Le Pelican Brun
Pelican Brewing Company

 

This beer has been sitting on my wine rack for years. It is June 2015 and I took this beer home June 2011. Bottle says 2011 written in pen on the front. At over four years, probably the oldest beer I have consumed.

Dark brown. Head foamed up a thick light tan and stayed there the whole time. Dense and dark with a bit of haze. Smells sweet rich and malty. Lots of rich sweet raisin and date. Also smells of rich moldy wet wood. A little bit like a library book. Taste is very similar in that it is big, rush sweet and fruity. More fruit notes come through. Definitely raisin and date and prune, but with a sweeter bright golden flavor like dried apricot. The sweetness gives way to a tingly tangy booziness. It finishes oddly crisp with a bubbly lightness. Booze lingers and reminds you it's a belgian style. This beer is extremely complex. New flavors come out with each sip. Sometimes it's sweet and fruity, sometimes it's bright an floral. Other times it's rich, woodsy and leathery. Feel is surprisingly light with the carbonation. This beer is amazing. Though, how often do you consume a 4 year old beer? This one was definitely made for the cellar and age had been very good to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

seven-fifty from Bottleworks, muled home to Virginny

a: poured into my large westmalle chalice, the beer is a deep, reddish nut brown in color, coated with a full layer of carbonation, sustained and evolving - fed by a stream of bubbles from the bottom of the glass

s: brown malt body with notes of cocoa, toasted nuts, and roasted belgian sugars; big yeasty aromas provide glimpses of green banana; red apple, grassy hop aromas with a nudge of citrus pith, baking spice and sweet complexities pull out as it warms, dark fruit bread

m: carbonation lively and prickly on the tongue, body medium-full

t: a structure of sweet brown malts carries notes of cocoa, roasted malt, and dark belgian sugars; big chalky yeast flavors, banana, and spice; chocolate sweetness midway through, grassy, crisp hop flavors bring a mild to moderate bittering to the finish with yeast and roasted barley flavors lingering long

o: a well crafted, well structured belgian ale, artfully balancing big brown malt flavors with fruity yeast and hop; drinks easily

 

 

2011 bottle poured into a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Big head. Overly carbonated, maybe. Reddish brown underneath the cream head.

Smell - Belgian yeast. Caramel. Red wine vinous notes. Tannic.

Taste - Sweet dark fruits. Caramel with the same tannic and vinous flavors. Finishes with a little vegetal tang and some bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Way overcarbonated. Medium bodied. Not a great aftertaste.

Overall - Disappointing. Only the aftertaste is bad, but the rest is just bland.

Thanks to Tieman for sharing this one at his tasting.

2011 vintage.

Pours a slightly hazy brown with a foamy beige head that settles to wisps of film on top of the beer. Small patches of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, brown sugar, and some spice aromas. Taste is much the same with some fruity flavors and a mild spice bitterness with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice earthy and spice flavors.

 

750mL (2011) into a chalice. Pours a clear mahogany w/ vigorous carb, a nice fluffy tan head that leaves big clumps of sticky lace.

Aroma is bready malt, dark fruit.

Taste is fermented dark fruit, Belgian yeast, spice. Some candi sugar sweetness.

Mouthfeel is soft and light; carbonation just right, velvety.

Overall a solid dubbel/saison (from the label)/Flanders oud bruin (BA listing)/whatever. I enjoyed it.

 

Shared a 1 PINT 9.4 FL OZ bottle of this w/ friends @ 4 Hands Brewing Co. Poured from the Bronze colored bottle w/ a White Pelican on the front into a 12oz- 4 Hands Brewing Co Snifter Glass. Has 2008 on the front of the bottle but no other bottled date.

Aroma- Easy on the nose. Well blended malts, very light sour characteristics but not barnyard/goat, mild sherry like attribute, and some caramel. Looks like much has died away over time.

Appearance- Pours almost no head at all with a semi-aggressive pour. Has a dark, reddish brown body with good clarity. Leaves no lacing behind.

Flavor- Has a ton of malt and light fruity flavors but most of the sour notes have faded. Light sherry taste again and a bit of musk at the finish.

Mouthfeel- Light-Medium Bodied, Light Carbonation, Smooth, and finishes sweet and a bit tart on the palate. Nice! Finally some sour character!

Overall Impression- Not quite what I was looking for in an aged Oud Bruin, but maybe this is what happens to some? Still very nice and easy sour with a light brown ale background. Very smooth and above average for the style. Would like to try some of this fresh to compare!