Fish Tale Winterfish
Fish Brewing Company / Fishbowl Brewpub

Fish Tale WinterfishFish Tale Winterfish
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From:
Fish Brewing Company / Fishbowl Brewpub
 
Washington, United States
Style:
Winter Warmer
ABV:
7.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 13.14%
Reviews:
114
Ratings:
184
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 18, 2019
Added:
May 04, 2002
Wants:
  5
Gots:
  10
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by beernut7:
Photo of beernut7
Reviewed by beernut7 from Massachusetts

4.42/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This winter ale is truly unique. Pale color, but with quite a heavy body. This is also one of the most heavily hopped winter ales I have ever experienced. Plenty of IBUs to go around. Alcohol content gives another reason to stay in out of the cold.
May 04, 2002
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by BlueSpader from Washington

Apr 18, 2019
Photo of Rockhead
Reviewed by Rockhead from Virginia

2.11/5  rDev -43.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2
One of the strangest beers I've ever drank. I cant recall a time I didn't finish a 6 pack I've bought, but if there was any time I've considered dumping this was it. Unfortunately, I've still got 4 left. The poured beer looks great a thick and hazy deep orange, smell isn't bad either sort of a piney/fruit sense, this is where it goes downhill.... the taste goes like a hard spicey feel but not in a good way, I gave my wife a sip to see if it was just me after the 2nd pint and she said "ewwww tastes like watered down old spice or axe spray", and that's basically the full effect into the aftertaste. Wouldn't argue with someone who says they love it as it is unique, just isn't for me. Would not try again or recommend.
Feb 10, 2019
Photo of woodychandler
Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

3.81/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I am attempting to wrap up my Happy Trippin' Fishy Tall Tales on the Long Trail Sunday (Week 707) before it gets too late to do so. I attended a poorly-run brewfest in the rain on Sunday afternoon & it really took a lot of the steam out of me upon my return home. This is another in my ongoing mission to eradicate the Bottle Backlog here at Chez Woody.

From the Bottle: "Seasonal Ale".

I Pop!ped the cap, but I was still leery of any potential messes, so I went with a slow, gentle pour into the awaiting glass. An in-glass swirl raised just under two fingers of dense, foamy, tawny head with decent retention that left nice lacing in its wake. Color was a slightly-hazy Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, < 7). Nose had both a caramel maltiness & a pine hoppiness, leaving me curious as to its taste. Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was very much of pine & mint with just a hint of caramel, which is just the way that I would prefer. It was kind of an odd interpretation of the style, though, lacking spices & not being overly malty. Finish was semi-dry, but it just was not evocative of Winter. Not bad, but not really a Winter Warmer, except in name.
Sep 10, 2018
Photo of Libeertarian
Reviewed by Libeertarian from Montana

3.68/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From notes taken 07/18/17:

Caramel to amber color, somewhat cloudy. Head of uniform light orange fluff leaving connected patches of lace. Grainy, grassy, somewhat citric and spicy to earthy nose, just a hint of booze. Palate is malt tartness, caramel, and even toffee, grains, leathery and windy hops just beginning to deteriorate into something more soapy and chemical, probably due to my decision not to rush on this beer given the ABV and style, but I should have treated it more like an IPA. It does remind me somewhat of a decent IIPA, given the balance between the hops and the booze, both flavor and heat. So, it is okay. Medium-bodied, syrupy until fine and sparse but sharp tingles activate.
Jun 18, 2018
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.54/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz bottle with no notch on the label's date strip. My bottle has very similar graphics but simply says "WINTERFISH SEASONAL ALE" with no "Icebreaker".
Pours clear but very dark, with a reddish brown body topped by a beige head. The head has very good retention and leaves both sliding sheets and plenty of lingering, sticky lacing.
Aroma: moderately strong with spicy hops dominating and suggesting spruce and pine.
Flavor: strong. This is a Brown IPA that may or may not have added spicing. In either case, there are plentiful spice notes together with hints of evergreen trees. Moderately bitter.
Feel: full bodied with appropriate medium-light carbonation.
Overall: a strong ale that should appeal to fans of dark IPAs,
Apr 19, 2018
 
