Fish Tale Old Woody English Old Ale

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

22oz from Bottle Trek. A dark brown pour with a pretty abundant head, and it gives off very enticing notes of caramel and toffee. Initial sips reveal more of a hop bite than I’d anticipated. Somehow it compliments the sweeter elements (some vanilla coming through here, courtesy of the oaking no doubt), giving it a dry, almost leathery finish that’s a nice balance to the luxuriantly sweet body. Makes me wish I had some of that strong cheese. Good stuff.

bottle brewed april ’07. pours a cloudy chestnut shell brown with yeast clumps suspended in it. it’s topped by a dense khaki colored cappuccino like foam that leaves behind some nice drippy lacing. oaky oxidation hits the nose first. it’s followed by brown sugar, caramel cereal grains, milk chocolate, vanilla, earth, alcohol and yeasty golden raisin nut bread with cinnamon in it. the palate is sweet but not overly as the nuances are still allowed to show through. raisin bread is all over the flavor along with some soft spiciness, oak and alcohol. there are some floral qualities noticed just before a dried grassy/bitter herbal/hoppy finish. medium to full bodied. very soft smooth texture with enough bitterness to keep it from being too sticky. pairs really well with food and especially stinky cheese with nutty wheat bread...

Pours a hazy reddish-brown color with a foamy, cream colored head. Settling slowly, a craggy gathering of bubbles forms at the edge, with sticky rings and flares of lace in tow. The aroma shows big-time toffee notes, with caramel, oaky vanilla, and glazed biscuit providing for a symphony of rich malts. There is a piney hoppiness, as well as a note of dark rum that works quite well with the vanilla. The flavor continues these same themes, with big toffee and caramel malts being massaged by luxurious vanilla and oak. There are hints of white wine lurking deep within, emerging for brief periods, only to fade away again quickly. The piney hops provide a nice balance, though this one still lands on the malty side of things. Medium-full bodied and smooth, it goes down easy for such a big beer. Feels creamy on the tongue. Alcohol is more detectable in the nose than in the mouth. Overall, very solid. The barrel aging really sets this one apart. Exactly what I’m looking for in an Old Ale.

Bottle from the Pizza Port Bottle Shop. $10 for a 22oz.? Damn! Overall a really good beer, but I didn’t like dropping that many bills for it. The oak-aging process is a nice touch here. Looks like a rich and frothy barley wine, with a deep amber color and sticky beige lacing. Aroma packed with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel toffee. Oak and cedar wood notes are stronger in the flavor with a sweet molasses and thick caramel foundation. Smooth and rich body that precipitates the lasting flavors, with a perfect amount of carbonation. This could probably age very well. As for now, its drinking pretty damn good; I expected higher ratings here. Oh well, just my cup-o-tea...

Barley wine aroma. Fruitiness cherries, toffee, honey, along with some citrusy hops. Very much like a sweet barley wine, albeit less carbonation than most. Still the hops keep the flavor from being cloying. Some of the wine barrel characteristics noticed especially as this warms. A pretty solid brew here. One I’d consider purchasing again.

650 mL bottle received via trade with mgumby10. Pours cloudy brown with a small, rocky, off-white head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (cookie, biscuit, toffee, caramel, nutty), heavy hops (perfume, flowers, pine), average yeast (dough) with notes of average alcohol, pear, dates, and oak. Full bodied, alcoholic texture, average carbonation, and a bitter and dry finish. Average duration, heavy sweetness and acidity, moderate bitterness. Rating number 2300.

A- Pours a hazy caramel color with little to no head. S- Smell is sweet, with caramel and dark fruits. T- Very malty all the way through. Starts off with caramel and moves into mixed dark fruits with a slight hop bitterness peeking out at the end followed by a little alcohol bite. M- Medium viscosity, low on the carbonation. D- Excellent sipper. I love a good old ale and this was a good old ale.

Bottle from Pizza port. Rich brown with a fizzy white head. Wheaty bready aroma. Sweet honey wheat bread taste with oats and mild juniper. Quite good.