J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados Cask) - J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd

Greywulfken

New York

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2006 bottling

A: murky brown ale, no head, in a large snifter - sediment slips in quickly, so be careful if you want to avoid - doesn't impact flavor, but looks a little unappealing

S: apples, caramel, toffee

T: caramel apples, some suggestion of spice; very sweet

M: smooth, slight stickiness, no bitterness, no carbonation

O: worth the buy, but not as stunning as I'd hoped - very sweet, very slick, apple predominant on the nose an on the palate - invisible alcohol content

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 16:09:12 | More by Greywulfken

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.76/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A 2011 Vintage on tap.

A - Pours a murky amber orange color with a light but heavy looking dark cream colored head.

S - Apples, cinnamon, tart, brandy, slight sugary aroma, brown sugar, light toffee/caramel, and the high ABV is pretty well hidden in the aroma. However, this beer smells nothing like a Barleywine and really takes on the character of the barrel it was aged in (with a vengeance).

T - Apples, pears, apricots, light butterscotch, brandy, figs, raisons, toffee, light oak, and some vanilla.

M - Silky smooth with no carbonation and lightly sticky.

O - I would enjoy it more if it were called something else, resembles the cask it was aged in ather than a barley. However, in it's favor, it's insanely complex.

Serving type: on-tap

05-22-2013 00:39:04 | More by jzeilinger

BrownNut

Florida

3.79/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It's flat despite my most aggressive pour ever. Smells and tastes pretty woody and sort of reminiscent of port. It tastes malty and is fine but is missing something, is missing life or soul or body or complexity. The residual warmth at the end is welcome but doesn't save it.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 04:25:03 | More by BrownNut

MadScientist

New York

4.31/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: A medium amber with a deep orange hue and good clarity. The are only a few bubbles that quickly fade leaving a swirl of tiny, hardly there bubbles floating around the beer.

S: There is that rich malt of a barley wine with a sharp oak and brandy aroma. There is a light bit of an aroma that reminds me of a hard cider. The alcohol is soft and some what floral. There is a light bit of the rasin aroma in a Barleywine but not as much as most usually have.

T: Malty and sweet with a moderate oak flavor that bring a fair amount of vanilla and a touch of cinnamon flavors. The calvados becomes a bit more evident in the finish as the malt goes away leaving the alcohol warmth to mingle with the apple-brandy notes. There isn't much in the the way of hops flavors and just a light hops bitterness. The balance is strong towards the malt sweetness and the finish is sweet as well.

M: Medium-full bodied with moderately-light carbonation. moderate creaminess and moderately-strong alcohol warmth.

O: A strong Barleywine with a lot of sweetness that is checked by the alcohol more than the hops.
Brewed in 2007

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 02:06:59 | More by MadScientist

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.39/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Mine's a 2004 bottle.

A: Dark brown with a bit of copper, exactly the same colour as the bottle. Absolutely no head but some brown bubbles linger around the sides.

S: Sickly cough medicine smell like all the others from this range.

T: A fruity bitterness like that from grapefruit or orange rind. Cointreau is the predominant flavour (you might even say it tastes of cough syrup, albeit, a damned fine one). Lovely solvent alcohol. Overwhelmingly sweet. A bit of dry, non-spicy woodyness too, which I assume is the flavour of the calvados cask. Unfortunately I've not perceived any of the apple that the other reviewers have noted.

M: Unsurprisingly sticky. Almost no carbonation in this one apart from a small sensation at the back.

O: Classy stuff, not something you'd drink in the pub.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 13:19:49 | More by Hoppsbabo

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.54/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

275ml bottle 11,5% Abv.
Served lightly chilled in an over sized wine glass.
2003 Vintage

A big thanks to JAXSON for this bottle.

Appearance: The calvados version of JW Lees appears a deep brown in the glass, with a back light showing the beer to in fact be a deep orangey-red with amber highlights and golden edges. A rough pour yields a thin layer of beige foam that lasts reasonably well and a swirl coats the glass in heavy alcohol legs.

Smell: The initial nose is absolutely fantastic, with big buttery caramel notes, brown sugar and sweet fruits (cooked apples, raisins and figs) dominating. The apple brandy is noted, but at this point one needs to strain to tell that it is calvados and not just standard brandy. As the beer begins to warm, the nose makes a swift change, with a fair amount of oxidzation becoming apparent, alongside molasses, dark treacle and even a hint of marmite. The oxidization is no where near as unpleasant as in many other older beers I have had, but it does detract somewhat from the deliciousness of the initial nose.

Taste: Thankfully the oxidization that was present in the nose is almost completely absent in the flavour, making this just about as delicious as I expected. Sweet buttery caramel, brown sugar and brandy soaked raisins dominate the flavour, with cooked apples, figs, toffee, a little molasses, a touch of vanilla and some oak also present. Superb alcohol cover, there is almost no trace of the 11,5%.

