Third Coast Old Ale

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

Batch 7800, bottled on 1-31-07. Tasted 11-22-07 Poured into a snifter. Pours mahogony with a small fizzy off-white head that diminishes quickly leaving fair lacing. The aroma is of bread and caramel malts with some nuttyness and brown sugar little to no hop aroma. Taking a drink, the first thing I taste is the caramel and nutty malts with a little alcohol burn. Very bitter, the finish is all bitterness that sticks with you for a while. No hop flavor. The body is full with a creamy texture and soft to lively carbonation. Overall I am very impressed, next up is a 2006 bottle to see how it held up. Batch 7236, bottled 2-8-06, tasted on 11-22-07. 12 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Pours mahogony with a small off-white fizzy head that fades away rather quickly leaving fair lacing. The aroma is of moderate caramel malts, no hop aroma. Rather one dementional. Taking a drink, at first you get a very sweet caramel malt along with a little brown sugar, no hop flavor. In the finish there is a slight bitterness, along with a very faint metallic finish. The body is full with a creamy texture and soft carbonation. Overall, it changed quite a bit with a year in the celler. No alcohol taste, the bitterness mellowed out alot along with the malt complexety. It was still good, but not as complex. Aroma-7 Appearance-3 Flavor-8 Palate-5 Overa score-3.9

Batch 8135. Pours a cloudy brown body with a tan short head. Caramel, dark fruit, sharp bite of hops and alcohol. So good now and will be great to check back in on after a few years of mellowing.

Batch 7800. I’ve had aged bottles of this that were slightly mellower, but it’s hard to deny the intensity and richness of this brew. A rich dark pour with moderate carbonation, this one is all about the complexity and the long finish. The initial flavors are fig and molasses, but the finish is dry smoke and a hint of licorice. Malts are certainly there (and the mouthfeel is thicker with older vintages of the beer), but I must admit, I kinda dig the hot, young-ish version. Awesome, whether fresh or aged.

Bottle thanks to drewbeerme. Poured a thick auburn brown color with a thin beige head. Aroma of caramel with some hoppiness peaking through. Very interesting flavor profile. Caramel malt up front with a but of a fruity undertone leads into a hop hit in the middle that pulls out even more spice and fruit flavors. Quite thick, but nice. Luckily Drew was nice enough to send me 2 so I can stick one away and see how it turns out in a year or so. Thanks Drew.

12 oz bottle. Just looked up the batch and two years old today. Cool. Deep amber brown with patches of froth and a ring. Lace spots. Buttery caramel and peppery pine. Wonderfully mellow, almost medium body, a whisper of carb. Rich but not sticky or syrupy. Subtly spiced caramel and red fruits that melt away leaving candied grapefruit peel. Very clean; none of the off-notes I sometimes find in barleywines.

[Bottle] Aroma is alcohol, caramel, some fruitiness. Taste is somewhat sweet and bitter up front, then a long malt finish. Medium-thick mouthfeel. Very smooth. A very nice barley wine, one of the better ones I have had.

(bottle) Pours dark amber with no head. The aroma is quite complex with an initial scent of oatmel raisin cookies, dried fruit, caramel. tart apple with some hops. Taste is largely caramel with some fruit and a slight lingering hoppy bitterness on the finish. Medium mouthfeel and softly carbonated, this is a great beer.

Batch 7236 bottle. Copper/amber pour with off-white head that diminishes into a halo of lace. Sweet malt and dark fruits on the nose with a slight hint of alcohol. Big malt presence in the taste. Caramel, vanilla, chocolate, and alcohol flavors. Full mouthfeel. Sweet malt and bitterness in the finish, along with some warming heat. Great beer.