Mother Of All Storms
Pelican Brewing Company

Nice take on this beer style

A: opaque; very dark brown - almost black; less than a 1 finger finely pored rust colored head that receded quickly to a thin tight collar; no lacing;

S: nicely aromatic; dark fruit and chocolate;

T: full of flavor as well; dark fruit is prominent all the way through; bourbon is in the background; the aftertaste is bourbon forward;

M: full bodied; light carbonation; moderately dry finish; hides the ABV well;

O: a really nice sipper;

Pours an effervescent chestnut/cola color with fast-falling mocha colored head. Super viscous, no head retention or lacing

S: Plums, Bourbon, Raisins & Figs, leather notes once warmed up

T: Dried plum, almost Li Hing Moi plum, some leathery dryness, port wine notes & a touch Bourbon-soaked raisins up front. More dried plum with a salty, leathery edge, a touch molasses, oak barrel & woody hops once the beer warms through, some treacle & dark chocolate too. Finishes oaky dry with sweet treacle & Maderia notes, plus figs & hints of Bourbon

MF: Chewy body, restrained carbonation, very warming

Great use of barrel aging without walking all over the style, perhaps the aging in the bottle is a factor? Stellar take on the style, some stickiness on the teeth

Dark brown with a little bit of rimming and lacing. Barrel but could use more, dark cherry, toffee, caramel, and booze. More bitter than expected. Full body light carb

Pours dark brown with a reddish hue. Wonderfully sweet aroma of bourbon, dark fruits, caramel, brown sugar and vanilla. Taste follows nose but more intense and complex -- bourbon, caramel, dark fruits, vanilla, brown sugar, earthiness and oakiness. Medium mouthfeel, just shy of full bodied. Incredible barleywine.

Review: 2484
Name: Mother of All Storms
Brewery: Pelican Brewing
Location: Portland, OR
Style: English Barleywine
ABV: 14%
Canned: 2021
Date: 2 September 2025
Getting back to work after a long weekend seems daunting; thankfully, this was available to slake the thirst. I am using a tulip glass, and the serving temperature is 50 degrees. The hard pour created a frothy 1/4 fingered head with terrible retention. The head left no lacing, nothing, I was hoping for something. The beer is dark brown with rusty red hues, charting at SRM 28. The overall appearance is nothing special, somewhat abysmal.
Nosing the beer, I detect notes of cherries, toasted malt, toasted bread crust, a light fruity sweetness, chocolate, toffee, caramel, molasses, light coffee, bourbon, vanilla, wood, char, light Maillard, raisins, dates, leather, and earthy notes.
Sipping the beer, the alcohol is quite present and strong, followed by notes of caramel, toffee, bourbon, vanilla, wood, raisins, chocolate, molasses, light roasted coffee, toasted bread crust, light fruity sweetness, and a hint of char.
The mouthfeel is chewy, finishing heavy and hot. The body is heavy, with low carbonation.
Final Thought: I was hoping for something more refined. This beer has been sitting in the cellar for at least four years, yet the heat has not tempered. When I think of an English Barleywine, I want something with a bit of English finesse. I was hoping the dominating malt profile would cull the high alcohol, coupled with the aging, but neither happened. It is an okay beer; this is not an English barleywine I would choose.

2017 bottle. Pours black with dark tobacco edges. Aroma is pecan, chocolate, caramel, dark fruits. Tastes follow this with sweetness, leather, tobacco, tannins, a touch of woodiness. It is smooth drinking with a heavy bodied feel and a long dry finish. World class.

 

2016 bottle opened in 2025

Look - Pours a super dark amber color, with almost no head that quickly disappears.

Smell - Has a pleasant smell of caramel, malt, dark fruit (prune?), bourbon, oak, and vanilla.

Taste - A nice taste of malt, bourbon, dark fruit, and caramel.

Feel - A decent carbonation and a nice smoothness, with a little bourbon aftertaste.

Overall - A very nice barleywine, though I've had some pretty incredible barleywines lately.

All of the plaudits re: Mother Of All Storms prove accurate.
As an English Barleywine lover, this brew Delivers!
It's an expensive guilty pleasure,,.
..,,but worth it about once per year.
It hits and surpasses all of the high notes expected of an English Barleywine,
What is most appreciated is that it retains a hop presence in the midst of a malt nirvana. Cheers!

Rated 5/1/2020. This is an awesome beer/barley wine. You get the taste of bourbon plus chocolate, burnt sugar, caramel and vanilla and of course alcohol. It is all put together very well for a really good drink. Have a extra bottle of it in my cellar.

2020 bottle poured into a snifter

A: Pours nearly black with a frothy khaki head that settles to a thin layer and leaves a little spotty lacing.

S: Roasty, light char, brown sugar, toffee, smooth bourbon, spice, vanilla, molasses, faint dark fruit, and a touch of oak.

T: Roasted malt, big brown sugar and toffee sweetness, smooth bourbon, earthy char, a little spice, vanilla, molasses, a bit toasty, faint dark fruit, and a hint of oak.

M: Full body, mild carbonation, creamy smooth, a touch of warmth.

O: Helping a buddy clean his cellar. This one has aged nicely. To me it sits a bit closer to an imperial stout that a barleywine. Nice depth, still got a bit of warmth, but not overly aggressive. Nice sipper.

500 ml bottle into a snifter. 2023 edition, had 3/8/24.

Pours a fairly clear dark amber color, with a short head and light, foamy cling. Aromas of caramel, fig, bourbon, brown sugar, malt, raisin, oak, light vanilla and leather. It’s a little smoky. Similar flavors: bourbon, caramel, fig, raisin, malt, oak, brown sugar, some vanilla, light leather. Smooth, a solid fuller body, appropriately carbonated.

Easy to see why this is considered a classic. Excellent barrels with an array of distinct aromas and flavors. Top notch from top to bottom.

poured from a 500mL bottle into a levante brewing snifter. pours a lighter brown but gathers in the glass deeper brown with a thin layer of shiny brown foam that recedes into nothing. light bourbon, toffee, dark fruits, vanilla and dark bread. taste follows with more bourbon as it warms than the nose would lead you to believe. thick, syrupy mouthfeel. super good. very english barleywine with the malt being in the forefront. the bourbon and oak appear more as it warms.