Third Coast Old Ale

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

12oz bottle. Pours a thick, opaque darkest shade of red-brown, approaching blackness. Minimal head, some bubbles in the middle and coating the edges. The aroma is quite rugged, lots of liqueur notes. Relatively soft on the palate, this is quite a nice beer. Lots of raisin and dark fruit notes, but they are balanced out nicely alcohol and very light hops. Big and rich, but still maintains a smooth creaminess. Really one of the best examples of the style I can think of offhand. Rich caramel tones, some chocolate toffee in the finish. Awesome beer.

12 oz bottle. A lot of anticipation here and for the most part, not a lot of disappointment. Definitely a rich and malty barely wine that goes down smooth. On the aroma, a good amount of nutty toffee, cake mix, cocoa powder, dark sweet fruits, and cola. Not off balanced there, but also no real hop presence. On the pour, a light layer of cream head, a medium thick body, and dark cola brown in color. As far as the taste goes, this is a great feeling beer, especially on a cold winter night. Sweet, full bodied, creamy, and yet has the right amount of pop. The aroma and flavor notes also play off each other very well, each with a similar profile. Nutty toffee cake, dates, cherries, and other sweet fruits. More a bitter nutty chocolate through the malty finish. The overall package here is very nice, though not terribly exciting. Just very solid.

12 oz bottle no head but who cares. A barley wine that taste much like Bell’s thick porters or stouts. This is one of my favorite styles so hard for me not to give this a high grade. Served in a sniffer just the brew to have on a winter evening. taste of molasses with a slight hint of hops with a strong chocolate malt finish. I shall take one and put in the "beer cellar"

12oz bottle poured into a tulip glass produced a light frothy tan head with dark amber body. Aroma of citrus and caramel. Flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon, and the sweetness of cotton candy. Lots of sediment and floater were present. Nice warming ale.

A 12 oz. bottle courtesy of "hannont". Colour... garnet-amber with no head. Nose... sweet with hints of dried stone fruits and muscovado sugar. Palate... sweet, sirup-like, hoppy, with loads of candied fruit, raisins, dark currants and ..."bring us some figgy pudding, yes bring us some figgy pudding" and a helluva long finish!

Batch #9358 Bottled Sept 23rd, 2009. It poured a dark mahogeny brown with an orange tinge and orange highlights around the edges of the glass. The head was a light tan and about 1", but it went down to just a film rather quickly. There were bits of sediment suspended in the glass. There was a good earthy roasted malt aroma, with some alcohol, a faint bit of chocolate and some dark dried fruit scents as well, The texture of the beer was thick, creamy and smooth. The flavors were many, molasses, chocolate, raisins, plums and a good warming alcohol flavor. The beer mellowed on the finish with a good lasting flavor and a touch of a hops bite and the warmth of the alcohol. Excellent beer for a winter night.

Pours a glowing amber if you hold it against the light, with fairly large yeast sediment swirling around my pint glass from the 12oz. bottle: Nose is of caramel and bitter, dark chocolate, brown sugar, dark fruits, and a hint of hops. Flavors are similar. Thick mouthfeel, but incredibly smooth. The sweet malts, rather than overwhelm, complement a mildly bitter finish. Characteristically spicy after the swallow. Drinkability: Complex, balanced and thoroughly enjoyable. Best barleywine I’ve had to date. #237 on 04122009, DG.

Pours very thick and brownish orange. The aroma is pretty complex with notes of chocolate, orange, caramel, molasses, and maple syrup. The flavor is very sweet with orange, prunes, caramel, maple syrup and a touch of cocoa in the finish. Not really all that bitter to me. The sweetness overpowers everything else, but it is complex and chewy. Really a classic example of the style.