thick syrup and molasses, more juicy dark fruits, and plenty of clashing cocoa and oaky vanilla flavors. This beer is sweet as hell, but never hits the point of being cloying, as it's kept in check by the dense oak and warm bourbon profile, making it insanely drinkable, even at a whopping 14% ABV. Nice, sweet molasses, vanilla, and booze in the finish; thick, syrupy mouth feel with a low level of carbonation.

Hot damn, this was an amazing brew. 2012 vintage. Absolutely delicious and dangerously drinkable given the pretty high ABV. Wonderful display of flavors clashing together with an addicting sweetness than never becomes overbearing. Well done.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 23:41:51 | More by tectactoe

jvillefan

California

4.58/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: A deep ruby red with almost no head.

S: Deep caramel malts are in the front of this beer followed by a rich bourbon aroma.

T: Rich caramel malts are primary flavor. The smoothness of the oak and bourbon cut through this very nicely.

M: Sharpness comes from the alcohol and subtle carbonation. It is nice a viscous and fills the mouth well.

O: One of but no the best Barleywine. I like King Henry, 2010 Bourbon BA Old Guardian, and Abacus more, but this is one of the elite barleywines.

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2013 05:22:15 | More by jvillefan