Third Coast Beer - Bell's Brewery, Inc.

Bighuge

Minnesota

4.6/5  rDev +31.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer is a hazy light golden. (Looks like your typical wit.) Yeast particles are in suspension. A thin head that actually retains nicely and provides some nice lace patterns on the glass walls. Oh what a great smell. It's a sweet bready yeast aroma mixed in with a seemingly orange dreamsicle shade of sweetness. This beer really appeals to my taste buds. The beer is pretty heavy on the bready yeastiness. There also seems to be some acidity and tartness present. Even though it has some properities of a pale ale present (like a really nice bitterness), this brew has the smoothness of a lager. Reminds me a bit of my favorite lager, Capital's Winter Skal of 2001-2002. A little more spicy and hoppy though.

This beer is classified as an APA, but I'm not so sure. When I purchased this today, I was talking to one of the Beer Men in the store (who is actually a BA) and he told me this beer used a lager yeast.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2002 21:33:37 | More by Bighuge

Gump

Minnesota

4.5/5  rDev +28.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours cloudy and light golden, with small chunks of sediment which I swirled from the bottom of the bottle. The head is very thick, and dense. It forms virtual clouds atop my brew.
The sweet aroma draws me in. I know this will be a good one. I detect sweet pine.
the flavor is terrific. Sweet, sour apple. A crisp clean taste.
There is a definate bitter aftertaste, in a good way. The lacing is very thick.
I love it. Very drinkable, if you can appreciate the hoppy bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2003 02:10:12 | More by Gump

tavernjef

Minnesota

4.45/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Named after what in Michigan thinks of Lake Huron as being its third coast of the Great Lakes, first and second are Lk.Superior and Lk.Michigan.
Nice looking lager, soft hazy yellow, more orange at the top with a big luscious, pillowy head of stark whiteness that faded somewhat fast but always leaves a solid thin skim of foam the whole glass through, lacing is in stringy patches. Aroma is all malts, very biscuity, and bread doughish, with a slight soft touch of apple and citrus. Taste is darn nice, layered and fairly complex malts, soft and appealing, slight breadish quality with subdued yeast and hops that lend a bit earthy, nice mellowing bitterness and dryness follows through and lingers longly into the back of the throat and tongue. Very well balanced. Feel is a lighter medium body, pretty full too, with a bizaar light creamyness in the middle and giving way to a slight tingly dryness into the finish. This was a surprise to say the least, wasn't expecting it to be this good after reading so many mixed reviews. I figured its a Bell's it can't be all bad. And its not. One heck of a easy, well balanced little brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2003 14:12:10 | More by tavernjef

PeatReek

California

4.45/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Pours a straw yellow color, just a slight shade of haze, with a puffy, rocky white head. Smells a tad sulphury and very floral; the website claims they add generous portions of "American hops," but I'm definitely smelling some nice noble hops here. The first sip is cracking crisp and very dry, with a stiff bitterness. Definitely a hop-oriented taste, but not one you'd expect from a pale ale... an intriguing blend of floral and citrusy. The clean bitterness extends well into the aftertaste, washing each sip away nicely. At 5%, dry, and relatively light bodied, Third Coast Beer is like a crazy beer artist's interpretation of lawnmower beer - unique, delicious, and eminently drinkable. Wow.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2007 01:08:28 | More by PeatReek

GruvisHops

Indiana

4.35/5  rDev +23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: 12 oz. brown bottle. Heavy particulate floating in the golden body. 1/2" off white cap sits on top and leaves beautiful lace patterns. Very active carbonation.

S: Pale malt, citrus (lemon?), and grassy hops.

T: Grassy hops from the get go, but perfectly balanced by the malt bill with a very clean, dry finish. My feelings toward the flavor is bordering on love at this point.

M: Light-Medium.

D: Dangerously sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 01:27:12 | More by GruvisHops

ALESwhatCURESya

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hand it to Bell's on another great brew. The head on this was bigger than an elephant and there was a perfect citrus and hop aroma. There was a wonderful hoppy explosion that got sweeter as it warmed up in my mouth. This beer reminds me so much of SN Pale, but with a huge upgrade. Even my fiance that doesn't like beer enjoyed this one. I really think this one should have a higher rating than its current.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2004 00:02:48 | More by ALESwhatCURESya

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle-conditioned T.C.B. pours a hazy golden body beneath a short head of creamy white foam that holds well and leaves sheets of thin lace about the glass. The nose is mainly hoppy with a grassy, floral, and gently citrusy edge over a soft maltiness that's straightforwardly grainy - and the flavor is basically the same. The malt and hop flavors work well together with one supporting the other, and it's nicely balanced by a bold bitterness that leaves it refreshingly raspy-dry in the finish. It lingers... spicy, grassy, bitter... similar to a fresh German lager. It's basic, fresh, hoppy beer as I'd imagine beer was prior to the Volstead act of 1919.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2007 00:04:32 | More by NeroFiddled

jspruit

Denmark

4.3/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This sat in Ireland for almost two years before I drank it, so I didnt really know what to expect as far as quality.

