Pelican Imperial Pelican Ale

Huge Cascade hop aroma, the subtle malty sweetness, and the spicy, citrusy flavor of this robust, gold colored ale.

Previously called India Pelican Ale, 7.5%

Now called Imperial Pelican Ale, 8%

3.8

496 reviews

Pacific City, United States

Community reviews

3.2 Smells very fruit with subtle hints of hop and malt, brownish golden color that's a bit thick. Tastes different than it smells, with the malt more forward, and the hops taking a back seat.

3.9 A very sticky, viscous but mellowed and mulled offering from a brewer I have taken a fancy too. It produces up a burnished amber, bright as bright and radiant in the lights. Head is an ample, glass filling plume of white that holds and laces well. Thick and plump caramelised fruit nose with hints of toffee, stewed rhubarb, cumquat, blood oranges, marmalade and raspberry liqueur. On the palate it cedes a perfect balance of biscuity, toasted malt and bitter, spicy hops with plenty of funky, fruity esters. Body is medium and it is oily, thick in the finish. Really lengthy and lasting, meaty and chunky. The fruit of the nose comes through and tickles the olfactories well. The cumquat and blood orange is pronounced with a bitter, orange peel edge. Alcohol has a kick but aides all that is going on. Refreshes, perplexes and goes down with contemplative vigour. Another great beer from this brewer. (1 pint, 6fl.Oz, Bottled 13/09/15[?], Luckies Liquor, East Vic. Park)

3.7 22 oz bottle. In Hawaii Tasting with IslandHaole. Thanks Dan! Clear golden color with a small white head. Sweet fruity hops, sweetness and malt in a balanced aroma. Yummy! The flavor is grapefruity and resiny hops, moderate bitterness, some darkness and maltiness. Balanced!

2.4 Bottle. Should be fresh according to the store. Unfortunately, it’s still a boring, old school hoppy American strong ale. It’s a medium to light golden amber color. Medium white head. Plenty of lacing. Some legs. The aroma is all bubblegum crystal malt sweetness. There’s some muddy, boring hops in the mix. Pine, juniper, a little citrus. Pelican has aggressively embraced the innovations of the 1980s craft beer scene with this one. The taste is lightly sweet. Just some sorta woodsy caramel toastiness from that big, old malt backbone. It’s medium bitter with no significant hop character. Just some pine resin and a little citrus peel. Medium body. Long bittersweet finish. Just pure boring, old school beer. It’s made well and I’m sure it has a grand history as a mainstay of this longstanding bulwark of the PNW craft beer scene, but I just don’t care. There are a myriad of better beers on the shelf, nowadays, and I don’t understand why a beer store would bring this one in if it doesn’t already have a fanbase among the customers.

3.6 22oz bottle pours a yellow amber color with a lot of head. Floral and orange flavors. Bitterness a little harsh at the end.

3.6 From a tap at a bar. The pour is a hazy copper with alive c02 with a white head . A mullet of a pine in the front with Carmel in the back. Medium body. Malty and hoppy squared

4.1 22 ounce bottle purchased at Davis Beer Shoppe. The aroma is sweet and malty with plenty of floral notes. Behind this is some really nice and intense piney hoppiness. Nice grassiness. Quite quaffable A little reminiscent of Alesmith IPA. Scantly hazy copper-colored body with a medium to large white head present. Starts with a moderate floral and earthy bitter hop flavoring. Some caramel and cereal maltiness present in the middle. Finishes with a little citrus astringency. Really well-balanced beer that’s quite flavorable.

4.2 Clear copper/orange color with quickly fading beige head. Wonderful aroma, sweet citrus, honey tangerines. Delicious, well-balanced, pine sap, honey, caramel, quite lovely! The alcohol is well hidden but you can feel it warming you on the way down. I really like this one!

3.0 Pours a cloudy golden brown from the bomber with thin wispy off-white head that leaves light lace. Aroma of malty sweetness over just a hint in fruity pine hops. Taste follows, minimal hops for what it is, not bad though.

3.3 Light rusty color, with an even toned haze. Aroma is malty, and so is taste, which is a down the middle RIPA to my taste, with grape fruity, pithy hops into the finish. $5.75/pint

2.6 22oz bomber. I bought this bc its the fresh 50th anniversary edition. Unfortunately, its as bad as I thought. Bland, cleaning product indistinct hops. This is what I hate with beer like this. Complete waste of time.

3.8 Bottle. A: Cloudy dark-orange bordering on red, foamy near creme color head. Brush of lacing. N: Huge pineapple and grapefruit. Pine and earth. Peppercorn and cracker. Touch of toffee. Orange syrup undertones. Bit of lavender. T: Quite sweet and bitter. M: Dry razorblades for a medium body, just the lightest touch of alcohol, and foamy, fuzzy carbonation. O: Big burly IPA. Easy to drink with a lot of tasty hops. A classic.

