Third Coast Old Ale

(Sampled 7-6-08 from 12 oz. bottle poured into shaker) Poured semi transparent very dark amber, huge frothy beige head formed and stayed around for the entire tasting with heavy lacing, aroma of malt and whiskey. Hits the mouth with a high-medium body, very sticky on the mouth throughout swallow, sweetness from molasses and brown sugar comes in the middle and slides away on the finish. Finish has moderate warming effect which I compare to scotch. Another good brew!

12 oz. bottle into sniffer. Nice rich amber reddish/brown with a big off-white, slightly tan head that fades pretty quickly. Aroma is mostly dominated by citrus hops with a bit of sweet malt hiding around in there. weird flavor; very subtle but very good once you figure out what is going on. Bitter, woody, citrus hoppy, not a lot of alcohol (just warming on finish), hints of red fruit (cherries). Thinner on the palate than abv. and style would suggest, but still smooth and pleasant. Overall: great tasty brew. A unique approach to barley wine, which is an extremely diverse, probably the most diverse, style IMO.

Dark red, brown color. Smell of hops, alcohol, malt, nuts, barley, dark fruit, raisins, brown sugar and caramel. Taste of hops, alcohol, malt, nuts, barley, dark fruit, raisins, brown sugar and caramel. Very warm and enjoyable.

I was fortunate to find this at Vintage Cellar as this is one of the better barleywines I’ve had. Deep amber color, nice clarity, with a thin head. Thin patches and a foam ring sticks around to provide some spotty lacing. Sweet caramel malt flavor with generous doses of molasses and brown sugar. Faint traces of dark fruit and oak and the beer finishes a bit peppery but smooth. Hints of most of that is in the aroma which isn’t over-powering but is quite complex. The alcohol is hidden remarkably well. A great drink.

Hazy brown pour. Malt heavy on the nose, very sweet smelling. Tastes like fruit cake. Very nice beer.