Third Coast Old Ale

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

Dark brown body with a creamy head. The aroma has a strong malty overpowering sugar character along with a light spicy hoppiness. Flavor has lots of sweetness as well showing maple syrup candy. The finish has a dry bitterness coming through along with a warm alcohol mouthfeel. This gets better and better the longer I drink it.

Purchased 6-pack from Discount Liquor in Winona, MN. this beer has a pleasant aroma of carmel and bourbon. pours much thicker than expected with little head. flavor is very strong with bourbon and fruit flavors. goes down very smooth with a long lasting aftertaste. An excellent barley wine. Glad I have 5 more of these. I would definitely purchase this one again.

Batch 7695, consumed January 2008. Pours a very dark chocolate brown to mahogany body. A large, frothy tan head settles slowly to a murky, bubbly, blanket of foam. Huge, random flares of lacing are displayed prominently on the glass. The aroma is rich and decadent, with gobs of boozy malts seeping from deep within. Massive notes of caramel intertwine with nougat, chocolate, bourbon, oak and vanilla. The layering effect is remarkable, as the scents seem to hit in waves, ending with a bit of alcohol soaked figs and cherries. The flavor is similar, though not quite as well defined. Caramel, nougat, and bourbon are all present. They are accompanied by brown sugar, old leather, earthy hops, and dark fruits. The taste is slightly muddled, and not as crisp as the nose. Still, this is an excellent slow sipper. The nearly full mouthfeel finishes long, smooth and warm. I spent almost an hour with this bottle, and I savored every last drop. Excellent brew from an excellent brewery.

To preface: My rating is based on what this beer is now and not how it is a few years down the road. I know what it should become and that’s what makes this fun. A light brown colored barley wine with a small head that fades rather quickly. Scents of dry, tart apple, toffee and a very earthy essence. Taste is incohesive. I get some earthy/leathery/brown sugar qualities, but nothing really definitive. The warmth of the alcohol really shines through. This baby is young and needs time to mellow. It has great character now; enough to realize what lay ahead. Full bodied, for good measure. The dryness will fade and the sharpness will too. An outstanding beverage.

Nice and earthy barleywine. This one would really be something fantastic with aging, as now it is all flavors that need budding. There are some fruity essences of cherries, red delicious apple, and plum, but they aren’t sweet yet and instead the main tastes are these earthy smoke, dirt, leather, and leaf tastes that are very different. It’s a nice change, and a great beer, but if you’re expecting the sweet explosion of a well aged barley wine you should cellar this or look elsewhere. Still a great beer, just very different if you go into it thinking this is a barley wine.

Poured from a 12oz bottle (batch 7800) and served in a snifter. This barley wine poured a muddy brown with a short lived head of beige foam. A fair amount of oily, slippery lacing was left around the glass. The aroma of the beer was made up of rich caramel, brown sugar, light molasses, very sweet toffee, and caramel covered red apples. Very nice! The flavor consisted of dark fruits, brown sugar, chewy caramel and toffee, nuts, light maple syrup, and a touch of warming alcohol. The mouthfeel was full-bodied and oily with very light carbonation. Very tasty and a great drink for cold winter weather. An excellent barley wine from Bell’s.

Appearance: Pours a dark amber body with a small, creamy off-white head. Smell: Dark fruits and crème caramel with notes of cinnamon and molasses backed by a hefty whiff of booze. Taste: Brown sugar and dark fruits, particularly grapes, smothered in a sweet caramel sauce. Hint of molasses and cinnamon spice. Slight earthy bitterness. Long, hot finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Medium carbonation. Coating mouthfeel. Warming alcohol presence. Drinkability: A pretty good barleywine and another fine beer from Bell’s.

serious nose of fruits, raisons, and booze. Could smell it a mile away. Taste is less overwhelming, with dark fruits, cherries, bitterness from hops and alcohol dominating. A very warming and enjoyable barley wine, but not one that blew me away.