Fish Tale Leviathan Barleywine (Barrel Aged)

Formerly brewed at Fish Brewing Company/Leavenworth Beers
Style: Barley Wine
Olympia, Washington USA

Disappointment. Copper body with no head. Aroma of oak cask whiskey. decent body but the flavor was not appealing. Like drinking bad whiskey. Had some Batch 3 (2001) and some Batch 4 (2002) and the difference was slight and not enough to win me over.

Ruby tinted, light-brown color. Smells like Welches concord grape juice, very sweet and malty, alcohol, yeast, caramel, roasted coffee. Taste includes big & sweet caramel, dark grapes, roasted hops, and bitterness. Ends raisins, licorice and vanilla. Thinner and easier drinking than I would have expected. Alcohol a little strong though. This bottle may be past its prime, date says 11/3/01... today is 4/11/04. Sampled from a 750ml bottle shared with my good friend Jeremy (jgb9348).

(750ml, batch #4, bottled Nov. 2002) Opaque mahogany body topped my minimal off-white head. Aroma is medium sweet, oak-aged vinous, toffee, fig. Taste is medium sweet, oak first and foremost, but also chocolate, toffee, vinous, finishing oaky red wine. Very lightly carbonated full body. With its light carbonation and oak/vinous characteristics, this is much more evocative of red wine than beer. Not that I’m complaining. Despite my appreciation for the beer, however, I recommend sharing a bottle of this size -- the taste gets a bit overwhelming when tackled alone.

Pours very dark reddish brown with a very small white head. Very sweet and alcoholic aroma with hints of caramel. Taste is very sweet with hints of toffee. Very rich and malty. Amazing barley wine.

Batch #3: Muddled ruby brown hue with small frothy head and very good lace. The aroma has noticeable phenols, with hints of caramel and buttery malts, piney and floral hops, grapefruit, spicy grapes, current, sea salt and scotch overtones, and an earthy yeast ester. The taste starts big and bold with an in your face dose of chocolate malts and piney hops. Additional notes of fruit, nuts, smoke, wood, and salt add to major complexity and depth. The finish is very spicy, earthy and lingering bittersweet. For has noticeable as the alcohol is on the nose, it is much more subdued on the palate which is lush, sticky, and full-bodied. This beer fully deserves its high marks, wonderfully balanced and nice scotch like notes. The standard Fish Tale woody taste is here and works in this beer as opposed to Old Woody. Highly recommended.

Batch #3: Nov 2001:
Bright ruby tinted amber body with a thin tan head. Super-small bubbles rise from the bottom of the glass. Aroma of caramel, grapes, golden syrup and a lot of malt. Medium to Full-bodied; Very sweet flavour up front with caramel, raisins and caster sugar with a more spicey and abrubt finish. Slight vegetal flavours are also noticeable and some 'old ale' type flavours. Aftertaste strong and bittering-good, but perhaps past its prime?!?! A great beer to try with great company - my good friend Jon came up from Virginia to sample this one with me. I got this 75 cL bottle in a trade a year back from Mike (The_Beer_God)...thanks again Mike! I sampled this one on 10-April-2004.

This beer like a bottle of wine needs to sit and be open for about 15 mintues, just to sit and merely take in the aroma for one thing. Once you get to the pour, is turns a gorgeous ruby garnet color in the glass with a small tan ring of foam. The aroma is full of dark fruits and alchohol, a sweetness that makes you want to lick your lips after the first sip. Hints of oak, chocolate and toffee. The fruits are also very present with almost a peach wine quality, backed up by the sweet hops and a flowery aroma. This was just a treat to drink, a little to heavy at times with the wine and oak, but overall very satisfying.

Leviathan wants your undivided attention. This beer will not go unnoticed upon the intake. It is a strong and imposing presence but a subtle seducer. It grabs hold and doesn't let go. Sweet aroma. Rich colour.