Appearance
Poured a bit cloudy with some flakes, probably from sitting around for so long here without being refrigerated. Looks nice when settled though with a slight head.

Aroma
Smells nice, not too strong with a bit of hoppiness.

Taste
A bit musty (again probably from sitting around so long) with some citrus and hops. Went down nice and easy though.

Mouthfeel
Easy and light with plenty of flavor on the tongue.

Drinkability
Could drink this all night as it has plenty of taste, but not overwhelming.

This is definitely in my top 10 beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2007 14:07:02 | More by jspruit

websherpa

Montana

4.3/5  rDev +22.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Thanks ChadQuest for the extra!

Appearnance: The beer looks wonderful. Sometimes light beers don't seem to have much character but this is a rich golden yellow color. It's got considerable amount of clouding and a lot of suspended sediment. The head is just gorgerous on this. 2 finger pour with the lightest fluffiest head that stuck around for a while. Even if the beer sucks I don't care this looks beautiful.

Smell: Somewhat typical grain forward "light" beer. It smells refined, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Taste: What a great blonde. It's clean and refreshing. It's has a little citrus in it. It's not bitter though, this is more like a spritz of lemon zest rather than bitting into a lemon wedge.

Mouthfeel: Light, thin, and lots of carbonation which seems to work for it. Everything to be expected done very well.

Drinkability: I'll have another please... Seriously, at 4.8% and with how light and refreshing this is, a 6er in a night wouldn't be out of the question at all. I wish I had access to this in the summer after a fun day on the river. I know it's not a favorite style because it's not huge, but this beer deserves some praise.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 23:32:24 | More by websherpa

zerk

California

4.25/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy light gold with a persistent white head that leaves sheets of lace. Aroma is a mixture of bread and toasted malt notes, and some earthy and citrusy hops. Flavor begins slightly malty, some toasted cracker and yeast, with a large hop presence... earthy and citric hops add a lingering bitterness that is quite nice. Body is light and carbonation is medium, making this a very nice session ale for hopheads!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2004 19:07:39 | More by zerk

ngandhi

Illinois

4.22/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Wonderfully cloudy; it's about time some pale ales came with this much yeast! And it's not just there for effect.

On the nose, it adds a light banana note to what can otherwise be described as typically pale ale. Just a touch phenolic, but appropriate. There's no overpowering aroma hop in this beer -- no flashy Sierra Nevada-esque first impression. I've never been to Germany and haven't even, unfortunately, had many German ales, yet the smell of Third Coast Beer makes me long for the Rhineland.

Why, oh why has the Gestapo tortured this beer with its reviews? There is a three-fold balance here of medium body and character from the malts, sweetness and creaminess from the yeast (tons!), and lemon pepper from the hops. Though a tribute to Michigan and the Great Lakes, this tastes so very European and authentic. The finish is pleasantly bitter, long, but calm. Is that Saaz I'm tasting?!

Pale Ale is becoming an American tradition and, with such flavorful and charismatic hops as those on the West Coast, it's easy to forget what beer has been spiced with for so long. Some brewers use their hops to define their beer; I have long respected Bell's for being able to make just about any style of beer as good as anyone else while defining themselves with quality ingredients and thoughtful recipes (I think they're STILL working on the formula for the Brown Ale) instead of an overuse of any one, albeit delicious, thing.

Third Coast is a majestically balanced mix of sweet fruit, citrus, and spice -- everything I expect from this wonderful brewery.

Go Midwest, son. Go Midwest.

Relax, relax.
ng

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2003 00:35:38 | More by ngandhi

PatYoda

Colorado

4.22/5  rDev +20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Relatively cloudy gold even with a very careful pour. Head doesn't hold up too long. Smell is nice. Flowery, grassy hops and some biscuity bready malt. Taste is more of the same. Not quite as clean of a taste as I expect from a lager, a little muddled. But this example is 8 months old so that might be affecting it. Other than that the flavor was excellent though and the mouthfeel is nice and crisp. Bitter aftertaste is done just right as well, with some strong spiciness on the finish. Good example of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2005 01:27:05 | More by PatYoda

kmpitz2

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This beer pours a pale yellow color wtih a finger of head that falls to coat the beer. The nose is nice, with a spicey slightly sweet hop over a semi-orange seet malt. The flavor is nice as well. The hop is not something I can place, but I really like the crisp spiceyness it brings. There is a slight orangey sweetness. I like it. The feel is moderate with a lively carbonation. This is a very exciting APA for me. I really really do like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2005 02:42:59 | More by kmpitz2

lightindarkness

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a cloudy golden yellow with a fair amount of sediment. About 3/8" head, settling down to a thin layer of patchy foam, leaving some pretty good lace around the glass.

