Fish Tale Amber Ale - Fish Brewing Company / Fishbowl Brewpub

barleywinefiend

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a creamy roasted malt scent that is a bit sweet and breadlike. The taste is decent. It has a very malty flavor that boasts of pale and crystal malts. It is sweet and full flavored. It also has a bitter hop bite that hits you in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is good. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good beer. I think it's a little too sweet for some, but it's very flavorful and highly drinkable.

Serving type: cask

01-15-2008 05:45:37 | More by barleywinefiend

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.04/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Poured into a shaker pint glass.

The beer is a dark caramel copper color. A cream colored head recedes to a chunky film, with good webby lacing. The beer smells deliciously of malts, bready yeast, and sweet caramel. The taste is also bready with a glaze of sweet caramel over it. Light grain notes fill out the back end. The mouthfeel is medium bodied.

Overall, a really great tasting amber ale with all of the great amber characteristics.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 14:02:06 | More by JuicesFlowing

TheSixthRing

California

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a semi-hazy, rusty orange with an off-white, finger width head. Average retention. Lacing is spotty at best, with little stick.

Smell - Moderate caramel aroma. Hops are well hidden, but faint notes of floral and citrus peaks through as the beer warms.

Taste - Caramel dominates the flavor profile from start to finish. Hops play a small supporting role, staying mostly subdued, but do well to keep this from becoming too sweet. There is a subtle orange note sitting behind the caramel near the finish, and that's basically it.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium body. Moderate carbonation. Smooth going down.

Overall - This beer's a one trick pony, but that trick is pretty good. Caramel bomb. I wouldn't miss this if I never had it again, but I wouldn't regret buying it either. Nice session beer candidate. Reminds me quite a bit of Mad River Steelhead Extra Pale Ale, only not nearly as good.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2012 00:53:21 | More by TheSixthRing

morimech

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Somewhat darker amber with one finger of head that quickly settled to a ring of bubbles. Just a little lacing is left down the glass.

Mostly sweet malt aroma. Notes of caramel, nuts, and a mild fruitiness.

Rather pedestrian flavor but it is inoffensive. Mostly caramel malt with some yeast esters. There is a moderate hop bitterness but not much hop flavor.

Feels a little undercarbonated in an otherwise medium body. Could use some more life to excite the palate.

About as middle-of-the-road as a beer could get. Nothing wrong with the beer, but nothing really interesting about it either.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2012 20:02:01 | More by morimech

seand

California

3.93/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a translucent amber with a fair amount of fizzy white head. Most of the foam dissipates fairly quickly, leaving small spots of lacing.

S: Sweet grainy malt, mostly pleasant. There's a slightly weird note, almost like milk that hasn't quite gone bad; blended in it's not really bad, and adds complexity, it's just a little strange.

T: Sweet basic amber ale. Good, and a very competent interpretation of the style, but it certainly doesn't break new ground.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation.

Overall, very good. Not exceptional, but it doesn't need to be, or, I think, aim to be. I'd have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 01:45:52 | More by seand

ckollias

Maryland

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours a cooper-orange hue with a small white head that leaves a nice trail down the glass and ends in a wispy lace.

S: Mild sweet and hoppy aroma. Not a huge nose here.

T: A little sweet and a little bitter with a musty sort of flavor. A little hoppy in the middle and finished on the dry side.

M: Thin body and medium carbonation.

O: Interesting beer – but I’ll pass next time.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 01:01:20 | More by ckollias

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear medium orange with a decent off-white head. Some retention.

Caramel and toasted grain in the nose. A bit mild.

Nice toasted malt, caramel sweetness, balanced by some mild hop bitterness. This one has a bit of an herbal touch to it, in both sweetness and bitterness. Flavor washes out a bit, which I did not like, but still finishes with all characteristics in place.

A little lean and thinner than I'd like, but still ok. Not bad. Fairly drinkable, but nothing I'd need to hunt down. I did like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 05:17:46 | More by OtherShoe2

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a caramel color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is mild, a bit of malts. Taste is a good balance of malts and hops, some sweetness and caramel notes. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 16:25:35 | More by tone77

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Pours a hazy amber colour, finger of head with solid retention and some nice sticky lacing.

S - Scent is mild with a touch of musty caramel notes and some biscuit notes.

T - A tad mild, but the musty caramel and biscuit notes come through. A touch of bitter leafy hops linger on the finish alongside some buttered bread.

M - Thin... Could use a carbonation lift.

O - A tasty amber, but could use some more bold flavours and a carbonation lift. I was satisfied but was looking forward to my next beer after a few sips.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 23:25:49 | More by andrenaline

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Slightly hazy amber with one-finger, fizzy white head that lasted less than a minute. No lacing. Okay bubbles.

S: Malt and a little bit of caramel fruity aroma.

T: Sweet caramel and toasted bread. Very light earthy hop bitterness in the finish.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

O: I was disappointed in the head, and the aroma was a bit underwhelming. But, the taste was descent, and it was very drinkable. Solid amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 00:01:24 | More by SolipsismalCat

jwinship83

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle traded to me from user azurescens. thanks! drank from my samuel adams perfect pint glass.

