I recently got a new snifter so of course I needed a good beer to try it out. I’d heard good things about Bell’s Third Coast Old Ale so I decided to give it a try. I’m not always a huge fan of Barley Wine but finally having a snifter to pour it in made me want to have one.
It poured a very dark, brownish red. There was a small head with a little lacing that quickly dissipated. The smell was a little fruity with other sweet smells such as caramel and chocolate. There were also scents of alcohol. Based on the smell, I was afraid this beer was going to be way too sweet for me. I was pleasantly surprised. The taste was a great balance of smoky caramel with alcohol. There was a great touch of hops in the finish.
Often times I get tired of barley wines half way through the glass because they are either too sweet or have too strong of an alcohol taste. This one, however, went down very easily. It is a very drinkable beer for having such a high ABV. Bell’s recommends putting a bottle in the cellar to mature which I would think would make this great beer more complex. Next time, I will buy a few bottles and put a few away to enjoy later.
10.2% ABV
Grade: A-