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

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An interesting malty, slightly sour barleywine. Pours cloudy orangey with little head. Above average mouthfeel. A fine glass with or after a meal as you would a fortified wine. A bit drying.Alcohol and citrus and port aroma. ABove average for the style.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2008 04:25:38 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2003 vintage. Polished apricot that is as clear as the proverbial bell. A vigorous pour has produced a good-sized crown of firm creaminess that is midway between ecru and ivory. Very little lace isn't surprising and doesn't detract too much.

It's probably nothing more than an overactive imagination, but the apple quality of the Calvados is appreciated in the aroma (Calvados is an apple brandy from the Normandy region of France). The beer also smells sweet and a trifle woody. For some reason, the noses on these cask-aged versions never really knock me out.

The flavor is another matter entirely. I don't care what sort of barrels or casks you age it in, this is a fantastic English barleywine... that I need to review again because I probably didn't give it (the standard Harvest Ale) a fair shake.

While newer vintages are all over the place, don't worry a bit about the '03 if that's all you see. It's still fantastic and should last several more years at least. Time has smoothed and shaped and melded and done all sorts of good things that are evident with each eagerly anticipated sip.

Be prepared for some sugary sweetness. It's easily tolerated, though, especially since the bottle only holds 275 ml. That isn't much beer for $6.99, but it's worth it for an occasional treat, especially when the beer is this incredibly delicious. Which one you buy depends on whether you prefer sherry, port, brandy or Scotch whiskey. What the hell... try them all!

This is one of the fruitiest barleywines you'll ever drink. Specifics: apricots, peaches and apples swimming in candi sugar syrup. There's some amount of countering bitterness and the alcohol cuts through the sugars nicely as well. Butter caramel and wood make me think of an aged bourbon, although the beer tastes nothing like that particular spirit.

As always, the mouthfeel is all kinds of glorious, especially if you like them full and chewy. It could hardly be otherwise with so much malt and so many sugars. The bubbles, even though few and far between, keep the beer inflated and expansive in the mouth rather than flat and sticky.

J.W. Lee's Harvest Ale (Calvados Cask) is the third member of this barrel-aged series that I've reviewed, and is the third gobsmacker of an English barleywine. Despite the expense, multiple bottles are purchased whenever I see them. They're incredibly good and they hold up ridiculously well. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2009 15:00:24 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.65/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I grabbed this bottle when I was in florida. A 2007 vintage it was still a bit fresh but this one was drinking wonderfully. Served at cellar temp and poured into a snifter this one was consumed on 04/23/09.

The pour was very nice and pretty spot on for the style I have to admit. Rich caramel in color with great clarity and a smooth soft and creamy head of white. Rich toffee and caramel just dominated the aroma. Huge sweetness here with a touch of light fruit notes that came up as it warmed. Rich flavor as well. Very sweet with loads of caramel, toffee, and sweet candied sugar notes. Alcohol was very mellow even at this young age.

Overall a very solid beer and one of the best representations od the style I have had. I will be picking this up whenever I run into it for sure.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2009 02:35:16 | More by mikesgroove

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.28/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes.

Poured into a snifter. The body is a fairly-bright, yet still murky, orangish color with a thin light head that persists for a bit of time before fading. The nose brings a good dose of booze and the brandy comes through quite well. There is a bit of caramel and toffee plus some light fruits. The taste is just a bit boozy and also has a tiny bit of astringency. Feel is a bit boozy with a nice body. Overall, not nearly as good as the original.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2010 02:54:31 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Crystal clear, honey-colored body topped with a white frothy head that quickly dissipated to a few random bubbles.

Smell: Very appealing. Fresh apple juice is trenchant with honeysuckle, wood, toffee, and a splash of alcohol.