A- the beer pours out an amber colored body with a slight haze to it. a small khaki colored head forms on top and leaves pretty quickly. small spots of lacing are left behind.

S- the smell here is quick and to the point. toasted bready malts start off and are joined by some caramel which adds a level of sweetness. a little bit of herbal and earthy hops at the end.

T- the taste is just as simple as the nose, which isnt necessarily a bad thing. caramel and toasted bread malts lead the way. a little bit of toffee in the middle. spicy, earthy, and herbal hops at the end.

M- medium bodied. medium carbonation.

O- a simple beer that serves its purpose well. very flavorful compared to other beers at its strength. i can see drinking this again outside during the summer if it were available to me.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 19:41:46 | More by jwinship83

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Cool bottle sent down to me from my brother. Never had anything from these guys, so, excited to give 'em a try. 22oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a dark rusty ruby color with a small white head capping it off. Light lace left behind. The nose is not hoppy in any way, which is odd, given the style. Lots of toffee and malt in the aroma. Light fruitiness on the finish.

The mouth is moderately full. Ample carbonation. Creamy finish. The flavors are a little tame as well. This is definitely erring on the side of malts, rather than hops. Sweet caramel, toffee, breads. Very faint bitterness. I wish there were a bit more punch to this, but I'm not surprised given its organic background. My experience with most 'organics' is that they are usually mellow, and lacking in zip. Still, not a bad beer to have on a warm afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 16:42:30 | More by Onenote81

Samp01

New Jersey

3.35/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy amber, with a nice beige head. Aroma of sweet caramel malt, sweet spices and bready yeast notes. Taste is malty, bready, with some light hops. Palate is nice med body, moderate carbonation. Finish is sweet caramel, malt, yeast with some light hops bitterness ending in a lingering nutty, and bready aftertaste. Overall makes for a nice easy drinking sessionable brew

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 18:40:27 | More by Samp01

oberon

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice to see this Seattle brewery now here in NC.Poured into a standard pint glass a clear rich amber with a well defined slight off white head that left a broken ring of lace as it settled quickly.Aromas mainly consisted of toasted malt and caramel with a faint herbal hop note.Toasty and moderatly sweet on the palate with some tea-like hops in a lingering finish.A little sharp in the mouth but not to much of a problem.A pretty easy quaffing American amber with a decent hop profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2011 21:11:40 | More by oberon

hreb

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22oz bottle of Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale spawned in October (year unspecifed?? oh well, seems fresh enough). Beer pours cola brown/orange with just a hint of off-white head. Aroma is slightly smoky, slightly fruity.

Flavor is less impressive...only the very edge of bitterness, and the middle is of an average, bland red or brown ale. Carbonation is pleasantly heavy to cut through the chalky mess.

My least favorite Fish Tale.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2010 22:35:11 | More by hreb

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine May 2007.

Certified organic and brewed with Santiam and Haller- taur hops. Dubbed "The First Ale of the Republic" and brewed in keeping with the Cascadian commitment to protect natural water resources. (Check out zapatopi. net/cascadia for some paranoia-fueled fun.)

Thick, bubbly head rises to three fingers in height and leaves a substantial amount of lace on the glass. Bright amber hue glows when put up to light. Strapping caramel aroma from the malt, with fresh-cut grass and a hint of lemon in the back. More smoothness than crispness, with a medium level of carbonation and a stable body and mouthfeel. Spicy hop bitterness strikes first with peppery, herbal and mild lemon flavors. Modest caramel malt flavor intertwines with the hops to show balance. Flavors remain far into the semi-sweet finish.

Nothing earth-shattering, just a downright drinkable Amber Ale; and the hop character adds a kick to it like no other Amber out there. It really grew on us after a while. A plate of thin-sliced bresaola and buffalo mozzarella would be an ideal pairing.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 18:18:25 | More by BeerAdvocate

