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India Pelican Ale
Pelican Pub & Brewery
- From:
- Pelican Pub & Brewery
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #368 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #5,936 - Avg:
- 4.11 | pDev: 12.41%
- Reviews:
- 183
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 20, 2023
- Added:
- Jul 10, 2002
- Wants:
- 43
- Gots:
- 18
Everyone loves a comeback story, especially when it features our original IPA, India Pelican Ale. Back and better than ever, we’ve reimagined our original recipe with an even greater focus on massive hopcentricity. India Pelican Ale recreates all the swagger and style of its legacy namesake, slamming you into a bright, citrusy wall of hops. Break on through to experience huge aromatics of grapefruit, tangerine, pineapple and sweet pine. In fact, don’t call it a comeback…just crack one open and party like its 1999.
15 degrees Plato
Bitterness: 85 IBU
Color: 15 lovibond
15 degrees Plato
Bitterness: 85 IBU
Color: 15 lovibond
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Thrasher:
Reviewed by Thrasher from Oregon
3.28/5 rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
3.28/5 rDev -20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
As evidenced by the reviews below, this is a somewhat controversial beer. Some people love it, others loathe it. It's one of those beers I heard about many times when I first moved out to Oregon. The dive bar across the street used to serve it, at a very chilly temperature, and I think the first time I ordered it, I decided I hated it. Having said that, I think I ordered it every time I went in there. (They've since rotated the tap to something else.) I'm not at the bar now; I'm in the peace and quiet of home, drinking it from the bottle poured into a glass, at an appropriate temperature (VERY important). I do like hops but not necessarily bitterness, and this beer is a bit too bitter for me. From what I've gathered, it's 70 IBUs, which isn't the max, but with scarcely any malts to speak of, it's audaciously severe. It is also distractingly resin-y, as others have pointed out: sticky in the mouth and not incredibly easy to drink. I can't think of an IPA that's as overly bitter and hoppy as this, except maybe Ruination (which I personally think is just a stupid, pointless beer). IPelicanA is gold with a tint of orange, smallish but sturdy head with medium lacing. Aroma of hops. That's all. Just hops. Not much subtlety. Maybe a slight rainy day mustiness from the yeast. The flavor begins and ends with hops. Prolonged, bitter, astringent. Malts are cowed into total submission. You know, for the right time, place, and mood, this beer would be absolutely perfect. It's just not an everyday drinking IPA. Too bitter, too resin-y, too much. Still, it has a perverse appeal. You can forget about food pairing with this big boy, unless you're noshing on a monstrously powerful cheese. The aftertaste is good and long, and there are moments when the bitterness subsides, and a crisp, juicy, fresh, sweet, citric tang takes over the flavor. During those brief, isolated moments, the beer is wonderful. It also gets better the more you drink it, and the more your taste buds become desensitized. It does make the back of your throat itch, though, almost like sucking down pine sol. I'm guessing a cask at the brewery would even the brew out. I'm also curious as to what would happen to this beer after a long cellaring period although the malts probably aren't substantial enough.
May 17, 2004More User Ratings:
Reviewed by bdondo from Oregon
4.99/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
4.99/5 rDev +21.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
Possibly my favorite IPA. It’s a shame it’s so difficult to find now. Great blend of hoppy, piney, crispy, and citrusy. I’ve seen this beer win multiple unofficial blind taste tests against higher-rated IPAs.
May 20, 2023Reviewed by barnzy78 from Illinois
4.09/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
19.2oz can
date stamped 06.02.21
L: copper-amber colored ale with a frothy ivory colored head; good retention, good lacing
S: pine, citrus, caramel malt
T: yeah: tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple as the brewer suggests; bready caramel malt, zesty, piney bitterness
F: fuller body, very resinous as bitterness builds, moderate carbonation, pungently bitter finish with pine and citrus zest lingering
O: very good west coast IPA
Aug 07, 2021date stamped 06.02.21
L: copper-amber colored ale with a frothy ivory colored head; good retention, good lacing
S: pine, citrus, caramel malt
T: yeah: tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple as the brewer suggests; bready caramel malt, zesty, piney bitterness
F: fuller body, very resinous as bitterness builds, moderate carbonation, pungently bitter finish with pine and citrus zest lingering
O: very good west coast IPA
Reviewed by hreb from Washington
3.62/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.62/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Imperial pint can served in a regular pint glass. Nearly crystal clear, with a nice caramelly golden amber and a frothy white foam. Aroma provides some delicate notes of pine. First sip provides a much more assertive alpha hop bitterness, classic NW IPA with pine sap and a lasting dryness through the finish. Extremely old school.
Feb 28, 2021Rated by SushiSakeBeer from Oregon
4/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
smooth
Jul 20, 2020Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada
3.51/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.51/5 rDev -14.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Golden in color, clarity slightly obscured. 2/3" white head, very soft. A little bit of grapefruit in the aroma, old school hops. Not super aromatic.
Good dry body, hearty bitterness and alcohol warmth. Cold Oregon coast stuff. Lacks sweetness or syrupy aspect from crystal malt that too many 7%+ ipas fall into. A little bit of pine in the mouthfeel.
Bomber format and price kinda sucks for a beer like this.
Nov 30, 2016Good dry body, hearty bitterness and alcohol warmth. Cold Oregon coast stuff. Lacks sweetness or syrupy aspect from crystal malt that too many 7%+ ipas fall into. A little bit of pine in the mouthfeel.
Bomber format and price kinda sucks for a beer like this.
Reviewed by fizzician from Illinois
4.47/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
4.47/5 rDev +8.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75
Nice amber color, effervescent with fine lacing and scant head. Strong, complex malty and hoppy flavors without being too overpowering....Very drinkable. Delicious!
Jun 04, 2016
India Pelican Ale from Pelican Pub & Brewery
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
279 ratings
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