Fish Tale Old Woody English Old Ale

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

2005 bottle. Deep coppery ruby body. Medium-small creamy tan head. Fruity wood aroma. Smoked malt. Taste is…. Woody. Woody roasted caramel malt (similar to Double Bastard?). There is a touch of smoke in the wood too. Also hints of chocolate and dark fruits in the back. Has a creamy/oily mouthfeel.

From a 2005 bottle.

Pours a beautiful brown ruby with a small head that fades to a thin off-white island in my glass. The aroma offers vanilla, orange, alcohol, and scotch. The flavor is strongly roasted, even a bit of coffee, slightly sweet on the sip with dark toffee, touches of smoky peat, considerably bitter on the finish. The alcohol is prominant in the mouthfeel.

I’m slightly disappointed here; first things first, I think this one would benefit from a few years in the cellar, but I’m not at all sure that is going to do enough for it to make it into anything I’d want to go to the trouble of cellaring.

Bottle: Grabed this one from the fridge and after pour noticed the 10% alc. content. Big start for the day I guess. Aroma was sweet and had a cedar wood aroma. Lighter shade of brown with small head. Flavor had a mediun sweet caramel and alcohol was hardly noticable. Sweet wood and caramel aftertaste on palate. Alcohol warming effect but a good brew here.

2005 12 oz. bottle big thanks to matta. Mruky brown pour with smallish head. Wonderful aromas of prune raisin, other dark fruit, molassas, caramel, roasty chocolate. Barleywinish flavor with more molassas, caramel, and dried fruit. Malty all around. Wonderful hop finish that takes the fruit from dark and dried plum to bight and bitter grapefruit. Wonderful beer.

Bottle from 2002 courtesy of Dough77 pours caramel brown w/ a fluffy tan head. Had this one fresh in 2002, and it’s just as good as I remember it. Oak and vanilla w/ a bit of alcohol spiciness in the flavor. Sweet and bitter initially, but very drinkable and oaky cleaness along w/ winey finishing notes make this a very good beer.

750 ml, 2002 vintage bottle provided by eyedrinkale at the AleSmith tasting bar: Dark cloudy amber color with a small off white head. Vinous dark fruit Aroma. Flavor starts rich and dark fruit sweet with some vanilla and hints of oak finishing with a light hop spicyness to balance the rich maltyness. Barleywine like. Full bodied and smooth with suprisingly lively carbonation. Thanks for sharing Mike.

2005. wow, pours out brown colored, tan head. really good smelling. flavor is malty, not really hoppy, sweet, rich, and just downright good. this is a beer that you should try. i cant think of many old ales that i like, but this is def. something i am wanting to get more of. i wish i could have tried the old one. awesome beer from a rock solid brew company.

Bottle 2003 vintage poured a clear garnet with a minamal amber head. Aromas of plums, dates, and a hint of grapes. Palate was light bodied, smooth, yet crisp. Flavors of grapes, plums, some oak character, and a subtle hint of chocolate with a warming, lingering bittersweet finish.