Pelican Bridal Ale

Brewed by Pelican Pub & Brewery
Style: Bière de Garde
Pacific City, Oregon USA

Oct 2005 bottle. Head is initially average sized, frothy/fizzy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy medium to dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, cookie), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with bright notes of tangerine, peach, cantaloupe, lesser notes of black tea and earth. Flavor is moderately to heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly to moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly to moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly carbonation. A veritable fruit bomb! After nearly two years? How is this possible? It’s nearly jaw-dropping, more so because of its age...I fully expected being majorly disappointed, and I’ve not been a big fan of Pelican so far, but damn...this is absolutely fantastic. And surprisingly seems to still have more life left in it. Major kudos to the brewer.

Bottled 10/05. Beer is clear medium warm brown with a small, off-white, mostly diminishing head.<P>The aroma is fruity and full. Malty with light notes of toasted grain, caramel, light of cookie; Hoppy with a light/moderate herbal note, light tea; Yeasty with a light note of basement; Moderate dried peach/current, light green apple peel, oxidation.<P>The flavor is light/moderately sweet, lightly acidic with a long, warmish, light/moderately bittersweet finish.<P>The body is medium, the texture is velvety and the carbonation is lively.

[750ml bottle, 2005 vintage, signed by brewers] The cork was very well embedded. Rich dark caramel aroma, something like mushroom and/or wood, along with floral hop, and some dark fruit. Warm darkish amber copper color with virtually no head (what there was, was a passing beige). Mild carbonation; medium body. Earthy, dark fruit notes. Brown sugary toasted malt. Some citrus oil. The alcohol is quite warming. Finally some lighter stone fruit and floral bits are detectable. The finish is somewhat dry, and peppery spicy hints creep in. Remnants of earthy, woody notes. The mouth tingles. Definitely marvelous.

Poured cloudy orange with a small head. I thought it had a woody, earthy aroma, sort of like a scottish ale. The alcohol was quite obvious in its presence. It was little on the sweet side, with a strong malt character. Easy drinkable, if not a bit bland.

(750ml bottle, 2005 vintage, signed by brewers) Pours a burnt orange with a medium beige head. Aroma of orange, caramel, butterscotch, pepper, and florals. Flavor of toffee, fruitiness, and cooked apple with a somewhat thin mouthfeel.

(750ml bottle, bottled 10/05) Small beige head atop murky copper body. Aroma is medium sweet, caramel, some grapefruit, toffee, raisin -- evokes a barleywine. Taste is medium sweet, caramel, cookie, some floral/orange, light brown sugar. Medium body with light stickiness. Not bad, but not sure how this is considered a BdG. The aroma evokes a barleywine, and the taste certainly doesn’t come across as a BdG either.

Bottle. Presented nicely in the champagne style bottle. Hazy brown-orange in colour. This showed some light sugary notes, with some subtle nuttyness and caramel, with some citrus zest in the finish. Malts were slightly bready aswell, notes of toffee come through aswell.

2005 edition. Pink in color with lively carbonation and a thin head. Big American caramel malt aroma with some sticky hop, toasted cracker and vegetable notes. Sweet, fruity caramel flavor with a spicy finish. Interesting tutti fruiti flavor with a little pomegranite and maraschino cherry. Prickly carbonation with a big body. Nice, subtle ale.