Fish Tale Leviathan Barleywine (Barrel Aged)

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

Batch 3. very dark in appearance with a cream colored head. The wine smell is apparent, as is a wody fruit smell. The taste is unique... mellow hops, a sweet fruity taste wine overtones and a chocolate finish. The end notes are of chocolate cherries and wood.

Batch #4. Cloudy reddish body, thin sloppy white head. Smell is amazing - floral and winey, some sweeter toffee added to tangy fruit aromas. Flavor is tart, winey, cherry and blackberry, some woodsyness, mildy dry at finish. Alcohol is well hidden in the viscous, slightly oily mouthfeel. Excellent.

I really thought this was spoiled, but after trying Poseidon, I realized that what to me comes off as nasty and vegetal like red wine left out overnight is apparently the consequence of oak barrel aging. Are the oak barrels underage? I don't know. I do know that they seem to have ruined this beer to my tastes.

Significantly darker and redder than expected. Nose full of port, sherry, raisins, and molasses. Shares a very similar woody character to the Poseidon, both are just incredibly woody beers. Very rich and malty, but more like wine than beer. Interesting and complex.

750 of Batch No. 4, Bottled in November 2002. Bottle pours a brownish red color with very little head that is off white with large bubbles and some broken lace. The aroma is of red wine, sherry, and malt. The flavor is red wine, dry, woody, fruity, and sour in the finish. The palate is of a minor hint of carbonation, smooth, and somewhat rich. Overall, I really prefer more of a Barley Wine than a Red Wine flavor like this has.

2002 Vintage. Fruity/red wine to start, alcohol, then sourness and hops. Dominating flavor in this beer is red wine and oak. Body is quite full. Carbonation is quite light. Minimal head and lacing. Color is translucent, dark red/amber. Beautiful, complex, delicious beer. Thank you Liquidsolutions.biz!

Batch No.4 (Nov. 2002). Strong, fruity, sweet and complex aroma, with heavy notes of red wine, plum, tart berry and brown sugar alongside fainter qualities of apricot, cinnamon, cardamom, wood, cassis, earth, herbs and medicinal alcohol. Partially opaque reddish-mahogany color, with a diminishing head and very fine lacing. Flavor profile is fruity and sweet to start, seeing an influx of tartness and nuttiness midway and with a tangy, moderately bitter, sour and alcoholic finish. Body is medium-full, the palate thin, smooth and winey. Challenging and unique.

This was sampled at the San Diego Strong Ale Festival courtesy of the ever gracious jcalabre! Oh beautiful, beautiful barleywine, how i couldnt wait to sample thee! It pours with an orangey red vivacity with a frothy tanned and pearlish bubbly head...very tempting. The aroma was filled with fruits...oranges, woodiness...oh...yeah...and HOPS HOPS HOPS HOPS HOPS!!! The taste begins with a smack of souring and bitter hops with some orange and lemony tang. Nice smooth but dry finish. Some stinging hops right at the end there, but very very fresh. It ends bitterly, but a nice subtle maltiness is left with nice fruity undernotes..once again back to that orange... mmm... me want more. RERATE....had another bottle of the 2001 vintage at Pitonkatonks house last night. Amberish to copper color with a thick foamy tanned head and excellent lacing. Hoppy, citrusy, with caramel, grass and earthiness. Flavor is very sweet with candy sugar and brown sugar. Full bodied with a bittering hop finish. The balance on this beer is just sickeningly good. Syrupy, sticky as all hell with significant floaties visible in the beer. Just absolutely entrancing as it aged. Now I want it even MORE than before.