Fish Tale Poseidons Imperial Stout (Batch 5 +)

Brewed by Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: Imperial Stout
Olympia, Washington USA

12 oz bottle from Bev4less in Santee. Pours an opaque black color with a small tan head. The aroma is medium in strength with dark burnt malts, anise and coffee liquor. The taste is a bit more mellow than expected; there is coffee, dark chocolate, a bit of soy and biter walnuts. The mouthfeel is malty, smooth and creamy. The Finish is long and dry with lingering biter-sweet chocolate. Overall: a complex and very well crafted ale that goes down easy.

Bottled. Label says nothing about Batch 5+. 2006 vintage I think, from the PP Bottle Shop. Black center pour with deep burgundy edges. Initial frothy beige head that settles out to thin film. Pleasant aroma of oatmeal, dark chocolate, nutty smoked malts, coffee and a bit of raisin. Less impressive flavor that leans towards the coffee side with chocolate and hops bitterness immediately following up. A bit thin on the palate, and the finish is dry and carbonated, with a weird astringent and ashy aftertaste.

12 oz bottle from South Bay Drugs and Liquor. Created a pitch black volume of liquid and had a fizzy short life of head. As for the nose a decent roast malt profile is detected as well as a coffee aroma added French vanilla creamer. The flavor, however, boasts an upfront serving of rich roasted dark malt and instant coffee gratification taste. Certainly a strong and hearty imperial stout that would have been hell of drink if it were bottled in a twenty-two ounce bottle.

Nov 2006 bottle from PP bottle shop. Poured into Chimay glass leaving 5mm of yeasty liquid in the bottle. Black with medium bubble head that quickly fades to a single small cloud in the middle of a black lake of beer. The aroma is mild of some yeast and roastiness. The flavor is dry and harsh. Like licking an ashtray..worthy of a top 50 beer, but not for me. Yuck. I generously give it a 2.6.

12oz bottle, courtesy of hopscotch. Thanks, Eric! Pours a very dark chocolate-brown color; medium brown head with excellent retention and solid, medium-bubbled lacing; a really nice pour. Toasty malts, nougat, and chocolate in the aroma; somewhat light and one-dimensional, with a touch of cardboard; no immediate hops to speak of. Medium mouthfeel: slightly watery at the edges; lots of roasted malts, bitter chocolate, and toasty malts throughout; a bit light at the center, and lacking enough density to justify the 8%. Not a terribly strong attempt at an imperial stout. Medium finish, showing toasty malts and some roasted / burnt notes; some basic bitterness coming through.

Dark brown; small head. Aroma of cocoa and rich malts. Flavors of medium malt body...a thinner Imp. Stout...or less malt in this one, however it has a strong bitter chocolate, carob, tobacco, chalk, and coffee grounds flavors.

12 oz. bottle - pours jet black with very faint tan head; lots of hops in the aromas, but also coffee, bitter chocolate and wood; drinks extremely smooth and clean with flavors of chocolate and roasted malts; slight bitter aftertaste; creamy texture and just a joy to drink; wow, this is a good one

Poured black with a creamy tan head. Aroma of chocolate, coffee, and hops. Lots of bitterness followed by coffee, chocolate, and fruit. Great balance.