Third Coast Old Ale

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

Serve in Snifter

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Muddy iced tea color with minimal off white head. Almost a smell of sweet tea as well with brown sugar, brandy. A sweet spicy kick to the mouth at first with noticeable booziness. A distinct bitter lingers afterwards. Not as complex as I hoped but not bad overall. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Pours a clear mahogany color with small tan head and decent lacing. Caramel and malt aroma pervasively with some brandy soaked fig and raisin. Taste follows aroma with the caramel and roasted malt. Dark fruits and grassy, lingering bitterness from hops that was a surprise. Alcohol is apparent in flavor and has a slight warming effect. Mouthfeel is medium/full with moderate carbonation and leans toward being dry with a bit of residual sweetness. A good barleywine that was more bitter than I like and more than expected. Curious to see how this ages. I expect I will like it more when the hops have dropped off a bit. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

hazzy brown/ruby color, aroma of toffee, caramel, dark fruits, same flavors, nice bitterness, boozy warm finish, med body, smooth and rich, very enjoyable

Oct 2012 bottle to tulip glass. Pours a slightly hazy reddish brown color with a decent off-white head. Strong malt aroma with a little toffee and just a hint of alcohol. Taste is malt with a sweetness that gives way to an unexpected, biting bitterness. A bit of dark fruit and some toffee also. A full, thick mouthfeel that is slightly oily and then dry at the end. I found the sweetness to be a little cloying for my tastes and I did not enjoy the bitterness, however, this is just a matter of personal preference. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

12 ounce bottle. Pours a cloudy reddish brown with a small off-white head. Aroma of fruit, malt, molasses, and caramel. Taste is malt, dark fruit, molasses, caramel, spices, and wood. Very warming. Very good.

Pours a dark prune juice colour. Aromas are intense dark rye bread dough. Lots of sweet raisin and prune aromas too. More of the same malty rye driven flavours. Nice dark fruit sweetness with just enough bitterness on the finish to keep it honest. Really good ale.

Very nice, easily my favorite barley wine, a style I'm not usually fond of. There's an unusual toffee flavor coming through that is just fabulous. This is on top of a solid malty base that has caramel notes as well. ABV is perfect at a few ticks over ten. Would love to see a chocolate version of this. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Slighty bitter . Hint of chocolate. Small foamy head that doesnt hold long. Medium thickness in taste. Dark carmel color. Good beer.

Bottle. Thanks to mike12da. Big buttery malt aroma, wit some fumes. Thick copper-brown. Heavy concentrated sugar and caramel malt; mid gains legs with the hopping; final moves into very nice balance. Medium body. Great stuff. Smooth and rich.

This bottle had about a year of age on it. When fresh I found this to be fairly harsh, but with a year on it, it has turned into a really excellent example of the style.