Rated: 3.67 by cheers2u2 from North Carolina

Mar 26, 2018
 
Rated: 3.94 by BeerAndFilm from Oregon

Feb 18, 2018
Photo of TeachChefs
Reviewed by TeachChefs from Pennsylvania

3.64/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Pours dark orange with a small creamy head, small bubbles . Aroma is dirty malt, lemon, moderately sweet. The taste is a light IPA, with an underlying bitterness. Maybe it was the color but it reminded me of a black lager, but bitter. Not bad,
Jan 02, 2018
 
Rated: 3.59 by redleg64 from Michigan

Dec 21, 2017
Photo of pianoguy
Reviewed by pianoguy from Washington

3.62/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
This is a real head scratcher... I thought I was getting a winter warmer but this obviously isn't one. I researched the Fishtale ales web site and on some of the descriptions it says "winter warmer" but on the profile it says (and I quote) Style: Imperial India Pale Ale

I'm reviewing this as an IPA.

12 oz bottle. No bottling info

Pours a hazy honey-orange colored body with a white head. Lots of visible carbonation. Decent retention. Lots of thin lacing.

While not overly prominent I seem to get a different take on each whiff. At the pour it smelled malt forward. Wrote a paragraph, took another whiff and I was getting red grapefruit citrus

Taste is hop forward. Red grapefruit. I'm also getting a strange cough syrup type of sweetness at the back end of the taste.

Medium carbonation

At $ 7.99 for a six pack it's a decent value.

Not a bad IPA, but I thought I was getting a winter warmer and frankly I'm more then a little disappointed. If I was reviewing this as a winter warmer it would be a much poorer review, It doesn't fit any of the winter warmer criteria..
Nov 26, 2017
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.17/5  rDev -15%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
The appearance is a hazy golden colored body with a one finger white foamy head and has some mild speckled lacing. The smell has some bitter cooked hops that kinda come through pretty earthy but controlled with a decent backing by the malts. The taste is bitter but sweet, not combined, just seems to hang there a bit to leave something to be desired. There is a mild malty yet bitter aftertaste with a dry finish. On the palate, it sits about a light to medium, and comes across as fairly sessionable for the most part. Carbonation is harsh penetrating enough for an AIPA but not so much as a winter warmer. Overall, this is not a bad beer, but not really a winter warmer, more of an AIPA that I think I would have again depending upon what else is there.
Jun 28, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by foghornleghorn22 from Virginia

Mar 18, 2017
Photo of BeerAndGasMasks
Reviewed by BeerAndGasMasks from Virginia

3.69/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From the bottle, it pours a hazy amber with a modest head, quickly reducing to a ring and thin film. Lacing. Primarily malt in the nose. ...and mouth. Tasty!
Mar 08, 2017
 
Rated: 3.42 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jan 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.66 by Stofko1992 from Pennsylvania

Jan 21, 2017
Photo of GreatHammerhead
Reviewed by GreatHammerhead from Pennsylvania

4.24/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Presentation: 12 oz. bottle spawned on October 2016 poured into a pint glass.

Look: Hazy apricot with a one finger white head. Head quickly collapses but continues to cover entire top of the beer.

Smell: Malts, citrus, and finishes with a mild dose of hops.

Taste: Malts and then hops with a light vein of hop bitterness running throughout the hop flavor and lingering into the aftertaste.

Feel: Medium body with moderate carbonation with a dry finish.

Overall: An excellent beer. Seems to me to be more of a mild IPA then a winter warmer, but whatever you call it I thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Jan 19, 2017
Photo of TX-Badger
Reviewed by TX-Badger from Texas

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a clear golden amber color with off-white head. Citrus, spice, pine, and some caramel malt on the nose; follows onto the palate. Medium bodied. Finishes with plenty of citrus, some pine, and a decent malt backbone.
Mar 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.38 by MKrauss from Pennsylvania

Feb 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.8 by VABA from Virginia

Jan 15, 2016
Fish Tale Winterfish from Fish Brewing Company / Fishbowl Brewpub
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 184 ratings