Third Coast Old Ale

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

Pours a murky brownish with a sizeable light tan head that has some very good staying power. Nose is nice and malty with a woody sweetness and a level of complexity that speaks volumes that you hope the flavor can back up. Flavor is beautiful. Nice deep complexities. Touch of alcohol is there for sure. One thing that comes to be after contemplating it for a while is a hint of almonds. Mostly though there is the wood and the "old" malty character. Feel has a good level of carbonation and the liquid is just right. In a far stretch of a way, this is like drinking a sherry or medeira that has yet to be ages to perfection, but is almost there. I like it.

Bottle. Hazy, brown colour with a little head. Light aroma of caramel, malt, and alcohol. Flavour of burned caramel, hops, malt, and alcohol. Ends up very hoppy and with a bitter finish.

Date: 08/06/1998
Source: Brewfest, Real Ale Festival

dark amber, tan head, rich sweet carmel malt aroma, strong malt flavor,
-------- /> Date: 02/09/2008
Mode: bottle
Words: brawley’s

hazy dark amber, fine beige head, bits of lace, dark caramel malt aroma with a fruity candy sweetness balanced by an earthy quality, body is lighter than expected, sweet dark caramel flavor, touch of fruity character, well balanced with earthy hops, light bitter finish,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.7/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

A king of the barley wines. Rich, malty flavors. A slow drinking beer. Not for the weak hearted.

Third Coast Old Ale smells like a double Amber Ale with nice raisin accents. The pour is cloudy amber and lacks hop lace compared to, say, Bigfoot. The malts have nowhere to hide in this style, and Bell’s do not disappoint. This features a massive caramel and pale malt flavor with much residual sweetness, perhaps too much so, without enough citric PNW hop flavor to offset the sweetness. A decent barleywine but not in the top tier. A recent sample was less sweet yet retained all the other Third Coast virtues.

An oak molasses nose resonates throughout this massive beer. The mfirst taste is sweet, but not over the top like many barleywines, Almost like a mild prune or raisiny sweetness, and the hops are perfect, especially toward the end with a massive punch of bitternessthat linger until the next sip..

12oz bottle from Drewbeerme’s wedding reception. Dark brown wtih red tint and beige head. Aroma of cookie, some pine, dough, big malt. Big pine and grapefruit lasting hop flavor, big malt, red fruit, some alc. Full creamy body. Very well done barley wine.

Another bottle thanks to footbalm. Pours a deep reddish orange with an orange/tan head. Aroma is very sweet and caramely, with fruit and molasses. Nice flavor of sugary malt, molasses, caramel, brown sugar, and a bit of vanilla and dark fruit.