Draft Magazine said it best in their January/February 2009 Issue regarding the Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale: “Any idea how good a cream ale has to be to make a top 25 list? As excellent as this one.” Not only did it make their Top 25 Beers of 2008 list, but it is also one of only a few to repeat on their Top 25 Beers of 2009 list. So I’d say that’s pretty impressive and a big part of the reason why I reached out to Darron Welch, Brewmaster of Pelican Pub & Brewery for a bottle to review myself. Unfortunately (and I mean unfortunately) this beer is not available anywhere near the Kansas City market. Oh well, I’ll get by I suppose. However, I want to make one strong point about this beer. There’s a very important element to craft brewing that I think some people forget about when thinking about what they’re drinking. That is the fact that when brewed with exceptional ingredients and attention to detail virtually any style of beer can be excellent – not just extreme beers. The Pelican Kiwanda Cream Ale is a perfect example of this. It’s a very light and refreshing beer, but you can tell this beer was crafted very well. Though not as complex as many of the other styles out there, this is a beautiful beer for the summertime. And with the summer slowly approaching, I would sure love to have more than just one of these to enjoy. Or at least a round trip ticket to Pacific City, Oregon so I can enjoy a few more in the brewery while taking in the view of the Pacific Ocean. Have you seen this brewery? Jeez Louise it’s GORGEOUS. Click here!
Check out all sessions of The Hopry here.
This beer can be found in these states.
On the iPod: She & Him
Brewery: Pelican
Beer: Kiwanda Cream Ale
Style: Cream Ale
Location: Pacific City, Oregon
ABV: 5.1%
Rating: 93/100
Posted by theReaper16 on March 22, 2010 at 11:50 AM
You should have asked Pelican’s brewmaster for a bottle of Perfect Storm too.
Posted by thehopry on March 22, 2010 at 2:58 PM
Maybe I already did… *sneaky smile*
Posted by theReaper16 on March 22, 2010 at 5:17 PM
Lucksack.
Posted by Jamison Moeckel on March 22, 2010 at 12:00 PM
good job Mark, Perfect Storm is one I would love to try. This beer made the 2010 top 25 too, I get draft mag as well
Posted by thehopry on March 22, 2010 at 2:59 PM
Also, the brewmaster has said that The Perfect Storm will be named The Mother of All Storms going forward due to some legal reasons.
Posted by Jon Rogers on March 23, 2010 at 6:23 PM
My one complaint with the whole craft brew movement at the moment is the neglect of anything that is not high ABV or IBU. I’m a big fan of both ABV and IBU, but I equally enjoy sitting down to a nice fresh Trumer Pils (draught) on a summer day.