Mouthfeel: Perfect - I really wish every brewer who wants to make a barleywine would go out and a buy a bottle of JW Lees and then try to recreate the mouthfeel!
Full bodied, oily and lightly sticky; with a low level of velvety smooth carbonation.

Overall: I wish I could have had this bottle a year or two ago before the oxidization became noticeable in the nose; that said, it is still a fantastic beer and one I hope to have again!

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 08:13:00 | More by Thehuntmaster

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.01/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

I usually don't review beers like this but when I found a bottle of this for 5 bucks at the House of 1,000 beers I had to pick it up. Comes to around 50 cents an ounce so hopefully it's worth it.

A - Flaky sediment from the whole bottle pour into my pint glass. Head was around a 1/4 inch but quickly fizzed to a mild lace ring. Lacing is rather sticky though which is a surprise and the beer itself is a hazy with sediment, deep brown.

S - Wow I never had a beer smell like straight up apple brandy before. I am getting a sweet bit of caramel under the mix but damn does that ABV smell strong.

T - A lot better than the smell their is a ton going on here. Starts with faded apple brandy notes but quickly is that moved to apple sauce sweetness, some bread and a slightly oxidized finish. Has the burn but really smooth and at times the sweetness is like a fresh sugar daddy or toffee popcorn.

M - As heavy as it gets this beer is a true sipper almost choking with a bit of alcoholic sting. I am quite amazed though given the ABV it's almost a liquor.

Overall it's quite an experience and totally worth the price of admission. Even though it's not like most barleywine it's still quite tasty. Worth picking up for 12 bucks though (retail)? Hell no

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 00:12:41 | More by DrDemento456

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

$12.00 for the 274mL bottle, served in a mini snifter
2009 Vintage, Sampled 30SEP12

[A] A swift pour grows a small off-white head that barely covers the surface of the beer. Some sediment snuck in at the end of the pour, so the semi still body - opaque and orange burgundy in appearance - might be a little hazier than normal. Chunks of yeast floaties collects along the curve of the glass. No lacing.

[S] The Calvados cask is at the forefront of the nose. A gentle but clean alcoholic sting permeates the nostrils. Brandy macerated apples and apricots. Buttery caramel, strong toffee, light butterscotch. Overly toasted popcorn.

[T] Home made applesauce, bordering on cider. Dried apricots reconstituted with aged brandy. Just a hint of toasted walnut on the finish, slathered in butter and rendered caramel.

[M] Supple and unbelievably smooth. Thick and viscous but doesn't linger on the tongue. Carbonation is very low and is absolutely perfect for the style and flavor profile.

[O] A fantastic barleywine that goes from 'very good' at cellar temp to 'unbelievable' at room temperature.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 15:24:28 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

fdig23

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tiny bottle.

Appearance: Cloudy copper with a small white head.

Nose: Very apple-y. A combination of mushy rotten apple, apple juice, and candied caramel apple aromas. There's a bready note underneath all the fruit.

Taste: Apple juice, toasted bread, caramel and a bit of caramelized sugar sweetness. The apple flavors make for a funky pairing with the traditional bready malts and caramel of the barleywine. Finishes with a lingering apple flavor and lots of caramel.

Mouthfeel: medium-bodied and decent carbonation.

Overall: A really interesting beer. The Calvados flavor almost makes it feel like some Brett is present thanks to the rotten apple notes it imparts. Glad I tried it but definitely won't pay that much for a tiny bottle again.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 16:41:27 | More by fdig23

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2006, Aged 6 years
275ml bottled poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Murky copper with absolutely no head to speak of. Tons of sediment floating around.

Nose
Rum raisin, apple cinnamon, dates, fig, molasses, toffee and caramel. A subtle whiff of vanilla and oak.

Taste
Rum raisin, apple cinnamon and tons of dark fruits ranging from dates, figs and the aforementioned raisin. Loads of molasses. Maple syrup, toffee, caramel candy cubes and tobacco. Slight kiss of oak and vanilla on the finish as well as a touch of old book or musty cellar.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, syrupy, smooth and warming.

Overall
Incredibly sweet and incredibly smooth. Extremely complex and unique. Absolutely no hint of the 11.5% abv. I will certainly be trying some other barrels.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 19:07:00 | More by justintcoons

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2006. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- pours a dirty, dark caramel with almost no head. Small bubbles form on the edge of the glass.

S- toffee, dark fruits, tobacco, brown sugar, some alcohol.

T- earthy malts, sweet toffee, dark fruits, Worcestershire sauce, and some weird alcohol flavor (don't know what Calvados tastes like).

M- full body, low carbonation. Very thick and syrupy, but not a lot of noticeable alcohol.

