Pelican Bad Santa

Brewed by Pelican Pub & Brewery
Style: Black IPA
Pacific City, Oregon USA

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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Bottle:   Fairly black, large frothy beige head, nice lacing.   Black malt like aroma, soft hop and pith on the backside.   This one is more IPA sided than the roastiness as its hoppy, but not bitter, and certainly not too roasty.   Has a soft toasted malt background, but thats it.   A bit sharper than a Pale Ale, but not as robust, chocolaty, or roasty as other examples.   It is very smooth tho.   Has a citrusy/pithy backside thats a little charred.   Moderate body and mouthfeel on this one.   A little hop bitterness lingers.   Decent example, light on the Black portion of this Black IPA.   Might be a good beginners example as it is clean but not too strong on either aspect.   Would have liked a touch more sweetness and a bit more body.

Bomber poured a clear reddish brown with a lasting tan head. Aromas of cocoa, graininess, earthiness, light vanilla and light wood. Palate was medium bodied and crisp with a dry finish. Flavors of roastiness, cocoa, earthiness, grapefruit and light wood with a crisp dry bitter lingering earthy finish.

Very nicely done beer! Poured at a good temperature with a huge, foamy, frothy, billowy, tan head that lasts all the way down and some lace. Color is a clear, dark mahoganey with an enormous amount of bubble trails. Aroma is at first subdued and then it’s hop, roast, malt, spice, fruit. Flavor’s like nose, very slight sweet, plenty bitter and good tang that’s not out of place. Body/carbonation are perfect. Finish is like flavor, very long, boozy, yet easy drinking. Bad Santa is very good beer.

Clear ruby red color with lasting tan sheen. Dry black malt, kelpie earthy aromas with mild floral hoppage. medium body with average co2. Lightly sweet pale malt base brew with dry black malts, chocolate, and pine, floral hops--not super hoppy but tasty enough.

Dark ruby. Some hops and spicyness. Small amount of belgian spices. Pretty good. Medium thickness.

Date: November 21, 2012
Mode: Bottle
Source: Mail Order, Let’s Pour
Appearance: black, frothy tan head, lots of icy lace
Aroma: rich roasted aroma, earthy hops
Overall: rich roasted malt, bitter dark chocolate, lots of hops, earthy and woodsy, long roasted finish
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 8/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: **+ /4

Bottle from LetsPour.com that I received as a gift. Dark brown in color with a fluffy two finger head that retains very well. Aroma is sweet, roasty, and chocolatey with a citrusy, earthy hop presence. Smells very hoppy, but not in a way that makes me think it will be bitter. Taste caught me a little off guard. Somewhat fruity and sweet, it tastes a little bit like dish soap, and for some reason that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. I didn’t get the hop flavor and bitterness until the aftertaste, but it does pack a small wallop. The finish is dry and lingers, like a bite of unbuttered pumpernickel bread. Intriguing. I find myself quickly going back for another sip to see what else I can taste. Very intricate compared to most of the other BIPA/CDAs I’ve had.

Tap @ PD. Dark brown pour with a creamy tan head which fades quickly to a rim and leaves moderate lace. Nose is roasty with just a hint of pine. Medium body with fine carbonation, giving a creamy mouth feel. Dark roast malt flavors predominate: charcoal, coffee and burnt toast. Some pine, but hop character was much milder than expected in this style. Finish is dry and charcoal to the point of being ashy. More of a (very good) dry porter than a (pretty average) CDA.

Bomber at the Beerhive. Pours a dark almost black brown color with a medium tan head. The aroma is really odd, much like rotting fruit. A dry flavor with bitter dark chocolates, some light pine. Decent. Odd.

Cocoa-ish aroma. Roasted and grainy malt flavor. Strong herbal hop character--spicy, a little fruity.