philbertk

Washington

3.6/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Fish Brewing Company--Organic Amber Ale--2000 12 oz. Bottle. 5.50% ABV. (3.75 / 5.0) Light sediment. Clear thin copper amber color. Mild smoky floral hop front leads to fruity toasted earthy mildly sweet thin ESB like body. Smooth. Nice balanced hop finish. Light but flavorful. Sampled 4/6/2000. Fish Brewing Company--Organic Amber Ale--2001 12 oz. Bottle. 5.50% ABV. (4.0 / 5.0) Clear bright rich copper red amber color. Malty big head with medium lace. Malty sweet roasted floral front. Slightly earthy light roasted sweet dry cherry fruit body. Ends with tingly earthy hops. ESB? Sampled 8/9/2001. Fish Brewing Company--Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale--USDA Organic Logo--2004 12 oz. Bottle. 4.00% ABV. 30 IBU's? (4.0 / 5.0) Rich lacy head. Light sediment clouds hazy rich bright dark amber color. Malty nice mild floral hop front. Smooth crusty doughy rich malty mellow sweet fruit ester caramel body. Malty mild hop end. Sampled 9/7/2004. Fish Brewing Company--Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale--USDA Organic--2006 Release--12 oz. Bottle--5.50% ABV--22 IBU's. (4.25 / 5.0) Amber Ale--5.0% Web. Mild lace head. Clear bright rich amber orange color. Mild malt fruit hop front. Crisp dry sweet mild caramel fruit tangy mild bisquit body. Tangy refreshing mild Santiam Hallertau hop spice end. Sampled 5/16/2006. Fish Brewing Company--Fish Tale Organic Amber Ale--USDA Organic--2010 22 oz. Bottle. 5.50% ABV. 22 IBU's. (4.0 / 5.0) Thin white mild lace head. Pretty rich clear bright amber red color. Rich floral malt mild toasted fruit ester hop front. Thin textured sweet caramel fruit toasted tasty mildly doughy amber ale fruit body. Refreshing smooth minimal hop spice clean end. Sampled 5/31/2010. 2 @ $3.69 Each

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2010 21:55:06 | More by philbertk

Blissfullbrew

Oregon

4.35/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer pours with a copper red color that has minimal lacing and few legs. The nectar has a thick sweet nose with hints of caramel or a carnival. Strong meaty fruit taste which has a light honey after-taste. This is honestly one of the best amber ales I have ever had, plus it is organic. The carbonation makes this a very well balanced

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2010 07:16:29 | More by Blissfullbrew

GreenCard

Oregon

3.65/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: coppery orange, slight haze, off-white suds with decent head retention

Aroma: biscuity malt, leather, grain

Flavor: medium malt sweetness with a nutty, toasted accent (similar to Alaskan Amber); slight acidity and a hint of toffee caramel; finishes semisweet with a light caramel aftertaste

Mouthfeel: medium body, pert carbonation, smooth

Other comments: Subtle, gentle, drinkable amber. Reminds me of a cross between Alaskan Amber and Alaskan Summer Ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2009 05:30:10 | More by GreenCard

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a hazy medium orange-brown hue, with two fingers of foamy off-white head, which leaves very little lace as it disappears. It smells of sweet caramel malt, mild grapefruit hops, and some ripe black fruit. The taste is mild caramel malt, and mixed citrus and floral hops. The carbonation is a bit on the high side, the body adequately weighty, and it finishes with a decent dry hops zing.

A nicely hoppy mild amber ale - the vast majority of brewers of this ubiquitous style could take note.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 22:05:58 | More by biboergosum

Offa

California

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a very good, flavourful, well-rounded, balanced ale.

Red amber, faintly murkey, it has a medium pale tan head steadily shrinking to a thin, wispy top and ring with a little weak lace.

The aroma is a bit subdued, fermented raisins and plums, grape juice, general fruitiness, milk chocolate, toasted grain.

The taste is a smooth, well-integrated character, chocolatey-toasty with whole wheat bread, hay, light, vague stewed fruit, light spicey-herbal hop character and light citrus quaility near the finish. It's lightly on the sweet side but has light, balancing bitterness. The afetrtaste has hints of grain, leafy vegetable, and fruit. It is a bit subdued and not overly interesting, almost one-dimensional, but the character is firm, it does have a little bit of complexity, and it holds up well. It has somewhat low carbonation, somewhat full, thick feel but it's not quite oily.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 18:38:51 | More by Offa

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.1/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle, poured into a snifter.

Deep amber see-thru body with a smallish head that quickly recedes to a ring of loose soapy bubbles and a skim. What's left behind is not sticky enough for any lace.

Smells of sweet malt and baking bread, with a slight yeasty tang.

Very doughy/yeasty in the mouth up front, followed by soapy and spicy hops, plus some nuttiness and general malt sweetness. Kiss of citrus torward the finish. Medium bodied, highish carbonation. An sort of herby/minty flavor lingers after the swallow- a bit distracting, and reduces the enjoyment factor a bit.

Overall impression: Decent amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2009 21:18:02 | More by PDXHops

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle courtesy of mreusch. Pours a murky light brown with a small ring of white head. Aroma of super sweet strawberries and sweet jam. Flavor is light and only slightly fruity. Easy drinking. Nice amber ale!
Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Flavor: 7/10
Palate: 4/5
Overall: 14/20
3.6/5

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 03:08:12 | More by LilBeerDoctor

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a slightly hazy amber color with a thin white head. The aroma is moderately-high caramel flavor with a hint of spicy hop aroma. The flavor is moderate-high caramel, with a medium-low spicy hop flavor. The body and carbonation are both medium. Overall a smooth finishing well done amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2008 21:39:41 | More by uwmgdman

tbeck

Washington

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a dark amber in color with a thin white head. Very clean, crisp aroma of hops, malts and citruis. The initial taste was off, burnt molasses and metallic tasting. After the initial it was a deep maltiness, but no hops, not very sweet. Texture was good, on the light side. These can be drank all night, not bad taste and light.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2008 23:40:00 | More by tbeck