Fish Tale Poseidons Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged)

Formerly brewed at Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: Imperial Stout
Olympia, Washington USA

Sham = Super Stud for hooking my lame ass up with such a sweet brew!
Batch #4, Bottled November 2002
Damn this was such a unique and intriguing Imperial Stout! The body was a simple black puddle with a fat and frothy caramel colored head; rest delicately atop. The aroma is this funky sweet and sore buttermilk and bakers chocolate combination, maybe a note of Worcestershier sauce.
As for the flavor, that’s where this Imperial Queen becomes invigorating! It is so very unlike any other Imperial stout. Insanely full dark Maduro cigar wrapped between luscious chocolate malt. Sore cream and dill with a giant smoky humidor feeling. Roasted or Sautéed Spanish onions, slightly acidic, sour then sweet, how is this all happening in a single beer? The palate is truly creamy and enjoyable as it finishes with a dry smoked malt finish. How? How is all this possible within an Imperial Stout? I feel like I just took a trip through a crazy Imperial salad bar…….. blue cheese and everything?

Poured thick and black with maybe the biggest head I've seen on an Imperial Stout. Can definitely smell the Cab coming through in the nose. Very interesting blend of wine and malt in the flavors. Also detect some chocolate in there as well. Body is full and smooth. Cascade seems to be buried in the wine flavor which I found a bit overpowering.

Batch #4 Bottled November 2002. Beer pours as dark as any beer I have ever seen with a dark tan head that is thickly retained. Aroma is thick and multi-layered. Aromas include malt, oak, wine, and alcohol. Flavors include wine, chocolate and coffee. Brew has quite the warming effect. Thank you Santa Sham.

Batch 4 bottled 11/4/02... Poured a pitch black color with a medium dark tan head and no lacing. Arom aof coffee, roasted malt, cabernet, alcohol and even alittle cheese. Taste was bitter coffee, chocolate, some caramel and a strong vinous backbone here. Fairly nice mouthfeel.

Dark. Huge heaf light brown, bubbly, airy. Toasted oak, riasty, bit nutty, bit smoky like mesquite, spicy. After head fades ut's thin and coats beautifully. HUGE oakiness. HUGE. Roasts there, very hoppy, lots of smoke, beautiful. Wow.

Lutelent black liquid. tall imposing tan head. Aromas of dark chocolate, red wine, smoke, and dark fruit. Very sweet start with a light oily feel. Tons o malt. Caramel and toffee flavors abound. Batch 3 by the way and this has held up well an likely would for several more years. Warming as it gets warmer. Light dark roasted malt and coffee in the linger. there are some real red wine characteristics to this one. A beautful brew and much like a lot of imp. stouts out there with the cask aging giving this one a bit of an edge. Thanks silkwily and germanbrews76 for the efforts, Much appreciated.

Aging this in French oak casks previously holding cabernet really makes for a great nose on this beer. I, personally, could tell the red wine aroma before reading the side of the bottle. Deep dark color with thin tan head. A big flavor. Malt chocolate, hops, grape with an excellent bitter finish. A very unique beer with great flavor and the best label I've seen.

Big thanks to Slikwily for this monster. I'm amazed the extent to which the oak plays a role in this beer. Its presence is unmistakeable. The aroma is like a big ass Cabernet Sauvignon. On the 4th sip or so, the wood finally settles down, yielding a damned nice imperial stout. I don't know what to think about this beer. I am a bit offended by what I consider oak aged gimmickry--but at the same time, the flavor is rather balanced, it is complex and fun to drink.