10 Squared Fish Tale Ale
Fish Brewing Company / Fishbowl Brewpub

 

This was poured into a chalice. The appearance was a nice hazy golden dark orange to hazed over amber color with a one finger white foamy head that dissipated within about a minute leaving some light lacing stringing itself around the glass. The smell had a strong bitter citrus/piney hops, nice caramel back up, light in the tobacco and a touch of vanilla. The taste was mainly sweet with a sticky strength of bitter hops leading to the aftertaste and then sliding into a dry finish. On the palate, this one sat about a medium on the body with a fairly decent sipping quality about it. Carbonation was good for me and for the style. Overall, I say this was a pretty good American Barleywine that I would have again.

Poured from a 22oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A: The beer is a medium brown color with a thin off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains brown sugar, caramelized malts, fruit and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts out sweet with flavors of caramel, brown sugar and some fruit. Then a strong hops bitterness comes in along with a touch of and alcohol sting. The malt character is hearty and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a solid beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

 

 

Earthy, chocolate, malted milk balls and tea leaves. American style barleywine. Little to no sweetness. Extremely dry finish. Balanced bitterness. Decent carb. Its just ok to mediocre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22oz bottle from Main Street Party Store (Ann Arbor, MI). 12.99. Bottled 10/2011. Served in a Bruery snifter.

Pours a deep, opaque burgandy chestnut with two fingers of sand hued froth. The head settles to a modest cap that leaves small splotches of lace.

Aromas of cereal grains, earth, pine, mild floral and caramel malts. There is a faint herbal bitterness but it smells rather flat.

Taste follows the nose but not in the most flattering way. Cereal, musky earth, floral herbaceous bitterness, pine bark, burnt caramel and a sharp bite of booze. The flavors seem to fight each other rather than work together and this comes across as rather disjointed.

Medium full feel with plenty of carbonation. The finish is sticky with a resinous bitter earthiness and a touch of burnt sugar.

I'm not sure how much of my lackluster experience with this brew was my fault for trying to age this bottle or if it is just a difference of opinion with the brewers. I found this to be all bitterness without the sweetness I look for in the style. There are enough options out there that I can't see myself returning to this one.