Fish Tale Anniversary Ale - 10²

Vintage 2003 as reviewed on 5/04/05:.... Rubyish brown with a full,thick off white head. Clear at cellar temp with some residual sediment, but not apparently bottle conditioned. Malty,hoppy,and woody in the nose. Very well balanced trio. Dried fruits,cotton candy,brown sugar,dusty malt,dark bread crusts, with an invigorating alcohol presence. Freshley cut pine boughs and whiskey vapor. Thick and sweetish after two years,flavor profile is filled with buscuity breads,citrus zests and cherries. Big and malty- packing a whallop of hops,with drying oakiness lingering with the warming alcohols..... Re-review on 4/3/08:...... Pours dark copper with mahogany and reddish hues. Beige two-inch head of whipped froth slowly retreats, leaving ripped sheets of clingy lace. Retention span is approximately five miutes, with a partial skim-coat for the duration. Aromatics are malt-heavy, with aggresive alpha citrus pungentness. Dusty sherry with dry malt and hints of toasted oak. Grapefruit pith with chipped toffee and musty suede. Bitterly vineous. Creamy, sticky, and juicy mouthfeel. Quite chewy. The pallet is a serious mix of tropical fruit and drying malt. Approaching vineous in nature with the warming alcohol adding a nice layer of complexity. Starts off bitter, malty, and fruity, and pulls through with warming sherry, tannic oakiness, and a trace of wet cardboard. Finishes warming and bitter with dried figs and leathery malt. Five years was definately not time wasted in the cellar!

Creamy white head with a complex hoppy nose. Wonderful smell! Malty and bitter good balance. Better in the nose than the mouth.

Some call it a strong ale some call it barleywine. I call it a very hoppy beer with the strength of a strong ale. This beer kicks ass, ten different types of hops gives this beer a unique flavor that lingers in your mouth for a long time. This beer was made for hop heads. The high alcohol content gives it a malty mouth feel before the hops explode on your palate. Dank ass beer!!!!

clear copper color with a thin sheen head. Medium strong nose of cannabis bud and freshly cut evergreen trees. Medium/full bodied. Big malt driven taste with pit fruit sweetness and a big floral hop alcohol tang to finish. A most worthy anniversary ale here.5107