Tonight I opened up the bottle of India Pelican Ale (from Pelican Pub & Brewery) that I found at the Newport Avenue Market here in Bend. That’s a find, actually, because I’d never seen any Pelican brews anywhere outside of the Oregon Coast. The Pelican is one of my favorite breweries for the location alone: right on the beach. Literally.

Anyway, to the beer. Super hoppy! I’m not kidding here; if you’re on the fence about hops, avoid this beer (I really hate to give that kind of advice). This is one of the hoppier beers I’ve had in a long time. And, it’s at 7.5% alcohol… all the hallmarks of a good IPA.

Notes:

Appearance: Crystal clear copper-gold in color. ½-inch of off-white (bisque) creamy head.

Smell: Hops, resiny and grassy. Cascade hops are really prominent. Perhaps a hint of juniper.

Taste: Hoppy is the keyword here. This beer is full of Cascade hops, almost to the exclusion of all else. There’s a bit of creamy malt in the background, and the barest hint of an alcohol bite… all hidden by the hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium, rich and carbonated.

I like it! So does BeerAdvocate. They rated it 87, 93% approval. It’s a good IPA—really good.

Darn, now I want to head over to Pacific City to hit the brewery…