The initial smell is somewhat passive, with a bready aroma, some soft fruits like apricot, and a hint of the hops to come.

This beer's taste is a timeline of various flavors, beginning with a bready fullness, followed by some sweet pear, then interrupted by strong hops and bitterness, settling back down to some apricot at the finish, ending finally with a bready, soft yeast aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is good, with noticeable carbonation, refreshing body and flavor, and a fair amount of bitterness. Though the sediment is not detectable while drinking, the unfiltered nature of this beer leaves the sensation of a bready fullness, despite the otherwise light quality of this beer.

I think this beer is very drinkable, and satisfies a number of different personal cravings due to its complexity. The carbonation, overall taste, and particularly the aftertaste are very palatable in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2007 22:11:41 | More by lightindarkness

Gehrig

Illinois

4.18/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ah, my first review of Bell's since it was at long last re-introduced to Central Illinois after Bell's was shafted from a distributor's flap, pulling out instead of paying through the nose.

Third Coast Beer pours a clear golden body with two dense fingers of pillowy white froth atop. Dense rings of lacing and good duration impress me from the start. The nose is intriguing, for as I opened this, I got a hearty blast of roasted caramel malt. However, as the beer warms, it has a certain farmhouse aroma--quite divergent aromas. All are nice, however, though the initial roasted offering was somewhat of a teaser.

Good taste, nicely balanced beer between malt and hops. Rather than dueling for control, they intermingle very well. Definite farmhouse flavor, lemon and grapefruit, certainly fruity and smooth but with a nice, bold hops bite. I like the mouthfeel even more than the taste, a terrific admixture of smooth and a touch gritty.

This was quite a surprise, from the opening aroma blast to the final sip--not because it was delicious, but rather because this was one beer that one could not judge by its cover, so to speak. Delicious, subtly complex, and one that has a fixed position on my beer radar. Thank goodness Bell's in back in Central Illinois. Third Coast is very good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2009 19:48:30 | More by Gehrig

adamette

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Live review. Poured from the 12 oz. brown bottle that I purchased as a single at Save-On Tobacco & Beverage in Mentor, Ohio a few weeks ago for $1.66 into my Brewery Ommegang gold rimmed Westvleteren Style goblet. Batch 9476.

A Brief, thin white head over a blonde, translucent body with plenty of sediment floating about. Good look. 4.0

S Akin to a Witbier, I smell grainy goodness wafting up from a light smelling blonde ale. 3.5

T Background of a basic blonde ale with a peppery front (I assume from the grainy sediment) that is really quite tasty. 4.5

M That peppery taste provides a bit of an edge to this otherwise thin to moderate beer. Better than good feel for the style. I like a blonde ale with a bit of a bite. 4.5

D As the label suggests, it is truly quaffable. 4.0

Notes: I am happy with this beer that I have seen in stores everywhere around here and finally purchased for purposes of drinking and rating it here today.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2010 01:56:40 | More by adamette

carln26

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Deep mahogany in color and very clear, this beer was topped by a thick tan head that showed good retention. The nose has some bourbon, sherry a little caramel and a mild citrus finish, There is a bit of bread dough or yeast on the finish. The flavor is a nice melding of toffee/caramel sweetness that is accentuated by sherry notes. The citrus dissipates and is just a mild bitterness on the finish. This has the same velvet smooth mouth feel I expect from Larry Bell’s beers. Nice drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2005 22:16:37 | More by carln26

Upgrayedd

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

What a great session beer! I haven't figured out whether they use ale or lager yeast for this one, but it definately has a clean finish. The hop aroma and flavor are right on for this style. Did I detect a bit of Munich malt? Anyhow, this is a highly drinkable and straightforward brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2007 18:52:19 | More by Upgrayedd

DrainBamage

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a light golden color with light carbonation and a thin lace of head. The bottle had some floaties in it also. Smell is sweet with some fruitiness to it. Taste is almost identical to the flavor just a light more pronounced. Mouthfeel is smooth, but has a bitterness that seems to linger in the back of the throat. Normally I don't care for bitter aftertaste, but being a blonde ale it's quite pleasing. This is the first time reviewing this beer, but second time having it. If it wasn't for the floaties this would be an excellent beer all around. This still is an good beer that is one of the better blonde ales I've had.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2007 00:37:50 | More by DrainBamage

david131

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Pours a clear golden yellow with some floaters. The head is very nice and leaves some great lacing.

S- Sweet and malty, some honey and fruit. This smells really good on a warm spring night.