4.2 Treated as a DIPA, this was poured into a tulip. The appearance was a hazy golden semi-transparent orange color with a slim quarter finger’s worth of foamy head that dissipated within less than a minute. Light trickling messy lacing roams around the glass. The smell takes sweet citrus to combine with bitter citrus rind. Light honey tones smooth it out a bit. The taste was bittersweet as it combined the previously mentioned flavors. A light crisp sweet citrus to honey aftertaste rolled into a quick wet finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a good sipping quality about it. Carbonation is mostly smooth allowing the bitterness to somewhat take the lead on the harshness. Overall, this was a pretty good DIPA that I’m sure I’d have again.

3.6 On tap at the brewery. Pours amber with an off-white head. Aroma of floral and bitter hops, some pale and caramel malts, and dough. Flavor the same. Average texture. Sort of a bland IPA, but not bad.

3.5 Bomber from Winooski Beverage. Hazy amber, large dense fizzy tan head, food retention. Aroma of grain, caramel, piney and spicy hops. The taste is caramel malt, menthol, tropical fruits, citrus, pine. Medium bodied, low carbonation, a bit flaccid, moderate lingering bitterness.

3.7 Honey golden and clear. Big piney aroma. Caramel malt is thick and bitter with a pine and grapefruit. A few years ago I would have gone crazy for this but these big beers have changed so much and this feels like it’s missing something, despite being a great and we’ll executed beer

3.7 Pours a hazy amber colour with a white head. Aroma is caramel, fruit, pine and hops. Taste is light to medium sweet leading to a dry hoppy finish. Good stuff.

4.1 Pours a hazy orange gold with one solid head of long lasting foam. The smell and taste is of a solid malty backbone and tropical fruity hops. Balance is nicely done with a very smooth mouthfeel. Delicious.

3.7 Good head rich misty deep orange pour soft medium carbonation aromas pine mix of crisp hops caramel floral the flavours grapefruit medium strong bitter floral peach pineapple caramel crisp tastes good balance the finish good aftertastes of hop and sweetness bitter pine finish fair tasting imperial

4.0 This is a very ’juicy’ IPA - lots of resin, pine, fresh citrus, honey malt in both aroma and taste. Not too heavy either. Highly enjoyable.

3.2 Poors a clear deep straw yellow. Aroma is cascade and flavour follows on. Wish I could have this brew fresh from the tap because even though it has that awesome cascade aroma and flavour it’s faded with time and travel. Good beer none the less. Some really nice lingering bitterness.

4.1 Pours amber with a large head. Aroma of pine, grapefruit, sweet clean malt, some soft pineapple. Aggressively hoppy flavours, lots of piny, resinous notes and a fair bit of clean malt underneath.

3.7 BOTTLE. Hazy copper pour with good foamy white head. Subtle floral hops & malt on the nose. Sweet biscuit malts, turning to a hoppy middle with bitter finish & sappy mouth feel. Sourced Cellarbrations @ Capel

3.7 On tap at Pelican Pub in Pacifc City. Pours a clear gold with small off white head that lasts. The aroma is tropical fruit and pine. Thin mouth, citrus, crisp, lingering bitterness, very good.

3.5 22 oz bottle. Tasted on 4/16/15. Bottle courtesy of Espo. The aroma & taste were both ok but not overly flavorful or special... Wasn't a huge fan of this one.

3.8 A bit of choc and grain come from this clear deep red/brown brew with a light creamy colored brown head. A earthy nutty roasted light choc flavor in this medium bodied brew. A very decent brown.

3.5 An average imperial ipa. Malty not sweet not citrus more west coast bitter. Not very enjoyable syrup and bitter. Very nice head not much aroma. From a bomber.

4.3 Bottle. Clear amber with great lacing. Huge citrus hop aroma with solid maltiness. Crazy bitter from start to finish, though somehow doesn’t feel like 8%

3.8 Restrained aroma in an amber pour. Taste is hop forward to start but quickly becomes sweet with a mild balanced finish. A good beer - but not as good as the local ’Panhead Vandal’ I enjoyed before it to be honest.

3.4 It’s been a long time coming for me and this Imperial India Pale Ale from the Oregon coast. I found a big bottle for a decent price today, and so history will be made tonight. It has a typical IPA aroma, nothing suggestive of a whopping 8% alcohol. The taste itself is rather subtle as well, at first, but then the strength comes through. Overall a good beer, not extraordinary, and nothing to make me ashamed of putting it off for so long.