Drank: Tsunami Stout (Pelican Pub & Brewery)

By Martin Cizmar

As winter clamps its toothy maw, brewers begin trucking out their big, goonish stouts. Some of these seasonals are worth the fuss and price (Deschutes' The Abyss, for example) while many others are lopsided thanks to hyper-inflated alcohol content, overblown flavor infusions or ill-fated barreling experiments. Pelican Pub & Brewery's Tsunami Stout isn't part of that sad-sack group. For starters, the Pacific City brewer's 7 percent ABV, foreign-style stout is available year-round. And, at around $5 a bottle, you won't need to tuck it away for a special occasion. It certainly tastes expensive and limited, though. With a color only a few minutes from midnight and a thick but clean pour, it's got a satisfying, but not overpowering, mealiness. Big, roasty cocoa flavors dominate, but hopheads will find that Magnum and Willamette hops impart a slice of crisp citrus and a cherry topper. Recommended. 

WWeek 2015

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