Beer Advent Calendar - Day 16

The brewery on day 16 is probably better know for one of it's other beers, but that doesn't take anything away from this one...

Bell's Third Coast Old Ale - 10.2%

Classic big American 'in your face' aroma... While many English old ales would be a little dusty round the edges this beer is much more like a suped up barley wine in the aroma. Lot's of boozy sweet caramels, brown sugars melted and poured over warm raisins, dates and roasted bananas, toffee and a little hazelnut, a little rye toast and shades of barbecue creeping in the back. Complex? No doubt!

Really not as sweet as I thought it would be. Woody, earthy with burnt leather notes, it's certainly an ale to be sipped, I'm not going to though... Some slight sweetness comes in the finish in the way of burnt toffee, and while the alcohol is there it doesn't feel as strong as it is. A little pine and beech wood, the flavour lingers in the mouth, quality beer indeed.

I do feel Americans need to discover the difference between Old Ale and Barley Wine though...