Doryman's Dark Ale - Pelican Pub & Brewery

marc77

California

4.33/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Crystal clear deep ruby hue. Topped by a light tan, thick, persistent, densely creamy head. Foamy lace remains. The aroma is a unique melange of lightly juicy grapefruit Cascades and floral, noble esque hops along with roasted tinged dark caramel malt. Chocolate malt adds a rounding depth. A pleasure to inhale. Notes of nutty, brittle like sweetness upfront in flavor are quickly complemented by well integrated chocolate malt, which is dryish and akin to lightly sweetened cocoa powder. Judicious dark caramel malt presence is contrasted by an appropriately mild hop bitterness. Impression of demerara sweetness emerges mid palate along with a soft herbal hop flavor. Medium bodied with an agreeable smooth mouthfeel facilitated by both residual dextrins and carbonation lower than the norm. Hop bitterness diminishes late, allowing the chocolate malt character to become pleasantly milky sweet. Finishes lightly sweet, offset by mildly roasty fleeting chocolate malt bitterness. Doryman's Dark is a flavorful, superbly balanced brown ale. Malt and hop character nearly coalesce perfectly. Soft on the palate with superlative drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2003 20:02:19 | More by marc77

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From Oregon's tiny (15 bbl) Pelican Pub & Brewery comes a multiple award-winning American brown ale!

A slightly hazy, reddish-mahogany body is topped by a frothy light-tan head that drops shortly to a creamy surface covering and leaves some very nice lace. The nose displays a touch of chocolate alongside piney and mildly citrusy hops. A very fine, restrained carbonation accentuates it's medium body leaving it smooth and creamy in the mouth. The flavor starts with a touch of citrus hops that quickly part to reveal a gentle maltiness that displays toffee and mild chocolate with a roasty edge. More piney and citrusy (mild grapefruit) hops appear across the middle and carry over into a lingering, dry and hoppy finish. Interesting, enjoyable, and quite drinkable. The hop flavor may be a bit overdone - the bitterness is well balanced - but hey, it's from Oregon! Really nice. Well worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2003 18:38:43 | More by NeroFiddled