Fish Tale Poseidons Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged)

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

RBSG 2007 Grand Tasting - Black, tan creamy head. Oak and red wine aromas sit well on notes of bittersweet chocolate, coffee and hints of cassis. Flavor is more of the same with lightly soured vinous oak gaining balance from the bittersweet chocolate and coffee tones. Full bodied, soft carbonation, bittersweet finish. Still holding it’s own in my book...

RBSG07. From 1.5 L bottle. Pours dark brown with a chocolate creamy head. Aroma sterong sweat raisins and dark malt. Flavour is very sweet raisins and quite dark roasted. Sweet finish, almost cloying.

Sampled at the RBSG 07 Grand Tasting. One of the treats of the evening. Dark brown almost black body with plenty of dark brown head. Sweet oaky nose with faint bourbon character. Sweeter than most Imp Stouts I’ve had and a thick, almost syrupy mouth feel. Sour finish that I think was due to the age of the bottle and perhaps turning a little rather than any original artifact of the beer.

Approximately 1.5 oz. sample at the Grand Tasting of the RateBeer Summer Gathering 2007 in the Twin Cities, MN on July 23, 2007. This was the eighth of 26 beers that I sampled and rated during the tasting. Fruit-sweet, superb aroma of port, honey, and strong bourbon. Pours a very dark, nearly black, ruby-brown with a moderate amount of tan head. Clearly thick in the pour. Produces extensive lacing. Sweet and sour. The sourness seems to be unintentional. Sour and bitter aftertaste. Medium body I figured it would be thicker as I watched it pour. This beer looks and smells great, but it’s all downhill from there. It’s clearly past its prime. I get the impression that if it weren’t over-aged, it would have been a very good beer.

RBSG 2007 Grand Tasting

Very interesting brew. This has a killer aroma. This was aged in a barrel but not bourbon, which was nice after sampling many bourbon beers previously. Dark fruit makes it’s presence and there are some vinous qualities here. I may have preferred this a little younger as I’m guessing the hops were pretty much gone due to the age of this. Still glad I was able to try this.

RBSG 07. It makes me happy to have a barrel aged imperial stout that has no bourbon. A thick, black beer with little carbonation. Aroma is a bit sour and has some hops, as well as roasted malt. Flavor more sweet malt, but also a little sourness and a vinous quality. The lack of carbonation and wine character make this very English in character. The lack of bourbon is a refreshing change, and all around this is one of the best imperial stouts I have had a in a long time.

RBSG 2007; Batch 4. I think I am to thank Eyedrinkale for this, but there were a few bottles around. Black color with no head. Slightly bitter aroma with hints of bourbon. This tasted past its prime. Primarily burnt malt and a slightly sour ending. Very thin body. Barely any bourbon left. Sad, I would have loved to have tried this a year or two ago.

Dark black colour without too much head. Chocolate is in the aroma and it is very enticing. The taste has some salty black olive qualities and an acidic finish. Oxidized and not holding up too well, but pretty good overall.