Taste: Opens distinctly malty-sweet and couples nicely with the lively, electric flavor of apple brandy. The rich, dark fruit flavors from the standard Harvest Ale are apparent. Also, a touch of spice. A bright acidity and leafy hop taste help to balance. If you can drink this beer without at least getting a little sense of joy, you are a cold, unfeeling monster. No offense.

Mouthfeel: Full-bodied. The smooth, lush mouthfeel, is nicely accentuated by the fine carbonation.

Drinkability: Truly a sipper, but a good one. When you finish the beer and set down the empty glass with shaky hands and a dopey grin on your face, that means its a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2006 00:15:19 | More by ChainGangGuy

brentk56

North Carolina

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Brewed in 2006; tasted in 2010

Appearance: Pours a rather hazy caramel color with neither head nor carbonation

Smell: Caramel and a bowl of mixed fruit - apricots, pears and, of course, apples

Taste: The caramel and fruit flavors blend together from the start, though the wood and the apple brandy elements take over at mid-palate; after the swallow, there is a depth of earthy character that joins the fruit flavor to keep the sweetness in check; serious apple cider elements in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Full bodied but flat

Drinkability: More like a liqueur than a beer, this is an interesting beer but the lack of carbonation reduces it to a sipper that is hard to finish (As the other beers in this series have been much more rewarding, I will need to re-visit this one with a bottle procured from another source.)

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2010 01:15:54 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2004 vintage bottle courtesy of Kryptic drank in 2008: Poured a cloudy brown color ale with a small foamy head with light retention and some very minimal lacing. Aroma consists of sweet malt with some light ester of apples which are really well integrated in the beer. Taste is a nice mix between a sweet rich malt base with some nice apples ester coming from the Calvados. Full body with limited filtration with some low carbonation and no alcohol notes. The Calvados is really well integrated with the regular beer and does not clash or completely take over - really well done.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 19:09:23 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.5/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The last in the series of cask conditioned J.W. Lees. This one lands close to the Port wine cask with it's sweetness, viscocity, and complexity. The alchohols are amplified by a rum-like sweetness and power. The flavors swirl around fruit cake ingredients: candied fruits (especially cherries) while throwing in peaches, pears, apples, raisons, nuts, and berries. Deeply sweet and rooted in a rum-cake maltiness and breadiness. Lightly boozy and modestly efforvescent. Finishes with a long, lingering sweetness. For me this one ranks second in the series; right behind the port cask.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2007 03:35:10 | More by BEERchitect

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.72/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Calvados is one of the best kept secrets in the world of fine spirits, and therefore an introduction may be needed. It's an apple brandy, distilled at least twice from a dry cider that's made from special varieties of apples. It's always aged in French Oak barrels, and then blended and bottled for sale. This special version of the Lee's Harvest Ale has been aged in those casks!

It pours a clear (it's been filtered), medium-amber body with a full head of frothy white that drops slowly but leaves little lace. The nose is malty with some wood and a mild vinous character (but that might just be the alcohol). It's creamy and smooth in the mouth with a restrained, fine-bubbled carbonation and full body. The flavor is intense, and it's almost too much to take in all at once. This is surely a sipper! Some apple from the Calvados does carry through (cold, it appears almost grape-like), but mainly it's the sweeter brandy (sugar/alcohol) that comes through. It finiishes surprisingly drying given the huge amount of sugar there, but its underlying bitterness and alcohol help with that. Very nicely done!

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2005 22:48:17 | More by NeroFiddled

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

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

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2003 Vintage, Sampled January 2005
Pours a brilliantly clear full copper color, it is topped by a very thin pale head and is actually fairly well carbonated. The aroma is thick with alcohol as well as notes of thick chewy malt, and perhaps a hint of cidery apple in the finish. Actually the apple aroma slowly builds over time. This is a thick viscous brew, it is lightly sweet up front and almost light as it first hits the tip of my tongue. As it flows across my mouth it becomes quite full and thick. The apple notes from the calvados cask are certainly here, though they are a bit restrained, and really become full in the finish. This beer is quite malty as well, almost caramel-like in its malty sweetness. There is a certain soft butteriness to this beer, perhaps some hints of vanilla, and a soft hop bitterness in the finish, which helps to make the sweetness more palatable. This is a pretty tasty beer, though the Calvados casks are not overwhelming, and if I did not now in advance of it, I would have assumed that the apple notes were just a normal part of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2005 04:31:14 | More by Gueuzedude

