Fish Tale Leviathan Barleywine (Batch 5+)

Brewed by Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: Barley Wine
Olympia, Washington USA

Caramel color pour with a thin head. Aroma is a pleasantly sweet nutty, caramel, and presence of citrusy hops. The flavor is a bit more lacking though. It is almost enjoyable at first with nice sweet fruit and hop bitterness, but then this weird astringent taste becomes very noticeable that I cannot quite describe. Mouthfeel is a bit thin and rather disappointing for such a big beer. It definitely has potential though.

Aroma: Lots of malt and candied sweetness with a far amount of chocolate coming through, especially as it warms. Flavor: when it first hits your mouth, it’s like it’s about to explode with rich sweetness, but instead it just flattens and dries out. Leaves a chalky dryness on the tongue. Hop profile (herby, earthy, some citrus) is pretty good in this beer but I don’t know how well it goes with the rest of the beer.

Pours a light hazelnut brown with a nice off-white head. Aroma of caramel, raisins, vanilla and citrus hops. The flavor starts off with some dried fruit sweetness, this shifts into a nice, but mild citrus hop bitterness. Also notes of almond and caramel. The alcohol is very well hidden, but comes through a little bit in the bitter finish. Mouthfeel is on the thin side, but still an enjoyable brew overall.

Bottle Hazy amber color with a few tan bubbles for head Aromas of sweet malt and citrus hop Full bodied with very mild carbonation Flavor is slightly roasted caramel medium dark fruit and balancing hop Finish is a bit woody and somewhat astringent

[Bottle] Pours a hazy caramel with a small soapy off white head. Aroma is sweet caramel, raisins, alcohol, and citric hops. Flavor is loaded with hops, with some caramel and almonds. Thinnish mouthfeel.

12oz bottle from bevs for less in Santee. Pours a lightly hazed caramel color with a small beige head. Nose was a bit hoppier than expected but a nice change of pace. Some candied fruits and sweet malts in there as well. Flavor was bittersweet, medium/ full bodied brew.

Bottle; pours a murky, dirty brown with a minimal amount of offwhite head. Aroma of vanilla, flowers, buttered bread, caramel and fruit; slightly sweet. More English in terms of the style; toffee and not too hoppy. Flavor was pretty dull for me and the palate was borderline watery. Alcohol very hidden. Disappointing for me.

Poured with a deep, dark, amber body with yeast chunks in lazy suspension. A yellowish/tan head surprisingly doesn’t last long. Hops have mellowed oh-so-nicely here, very low alcohol aroma, big fruity malts, honey-sweetened tea, light florals. Decadent. Heavy on the palate, a might sticky, mild carbonation does little to contradict the heftiness, alcohol burns on the tongue and the finish finds low grittiness. Sinuses react late to the ABV burn. Full-flavored and well malted, citric bittering shows through with orange rind & grapefruit but the overall persona is caramelly sweet. Kudos.

<font size=-4>From an old notebook (circa October 2007). Bottle courtesy of (and shared with) Cornfield, thanks buddy.</font>