O- like their regular version better, but this is still a very good Barleywine. The Worcestershire sauce taste throws this whole beer off for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 04:31:38 | More by kawilliams81

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Trappeze. Poured into a Southern Tier tulip. White head, oily slick lacing. Bright , golden/coppery body. Aroma is over ripe mango, vanilla and alcohol. Taste is suprisingly not hot, nice malt sweetness, mango, Swedish fish, and vanilla in the background. Very smooth to drink for the abv, no doubt the calvados has completely muted the alcohol from the taste completely. Awesome.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 03:48:15 | More by KickbacksSteve

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Gulden Draak tulip. 2008 vintage. Pours a dark, murky caramel amber with a half finger off-white head with decent retention and light lacing. A somewhat too aggressive pour left dark yeast chunks at the bottom of the glass. Inviting aroma of sweet caramel malt, toffee and alcohol. Flavor is caramel, intense apple juice, dark dried fruit, hint of vanilla. Quite sweet, but the intensity of flavor makes this very drinkable. Medium to heavy bodied, just short of syrupy. Delicious apple flavors in this classic English barleywine. Too drinkable for its 11% ABV. I will have to age a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2012 03:33:33 | More by LiquidAmber

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, burgundy color with a small, tan head of bubbly foam. It left sudsy trails of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled of whiskey notes with some sweet caramel notes.

T - Good oak and vanilla flavors with a kiss of whiskey. Good sweet maltiness with a touch of caramel.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium bodied ale with a dry clean finish.

O - This was really good. I preferred this one to an '08 bottle that was not aged in any barrels.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 01:22:50 | More by zeff80

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

275 mL bottle poured into a Kuhnhenn snifter. 2006 vintage.

Appearance - Pours a dark amber. Clear with no head and just the slightest hint of some bubbles on the surface. I stopped it before the chunks started to flow, at least.

Smell - Sweet apples and raisins. Like regular Harvest with apples. Sweet smelling. Maybe a little less complex.

Taste - I thought the calvados would intensify the sweetness, but it seems to cut it nicely. Huge dark fruit and caramel presence. Raisins and calvados. A touch of vanilla and oxidation to it. Apples and an earthy bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Syrupy and nearly flat. It doesn't matter a whole lot, though. It's still pleasant to drink.

Overall - An improvement over the base. Anything that distracts from the sugar is a welcome. Maybe it's the age that makes it seem less sweet. I'm not sure.

Serving type: bottle

09-21-2012 01:28:58 | More by Alieniloquium

metter98

New York

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is very hazy amber orange in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high dense beige head that quickly died down, leaving a thin film of bubbles on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: The nose has aromas of caramel and toffee in the nose along with some hints of alcohol from the apple brandy.
T: The taste is similar to the smell but is a bit more complex, having notes of calvados and hints of brown sugar flavors. There is some malty sweetness, although this isn’t cloying.
M: It feels a bit shy of full-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation with some warming from the alcohol.
O: This is a nice dessert beer to sip, and it seems a bit easier to drink compared to the sherry version because the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Note: 2011 vintage

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 03:13:54 | More by metter98

Dope

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009 bottle.

A: A super murky rusty reddish-brown. Just the smallest tan head that fades almost instantly. Almost no lacing at all.

S: Very strong, fruity and sweet. Loaded with apple, cherries, figs and raisin. Molasses and caramel break through as well. A little grape in there and finally a bit of toffee. Boozy and sharp.

T: Syrupy thick molasses. Overpoweringly sweet. Like drinking pure molasses syrup. A bit of toffee and brown sugar throughout. Stinging brandy on the back end barely manages to cut through it at all. Huge lingering molasses and toffee in the aftertaste.

M: Pure syrup. Super heavy. Low carbonation.

O: A pretty insane English style barleywine. The brandy helps cut the syrup but at the same time I feel like it lost a lot of complexity of the normal non-barrel aged version.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 01:53:17 | More by Dope

Etan

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Nip bottle into a snifter. 2006 vintage.

A: Pours a cloudy prunish brown with a pathetic, quick-dying head of coarse white bubbles.

S: Smells heavily of brown sugar and hot figs. Syrupy to say the least.

T: Thick raisin and grape notes dominate the taste, followed by a brief note of earthy stale grain.

M: Thick and almost still, with a tiny gasp of carbonation at the beginning.

O: Not very pleasant to drink. Horrible appearance and mouthfeel and tastes mostly like brandy. Might as well buy a bottle of Calvados.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 03:25:43 | More by Etan

AaronHomoya

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle of the 2004 vintage, cellared and opened in 2012.

Appearance was a very dark ruby, brown color. Not black at all, but dark brown with a bright red tint that would show through light. Very little head, as expected with this style and age. Very little carbonation left.

Smell was full of big raisin and dark fruit aroma. Sweet and rich. The flavor was similar, but much more complex. Toffee, lightly roasted malt and a bit of chocolate follow the raisiny opening. Finish is actually rather bright and clean. Yummy.

