It's September, and that means the cooler fall months are coming, soon to be followed by the cold winter weather. This is the time for rich, warming beers like Bell's Third Coast Old Ale. Released in September for availability through May, it is indeed intended to be a seasonal for the colder months of the year. It can be aged quite nicely however, since it is a huge, potent brew packed with alcohol and loaded with malt and hops. The original gravity is a hefty 1.094 and the alcohol content a whopping 10.2% by volume, about twice the strength of most beers. IBUs are stated at 65.

Were Third Coast Old Ale and Thomas Hardy's separated at birth? Or have the fine folks at Bell's dispensed with the useless practice of cloning sheep and adapted the technology to a much nobler end- that of reproducing fine old ales/ barleywines? Seriously, this beer is a dead ringer for Thomas Hardy's ale, and I can't think of a finer compliment for any American beer aspiring to the aforementioned style. Hardy's is perhaps the definitive example of a barleywine style ale, and a beer that only improves with age, even up to twenty-five years. I suspect Third Coast would fare equally well over the years, but I have never managed to keep a bottle that long.

Third Coast is extremely complex in both the nose and palate, I get rich, sweet malt, butterscotch, fresh bread, a hint of fruitiness that barely manages to rear it's head through all of the other wonderful things going on here, alcoholic warmth, and a slightly bitter hop finish. This is truly a world class beer that displays wonderful character while young and reminds me of a glass of aged Hardy's.

I don't usually drink sipping beers of this ilk with food. I have however enjoyed Thomas Hardy's over vanilla ice cream, and suspect that Third Coast would also serve well in that regard.

Update 4/1/2020: Picked up a bottle of this beauty at Total Wine last fall; I should have bought a six. These days, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale runs $15.99 a six-pack there, but it's worth every penny. My bottle says PKG 09/11/2019 and I drank it with about 7 months of age, but I wish I had more to let it go longer. You could hang onto this for years and watch it mellow (Bell's gives this beer an "unlimited" shelf life. They also say on the label:

An AMerican Barleyine Ale, Bell's Third Coast Old Ale starts with a rich, caramel base, and finishes with a heavy hop bitterness. Sharply intense at first, it will age gracefully, adding complexity and subtlety in your cellar. Go ahead, test your patience.

Third Coast Old Ale pours to a deep russet color with a medium head of creamy foam and thick Brussels lace and a deep rich malty nose. Taking a sip, the beer is delightfully bready, rich with caramel, dark plummy fruits, and finishes with a balancing bitterness.  It's gently citrusy with a peppery hop bitterness. Just wow!

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

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