Pelican MacPelicans Scottish Style Ale

Brewed by Pelican Pub & Brewery
Style: Scottish Ale
Pacific City, Oregon USA

Serve in English pint, Thistle

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pours a clear amber with a very small white head that goes away qucikly and no lacing. smell is faint, some caramel, some malt, and a tad bit of roastiness. taste is thick, butterscotch, malt, caramel, earthy, and a few hops. ends a little bitter and a little dry. overall not that impressive.

Pours clear copper with white head. Grain and malt, maybe a hint of smoke. Needs a bit more substance.

I honestly do not know how professional brewers dare to put their name on beers like this, much less call it a certain style. This beer is thin, smells like straw, tastes worse, and has no redeeming features.

Bottle… Clear dirty-orange ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Great retention. The aroma is a toasty, malty blend of roasted barley and rich, buttery toffee. Medium-bodied with a milky mouthfeel and tingly carbonation. The perfectly-balanced flavor offers moderately roasted caramel malts and faint acidity. Crisp, clean finish. Not exciting, but very drinkable.

From notes. Originally reviewed 4/11/2009. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a pint glass. MacPelican’s pours a caramel amber color, quite cloudy. A medium sized head fades quickly, leaving a few stray spots. These, too, eventually fade. Not very impressive. A light smoked caramel aroma, with some notes of peaches and apricots. Not a very aggressive smell at all. The style definitely comes through here - not much hops at all, but a strong malt presence throughout each sip. The malt gives a caramel flavor. Lightly carbonated and a surprisingly light feel, almost watery. A stronger body would not hurt this beer at all. Not really all that enjoyable or special. As is my experience with other beers of the style, it is pretty easy to drink, but this beer just does not have enough unique characteristics to warrant a spot in my regular rotation.

Pours a light amber hinting at gold with a microfoam head. Smells like a scottish style ale, fruity esthers and caramel, floral, and slightly peaty. Light caramel sweetness with very minimal bittering and no distinctive hop flavor nor aroma. You instantly notice the relatively higher level of carbonation it gives a sharp edge and finish which is semi-metallic. It’s a mildly sweet ale with a dry alkali finish.

Bottle straight from the brewery. Pours with a crystal clear orange to light copper body with a medium sized fluffy, white head that fades to a slightly smaller cap. Aromas are malty, slightly grainy, a slight hint of a spicy and grassy hop, seltzer, rich caramel, cereal and bready. Mild hints of a metallic nature that blow off. Flavors are bready, malty and rich with light caramel. Rich biscuit, clean yeast wise. Minimal hops. A real pleasure to drink. Supremely quaffable, nice malt balance and complexity, no off flavors. Mild but enjoyable. Medium to slightly higher than expected carbonation. Medium bodied. Hugely underrated (at least off of this batch).

Shared with Strykzone via Facebook chat. This poured a rich clear amber with a light tan had and light lacing. Nose of malts and grain, and a tiny bit of fruit. Fairly light in body and mouthfeel. Just short of watery. The flavor was more intense than the aroma promised, and was of lightly roasted malts and some chocolate. Earthy finish without much bitterness. Sort of faded down the stretch.,

22 oz. bottle from Hayduke. We shared a bottle via facebook chat although we were on a tight time schedule. This poured red brown and had a nice light colored tan head that slowly faded. In the nose I smelled malt and grain with a bit of fruit. The flavor was also rich malt and grain that might have been rye. Some chocolate was an undertone. Hops were very faint and added fruit and a mint like quality. The beer added some earth late. This could have used more hops and perhaps another choice of them. Still, it was not bad.

Great malty flavor, but pretty weak on the hops...but I gather that’s true to style. I like it.