Third Coast Old Ale

Brewed by Bells Brewery
Style: Barley Wine
Kalamazoo, Michigan USA

Bottle. Vinous, mild dark fruit aroma. Mahogany color with an off-white head that didn’t amount to much. Bready aroma as the glass approaches the lips. Medium body with creamy/fizzy carbonation. It seems bottle conditioned in terms of mouthfeel - like Fullers 1845. Something grape, raisin/fig and roasted malts for flavor. Finish is mildly sweet with a decent amount of bitter. Excellent ale. It gets better with each passing sip.

Bottled. Dark brown color. Vinous aroma with raisin and grape juice. Vinous, woody flavor with bready notes, a firm earthy and flowery hopbitterness. Medium bodied, a bit rough and alcoholic, but not without complexity.

Pours a dark red-brown color with a medium head. A great aroma of rum, caramel, and tobacco. A taste of malt, caramel, tobacco, and a hint of whiskey. The finish is smooth, sweet and well balanced for such a strong beer. This is one of my favorite barleywines.

Deep red-brown hazy pour with a white head. Very hoppy aroma with some maple and citrus. Very bitter taste. Too much for me. Real bitter finish as well. Some citrus and fruit and lots of alcohol. Not a fan.

Bottled, from drmatt who generously sent 4 bottles in trade. Inviting, very dark and hazy burgundy appearance. Some initial beige head with spotty lacing. Wonderful aroma of fresh cinnamon raisin bread, chocolate-soaked cherries, rum fruitcake and lots of caramel. This stuff almost smells like it was barrel-aged. Similar fruity aroma with tons of toffee and caramel malts. The finish is a touch smoky with slight tobacco and leather influences. Warming palate and full bodied. Very good.

12oz bottle. Numbered 7800. Pours a dark reddish brown color with a very thin tan head that fades quick and leaves only a few specks of lace. Smells sweet and caramelly malty. Tastes caramelly sweet and malty, a little oxidation and a little booze on the finish. Thick, semi-syrupy body with active carbonation.

This beer pours an orangey amber color with a frothy tan head. It smells sweet, like candied fruit. The hop character comes out immediately. Then it finishes with a sweet caramel, toffee taste and a touch of warmth. The mouthfeel is very full without feeling heavy. It’s almost as if there might be melted streams of candy in this. This barley wine would be spectacular served with chocolate fondue. I might even experiment with mixing a little into the chocolate mixture.

Bottle. [thank you, Drmatt]
Pours a deep redish brown with a fine, creamy beige head on top. Aroma is really stunning! lots of malts, caramel, sugars, lightly roasted, some slight chocolate and a good raisin-based fruitiness. Low carbonation - very oily mouthfeel. Flavour is brilliantly balanced. Very sweet with a surprising chocolate edge to it. Lots of fruits, caramel, toffee, chocolate and a warming viniousness. Really stunning - damn, I’ve had some good BW lately!