The mouthfeel is a bit syrupy of course, and it would have been nice to have more carbonation, but that's again to be expected especially with the age.

Really nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 13:33:08 | More by AaronHomoya

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy orange-brown color with a touch of bubbly white head atop. The head fades down very quickly leaving behind barely any lace.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet toffee and caramel malts with lots of brown sugar, vanilla, oak, apple, bit of dark fruit, caramelized sugars, and booze.

T - Starts off with a mix of rich sweet toffee and caramel malts with some brown sugar, vanilla, and apple. Through the middle, some more oak and sweet apple and brown sugar comes through with some raisin and dark fruits. The finish is a mix of sweet toffee and apple, with some vanilla, oak, brown sugar, and caramelized malts, and booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. The Calvados adds some nice fruity sweetness on top of the base beer and the overall beer is nice and bold but stays fairly balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 04:41:39 | More by ngeunit1

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Yes boys and girls... on tap at Max's today (not cask).

The beer pours a reddish amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is attractive, as I pick up considerable brown sugar, orange slices, cherry cough drop and apple brandy. The nose replicates the nose in this sweet beer, and I have to say the sweetness wears on me a bit after a while. Still, the flavor combination is excellent as always, and the calvados adds an interesting flavor dimension. Mouthfeel is fairly full, with a long, sweet finish. Alcohol is pretty well integrated into the flavort profile, though you can tell it's up there a bit.

An excellent BW from JW Lee's, which is to be expected. Not sure it's such a great idea to feature it during the summer in Baltimore (they had three different versions in fact, and they did not seem to be moving), but regardless, this is another very good BW from this excellent brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 19:56:51 | More by johnmichaelsen

sleuthdog

Illinois

3.85/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2009 9.3 oz bottle poured into tulip

A: Poured a light brown to off orange in color with about one finger size off white head. The color reminds me of copper. I have now poured this about 5 minutes ago and continue to see tiny bubbles rise along the side of the glass. There are a ton of white floating particles in this beer. Think snow globe with a murky colored liquid.

S: Big time smell of caramel and brown sugar. This one is a very sweet smelling beer. I also pick up toffee and some oak characteristics along with some fig and apples. It also has a pretty distinct aroma of alcohol in between all the other notes described.

T: Very sweet is my first impression. I get molasses, brown sugar, toffee and really sweet apples. This is a one dimensional tasting beer as it is very sweet, IMO. Candied apples is what is coming to mind for me. Holy sweet!

M: Syrupy and sweet notes linger forever in the mouth. No alcohol burn to speak of. Rather thick but I wonder if that is just because of how sticky this beer feels. This is a pleasant beer in the mouth.

O: I don't know what I was expecting with this beer but the sweetness most definitately took me by surprise. This was rather easy for me to get through the entire bottle even though it is so sweet like candy.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 01:57:28 | More by sleuthdog

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

vintage 2009 poured into Duvel tulip glass.

Appearance: murky brownish orange bodied beer with lots of white floaties. Whispy and thin cap of white head that drops to not head at all.

Smell: malty, boozey, oak, and smokey/salty bacon.

Taste: Brown sugar and grainy malts. Brandy and apples, but this beer is really sweet. Midpalate is salty and bacony smoke, just like the nose. Finish is really sweet and also has a bitter kick that seems to me as an out of place flavor because this beer is so sweet. Doesnt compliment the sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Its a full bodied beer with low carbonation levels. This beer is more like a beer syrup than a beer.

Overall: The beer is just too sweet to me even for an English barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 03:55:17 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2009 Vintage

A-orangish with tons of sediment and a little head.

S-sweet candi sugar, dates and figs. hint of apples and some oakiness.

T-very similiar to the smell. Add some sweet saltiness to the mixture and some pure fukin heavon and thats it!!

M-medium to full body.

o-my new favorite with any vintage. I have 2000 to 2009 now and all are stellar!!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 02:57:06 | More by danedelman

Immortale25

Florida

4.44/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Southern Tier tulip-style snifter. Label says brewed in 2008.

A- Pours a brown color with a 1/4 inch off-white head that doesn't retain much before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and spotty surface foam. Spackled lacing and obvious bits of sediment suspended in the body.

S- Very sharp aroma of oak, sweet malt and whiskey. Raisin-like with caramel notes.

T- Initial jolt of sweetness and alcohol soon subsides to a smooth aftertaste where more notes of oak and raisin preside. Hops play a strong role, providing a decent amount of bitterness to back up the grainy sweetness. Rich and sherry-esque.

M- Assertive with a lingering alcohol bite. Also syrupy and a bit dry on the finish. Low carbonation.

O- Celebrating my 300th review with a doozy. A top-notch barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2012 02:16:23 | More by Immortale25