Fish Tale Anniversary Ale - 10²

Brewed by Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: American Strong Ale
Olympia, Washington USA

Bottle, gift for Christmas. Thanks, Adam. Tulip glass, medium head that did not last long. Great aroma, promised somewhat more than the ale delivered. Huge hops overpower the malt, but that is not necessarily bad. Smokey taste, somewhat unusual, reminds me of Tyranena products. Not necessarily a bad thing. Alcohol is apparent but not pronounced. I like this beer!

December meeting of the Champaign-Urbana Beer Club. Bottle from Nancy. Thanks. Notes of citrusy hops on the nose lead to more on the palate, meeting up with butterscotch and caramelized sugar. A solid malt backbone that holds up to the 100 IBUs. Finishes well. Could stand a few years of ageing.

Aroma of citrus — grapefruit and orange — pine and floral hops. Both citrus and floral hops dominate the flavor. The never-ending bitter hops — grapefruit and perfume — ride on top of caramel-sweet malts. Warming alcohol presents itself in the finish, but is mostly overpowered by the hops. Bitter and dry. Medium to full body with thick, sticky mouthfeel. An interesting blend of hops.

Muddy orange pour. Immediate hop presence in the pour - bold fruits through and through. After warming, a great hop spiciness comes forth - reminds me of a Barleywine. More malt is evident as well as the beer warms - doughy and earthy. The thick body is overloaded with hop bitterness though, which throws it off balance for me. Nice malt backbone tries to balance the bitterness - plums, toffee and overripe fruits are in no short supply. The high ABV is a real belly warmer. I’d be interested to see how this ages to see if it might even out. Could be great.

12 oz. bottle, thanks to Eyedrinkale for the trade. Pours hazy orange amber with very small head. Aroma is dominated by the 10 types of hops, citrus, some pine, floral varieties, lots of spiciness, alcohol and a light sweetness peeking through the other scents. Flavor is quite interesting and complex, again lots of bold hoppiness, thick sweetness, more spice, alcohol all tempered by a robust and somewhat smokey oak flavor. Full body and little to no carbonation. This occurred to me like a bourbon barrel aged IIPA, very nice overall.

bottle. Unfiltered light cider in color with a creamy head. One can smell the quality packed into every whiff of this. Deep flavors leading with citrusy grapefruit and cedar. Intense malt concentration balance. Substantial hoppy finish.

Thanks to Wohlfs for this treat! A deep golden body lies under the stiff off white head which is rocky yet firm. Malt and hops and a touch of alcohol hit the nose. Good malty sweetness but plenty of hop bitterness as well form the well balanced flavor profile. This is somewhat along the lines of a Founder’s Devil Dancer or DFH 120 but not quite as intense. Very drinkable and quite tasty for a big hoppy beer.

Bottle. Amber colour with a medium tan head. Sweet floral hop, barnyard, fruity aroma and a sweet bitter, floral hoppy taste. Medium to full body and a sweet velvet, warming alcoholic finish.