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

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

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

nick_asian

Nevada

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

05-19-2013 07:14:09 | More by nick_asian

ystazi

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

05-15-2013 02:04:43 | More by ystazi

MystikCelt

New York

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

04-30-2013 05:32:07 | More by MystikCelt

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

muchloveforhops3

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

04-16-2013 03:16:13 | More by muchloveforhops3

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

04-14-2013 21:13:42 | More by bcostner1

Bakker

Illinois

4/5  rDev -1.7%

04-11-2013 02:07:47 | More by Bakker

Pecan

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

04-08-2013 22:59:28 | More by Pecan

cfh64

Texas

4/5  rDev -1.7%

03-25-2013 01:05:33 | More by cfh64

Sparky44

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-24-2013 20:50:23 | More by Sparky44

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-24-2013 11:15:46 | More by RedneckBeerz

tobelerone

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -1.7%

03-10-2013 23:52:26 | More by tobelerone

reverbking

California

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

03-05-2013 06:32:55 | More by reverbking

impending

California

3.5/5  rDev -14%

03-05-2013 06:30:44 | More by impending

Seaba

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +4.4%

02-28-2013 19:17:22 | More by Seaba

pathman

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%

02-16-2013 19:59:52 | More by pathman

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

Gonzoillini

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%

02-02-2013 05:38:21 | More by Gonzoillini

DmanGTR

New York

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

01-29-2013 14:52:30 | More by DmanGTR

CORKSCREWFISH

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

01-27-2013 06:04:12 | More by CORKSCREWFISH

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

Brew33

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -7.9%

01-22-2013 19:15:04 | More by Brew33

hopmopped

New Hampshire

4.75/5  rDev +16.7%

01-21-2013 21:20:47 | More by hopmopped