Third Coast Old Ale

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

bottle, pours brown with a medium off white head. Aroma is light with brown sugar, some vanilla and yeast. Flavors start mildly sweet with some biscuit malt and a tart apricot feel that yeilds to a hop and spiced peppercorn finish. Lingers, but is dry at the same time. A nice barley wine that grows in character as it warms with some alcohol in the finish as well. Carbonation is moderate with a medium to heavy mouthfeel. I could sip this for a while.

12 oz bottle at brickskeller in DC. Pours a nice dark almost opaque brown color. Aroma is sweet and malty with some spice. Taste is pretty spicy and sweet, very little bitterness, and the high alcohol content is very evident. Palate is very full and really fills the mouth with flavor. Very full body- not really meant to be consumed in large quantities. Definitely suited for a cold winter night but enjoyable any time of the year.

Bottle. Pours a super cloudy brown with a small ring of white head. Aroma of super sweet malt, raisin, apple skins. Typical barleywine aroma. Flavor is quite malty with light fruits and raisins. Certainly very sweet but not bad actually (considering that barleywines are not my favorite style). Heavy though. 7/4/7/4/15 (3.7/5)

Original review date 3/26/2008... Rustic, bountiful frothy head with deep, dark mahogany body - looks like very nice stuff. A little skunky aroma, sort of like raw dough or sourdough - interesting Deep hoppiness and heavy caramel malt with alcohol presence - balance is not an issue Bitter mouthfeel but it coats nicely Good stuff - of course it’s rather heavy

12 oz bottle in a snifter. Pours a cloudy dark tea color, lots of sediment, with a decent off-white head which dissipates. Aroma is burnt candied sugar, toffee, brown sugar, lots of sweet malts. Flavor is sweet malt, caramel, brown sugar, maple, and nice hopped bitter finish. Nice alcohol warmth which is true to the style. This could age very well.

Amazingly, if I have had this one, I don’t remember. A very impressive looking beer, a dark, deep amber color with a nice fruity sweet aroma. This beer is sweet, malty and full of fruit, but has a nice hop presence and a nice warm ending. This is a great beer, one that could only improve with time. I would like to try this one on draft or maybe try it in a vertical tasting.

12 oz bottle from Greenwood in Bowling Green. Off-white moderate head fades quickly and leaves some lacing on sides of glass. Rusty brown body, slightly hazy and thick. Aroma of walnut, malt, alcohol. A relatively light barleywine on the palate with flavors of molasses, brown sugar, banana, caramel, & oak. The alcohol is pretty forward on this one.

I have been cellaring this since 2003: Pours a murky brick red with almost no head. Brown sugar, plums, maple syrup, damp basement and alcohol on the nose. Flavor of caramel and prunes up front with a slight alcohol finish. Very little carbonation. No hops apparent at all. Very easy to drink. This ages better than most of the other barleywines I have cellared, but I prefer it fresh.