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This was the first one of the four that I tried. This brew poured out as a thick looking amberish orange color. The head was only visible for a minute or so. The smell of the beer is full of fresh wooden aromas, sweet malts and booze. The taste of the beer is a little earthy, with plenty of wooden sweetness. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy. Overall this brew is very big despite the smaller bottle. These could be sold at 8.5oz and they'd be plenty big. Worth trying for sure. Very nice stuff.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2011 00:33:12 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.93/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

2006 vintage pours orangey/brown with a bit of sand colored head. Minimal head retention & lacing

S: Raisins, dark candi, charred toffee & oak

T: Boozey raisins, tropical fruit, dryness & more booze up front. Charred toffee, pineapple, oak & vanilla as this warms. Finishes dry, with more toffee, booze infused apples & raisins

MF: Syruppy with minimal carbonation, too hot booze-wise

Not a huge fan of calvados, liked the Norman Cider better. This one just drank pretty slow between the complexity & hotness

Maybe age this a few more years & you'll have something

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2008 06:06:50 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.83/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

9.3 oz. bottle, 2008 Edition

A: Pours brown with a soft white head, nice looking, nothing special.

S: Sweet English malt, caramel and apple cider. Like the best apple pie you ever smelled.

T: Delicious, simply delicious. Caramel malt, good amount of residual sugar in there. Maple syrup type notes, hints of wood and the true green apple/Calvados just brings it all together. The flavours are just beautifully integrated, this is why I love English Barleywine.

M: Gorgeous full-bodied mouthfeel, silky easy smoothness, soft carbonation.

D: If one can not tell already, I loved this beer. Everything came together on this one. Wish I had more to age, but I don't think I'd be able to keep my hands off them. Grab a wedge of Stilton and go to heaven.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2010 05:07:39 | More by Halcyondays

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a 2005 bottle of Calvados. Previously, I reviewed a 2004 bottle.

A: The barleywine is a amber orange color with no head and little carbonation.

S: The nose is very sweet malts with a hint of buttery oak.

T: The taste is very malty and punctuated by sugary sweetness. It is oaky and chardonnay-like with a very dry appley finish. Hops are an afterthought, as the malts and calvados have done well flavor-wise.

M: The mouthfeel is both sweet and sharp, allowing appley liquor hints to emerge.

D: This ale seems to do a bit better when fresh (vs an '04 that I tried a few weeks back), but you still can only handle one at a time.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2006 01:19:13 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On gravity cask at the Ginger Man. As expected it came out a hazy red without a head or carbonation. There was a big caramel apple pie aroma with slight hints of oxidation (not detrimental). The calvados imparts an earthy fruit charcter that blends nicely with the rich caramel malt and hint of peppery hops. My only complaint was that the mouthfeel was a liitle grainy at the end, like there were bits if trub or something from the bottom of the cask.

Serving type: cask

02-06-2011 01:13:24 | More by tempest

Wasatch

Utah

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

9.3oz. Bottle
2006 Vintage

Poured into a chalice a very nice cloudy light brown color, nice carbonation, nice little fizzy off-white head, with some sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, sweet, with some nice oaky notes. The taste is sweet, malty, with some oak notes. Medium body. Very drinkable, this is one fine brew, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2009 00:42:08 | More by Wasatch

jdhilt

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a three finger cream head that fades slowly to a thin ring leaving some lace. Cloudy amber color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Strong molasses nose. Flavor is sweet molasses and caramel, slightly cloying. Sweet alcohol finish, nice ale but must be drunk sloooowly. $6.99 for a 275ml bottle from John's Grocery Iowa City, Ia. Brewed 2004.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2007 22:20:29 | More by jdhilt

rhoadsrage

Illinois

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

(Served in a snifter)

A-This beer pours a clear light mahogany body with a gentle carbonation and a thin ring of tan head.