T- Sweet and malty with hints of honey and fruit. Not overly sweet, just a great, light blend of everything.

M- Perfect amount of carbonation and a nice crisp aftertaste.

D- I don't really know what to say, this makes a great warm weather beer and would be a kick ass session brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2008 04:04:53 | More by david131

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Clear gold with a bit of chill haze. Rocky white foam and lace.

S - Some floral hoppiness over a light malt body. Hint of grain and lemon.

T/M - Dry-ish and light bodied. Flavour is husky with a lemony hop. Clean, straightforward and well balanced.

D - Decent session beer. Clean, refreshing and eminently drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2008 04:29:39 | More by allergictomacros

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I'd only had this beer once before, and it was a mistake. I thought that I was buying Third Coast Old Ale, but, no, this was Third Coast BEER, which means "lager". Quite another thing, to say the least. I was put off by the appearance, never, ever, having encountered an unfiltered lager before and was discomfitted by, of all the damned things in the world, a Bell's Lager. Good Lord! Choke! Why, in the name of all that's holy?!?!
In this present day and time, I've become ever so wiser. I don't mind a cloudy lager, not when I know that it contains that delicious Bell's yeast strain, and, no, they're not stealing any sales from Crudweiser, but who is, without Super Bowl commercials?
Hazy yellow color, darker at the top, nearly clear at the bottom, with various and sundry floating things wending their way about, under a thick and fluffy white head.
Aroma is sweet, buttery, floral, perfumey, yeasty...never, ever, have I detected yeast in a lager aroma before! Bold hop presence on the palate, fresh and sparkling. Is it like a true pilsener? No, I'm convinced that they are in their own bag, and you've just got to dig it, baby!
A most unusual lager, you never, ever find this much flavor in a lager! Bold, bright, beautiful, tasty, zippy, zingy, clean, fresh, refreshing, with an unusually fruity finish, and without being troubled by darker flavors or too much body. It belongs in a class by itself!

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2003 00:27:57 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a hazy pale gold color with a thin white lace head. The aroma is great! It has a nice malty scent with a fruity yeast finish and some floral hop notes. The taste is good. It has a light pale malt flavor with a crisp, slightly bitter finish. It goes down smooth with excellent mouthfeel. It is a low bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a great American pale ale. It has awesome aroma and mouthfeel along with pretty damn good flavor ; a good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2004 22:40:31 | More by WesWes

orbitalr0x

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours from the bottle a quite nice cloudy sunshine yellow with a half inch head of creamy foam on top. A dusting of yeast specks on the bottom of the glass. Aromas of sweet pale malts and a slight lemon tone. Herbal citrusy hops are quite pronounced in the background and bring the aroma together nicely!

First sip brings a nice wave of sweet malty flavors, lemony and crisp as it rolls over the tongue. A loving blast of green, herbal spicy citric hop bitterness hits on the back of the palate and slightly lingers. Bready yeastiness throughout. Probably the best all malt lager I have had the opportunity to sample.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, crisp and refreshing. Perfect carbonation as it flows down the gullet. A wonderfully drinkable lager that could easily stand up to hot weather. The hop presence really adds to my enjoyment of this one. A great one to keep around in the warmer months.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2005 02:18:12 | More by orbitalr0x

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.13/5  rDev +17.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Lightly orangish goldenrod with an impressive static storm of fine yeast. I wish all breweries would bottle-condition their beer. The antique white crown has an attractive texture and is starting to lay down quite a bit of lace in small chunks and squiggles. This blonde is a looker!

The nose reminds me of summertime. It's simple, clean and brightly hoppy. Nothing but pale malt ensures that hops have the run of the aroma. A hint of lemon zest, along with a spicy, herbal vibe, makes me think Saaz at least. Maybe Hallertau as well, it's hard to say.

Third Coast Beer strikes me as a Czech pilsener more than an American blonde ale. The rear label calls it simply 'a golden beer'. Again, the malt bill contains nothing darker than pale (with some amount of pils malt, I'm guessing). Most blonde ales are sweeter than this, with an almost honey-like character, not crisp and clean and European hoppy like this one.

I love the fact that the beer is balanced, even though hops are clearly in control. I also love the fact that the flavor profile is straightforward and... here comes that word again... clean. Are we sure this isn't a lager. Drinkability is high and should be insanely high during the hottest months of the year.

The mouthfeel is appropriately light, while maintaining an underlying suppleness that keeps things from falling apart on the finish. I don't usually like a whole lot of carbonation, but a few more bubbles might be advisable in this case.

I've seen Third Coast Beer any number of times during trips back to Ohio, but it has always been past its prime. That is, old Third Coast ale, not Third Coast Old Ale. This time I got lucky and found a relatively fresh bottle. Why doesn't this stuff get more love?

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2007 20:50:49 | More by BuckeyeNation