Fish Tale Poseidons Imperial Stout (Barrel Aged)

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

Thanks Degarth. Dark black pour huge brown head that fills like a guinnes that had an insane bead dancing around on top of the foam (Degarth & IBrew2or3 will back me on that). Aroma is very sour and wine like. The very tart wine taste nails your tongue at first but then the roasted malts start to come through with coffee beans bigtime in the aftertaste. Very tart and fruity but the real flavor is in the aftertaste that’s where the chocolate and roasted malts come through with coffee also. Very creamy and smooth wine like stout, not a bad idea. Not bitter at all and can’t detect any hops. Great beer.

2002 vintage. 0.75L bottle shared with Degarth and crizay. Courtesy of Degarth. This is one of several beers I’ve always wanted to try and figured I’d never get a chance. That’s has happened a couple of times this month.

Poured black with beautiful multi hued brown spectrum head. The aroma is intense with sweet molasses and chocolate malts. As time passes and the beer warms the tart and sour red wine like aroma begins to dominate. The first flavor I get is the tart red wine grape and sourness from the barrel. More tart than sour. At the same time there’s some malty sweetness as an undercurrent just below and on top there’s a subtle fruitiness. As the taste progresses the malty sweetness of molasses and maybe toffee begin to arrest the flavor away from the tart and sour wine regime. Just past midway a chocolate note surfaces. The beer finishes smooth. In the after taste I get sweet toffee and then later it is sort of a red wine sweet grape note. Delicious beer. Thanks Degarth.

Bottle from 2002. Big thanks to a fine Ratebeerian I have since forgotten. <P> The body is deep black and holds a head that is initially two fingers thick, but compresses to a tight, creamy mocha color that is about index finger sized. Once settles the head is quite lasting. <P> Aroma is chocolate, mild sour notes, lactose, pineapple, cocoa, malted milk balls and vanilla. <P> The fore presents a big blast of red wine followed by tart fruits, pineapple, mild sour tartness, vanilla and oak which really starts in the middle and goes into the finish. There are note of coarse sweet cream and chocolate in the far aftertaste. Very enjoyable beer that mellowed out nice and smooth.

Same batch, just in 2008 as previous rating. Huge thank’s Old_Mr_Crow! Again, a 2002 bottling of their BA Poseidon. Great body with a thick black color and a nice, thick brown head. Aroma is slightly chocolate based with a hit of caramel, some hops are evident along with a nice spice that I can’t name. Taste is of dark cherry’s with a nice light ending of dark fruit. Overall, more outstanding than I’d hoped.

Big thanks to Old_Mr_Crow for getting this too me. Sampled at the 1st Richmond Beer Industry Gathering of ’06. Pure black body with a nice brown head. Caramel, chocolate malt aroma. Warm taste, sweet with dark chocolate and cherry. 8/5/9/4/17 = 4.3

Sampled at the Richmond Beer Industry Gathering 2006. Dark black body with a small light brown head. Strong rum soaked fruit and dark malt aroma. Very sweet carbonated rum soaked fruit flavor with some gentle coffee and a touch of chocolate.

750ml bottle, vintage 2002. Pours pitch black beer with a frothy brown head. Full, oily body. The aroma is sweet with coffee and port. The flavor is very sweet with notes of coffee, chocolate and prunes. Bittersweet finish. In truth I tried this beer too late in the evening. I need to re-rate (assuming I can lay my hands on another bottle.)

Bottle, ’02. Pours adamantine black with a thin filmy beige head. Highly vinous nose; plums, cherries, black bread, and plenty of tart red wine grapes puckering up the nostrils. Big rich flavors right from the attack--more of everything that’s on the nose. Thick and oily, low-low carb, very satisfying sipping beer. Incredibly complex and interesting.
750, capped, ’02, sampled March 08. This beer has now gone over. Still oily and creamy and well-carbed, but the buggy sourness is very prominent. Bummer. Maybe they’re not all like this.

This is one thick stout, like car oil. A decent imperial stout, very thick and heavy. This beer and style make me happy. No. 60 at the party.