S- The smells of toasted malt, brown sugar and a bit of dried fruit with a nice hint of apples.

T- This beer has a sweet light taste with the hint of calvados. The maltyness is very light caramel and very sweet and light.

M- This has a full mouthfeel with a slight alcohol warmth that you only notice when you exhale. No fizz or alcohol heat.

D- This is a very interesting barley wine. I think it was made to be light and sweet to compliment the aging in calvados casks. Very nice beer with a very interesting twist.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2005 04:32:24 | More by rhoadsrage

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 01/16/11 notes. Tried this after trying the normal JW Lees Harvest, vintages of 1998, 2001, and 2004. This Calvados vintage was 2003.

a - Pours a reddish mahogany brown color with less than an inch of head and light carbonation evident.

s - Smells of caramel malts, apples, brandy, oak, dark fruits, molasses, and alcohol.

t - Tastes of apple brandy, caramel malts, oak, and fruity malts.

m - Medium body and low carbonation.

d - I found the 3 normal vintages very sweet and hard to drink a lot of, but the apple brandy barrels definitely smoothed this one out and made it easier to drink. Would have again but might have to split a bottle with someone.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 02:19:35 | More by mdfb79

ppoitras

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

9.3oz bottle from Vienna Whole Foods, Vienna, VA.

Poured into a Rapscallion snifter, formed a 1/8" head over the clear copper brew, with slight lacing. Slightly sweet malt aroma initially, quickly overpowered by alcohol notes. Taste is of sweet malts up front, then the alcohol takes over, seeming to evaporate in the back of your mouth, but in the nicest possible manner. Slight fruit tones, but they do not shine in comparison to the other two powerful aspects of this brew. Mouthfeel and drinkability are great for the style. Way better than that scary Lagavulin cask stuff...

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2004 02:44:38 | More by ppoitras

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

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

12 oz bottle, big thanks to grub for sharing.

Slightly clouded reddish amber, nice red hue, medium, thick light tan head form, drops a ton of lace spots on the glass, and settles to a thick ring and light layer, looks nice. Smell is sweet, lots of toffee and molasses, oak, dark fruits, raisins, rum, alcohol, figs, very rich, apples, Calvados comes through a bit soft. Taste is similar, sweet toffee and brown sugar, very malty, lots of sweetness, light bit of oak, some Calvados, but mostly a fruity sweetness, some oak, rum and raisins, not bad, alcohol is very well hidden. Mouthfeel is full bodied, almost syrupy with low carbonation, smooth and drinkable if on the sweet side. Sugary, wouldn't be able to drink a lot of but its a nice sipper, thanks Russ!

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2008 02:05:49 | More by Viggo

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

glid02

Georgia

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle purchased from Green's on Ponce in Atlanta.

Pours a slightly hazy dark copper color with a half-finger cream-colored head. The head recedes into a patchy layer on top leaving light lacing but decent legs.

Smells of sweet (almost too sweet) caramel malts with hints of vanilla and medium fruit undertones.

Tastes good. Sweet and sticky caramel malt flavors up front run the show and are joined periodically by medium fruit flavors. Also underlying it all is a mild earthiness that keeps the malt sweetness from being over the top. The ending is decidedly sweet.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a smooth thickness with soft carbonation.

Drinkability is good. I split the bottle but could polish one off myself.

Overall I have to be honest and say I didn't know what Calvados was and couldn't tell 100% from the beer however now it makes perfect sense. The third one I've had (besides Laguvalin and Port) and my least favorite, but even so it's still a good beer and worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2009 05:46:03 | More by glid02