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

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Vintage 2009

Pours a hazy brown-ish to orange-ish color, with a tan head. In the aroma, oaky, with a hint of whiskey. In the taste, oaky, whiskey all the way through it and a nice dry malt. A small alcohol like bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a dry oaky whiskey flavor in the aftertaste. Like drinking whiskey with out the burn, nice big flavor, but nose is lacking a bit.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 17:14:23 | More by OWSLEY069

Docrock

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

06-14-2013 16:48:23 | More by Docrock

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

06-13-2013 02:11:14 | More by kawilliams81

mportnoy

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

06-08-2013 07:05:04 | More by mportnoy

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.61/5  rDev +17%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

After my experience with this beer, the low reviews are shocking. It makes me curious as to whether some reviewers appreciate the difference between an English barleywine and an American barleywine. That said, I loved this beer.

Poured into a mini-snifter, the beer was a copper color with a modest slight white head. At the front, the aroma was a mild whiskey aroma. While the aroma was enjoyable, it would not make be want to buy the beer again by itself. In the initial taste, one gets sweet malts, nuttiness, amaretto, and a mild sourness. Even with an 11.5%ABV, this beer's alcohol does not leave an abrasive alcohol burn. The thick mouthfeel becomes more apparent in the aftertaste as the aftertaste lingers. I might define the aftertaste as a syrupy sweet alcohol that is masked well enough to be like a girly drink. This is an outstanding barrel aged barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 23:57:49 | More by JohnnyHopps

tbdkev

Indiana

4.85/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Pours a hazy amber color with tons of sediment. The aroma is nice; hints of vanilla, caramel, oak, and toffee are abound. The taste follows well with a sweet blend of all the aforementioned notes, plus a slight whisky burn and an indescribably smooth finish. The lack of burn really masks the alcohol content (11.5%); this one really has the potential to sneak up and dropkick a lot of people. All in all, a very, very good brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2013 20:24:10 | More by tbdkev

DruC4

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

06-06-2013 22:45:31 | More by DruC4

InspectorBob

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%

06-05-2013 13:19:59 | More by InspectorBob

riemster

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

06-05-2013 04:00:48 | More by riemster

Goldfishman

Massachusetts

2.75/5  rDev -30.2%

06-05-2013 02:05:34 | More by Goldfishman

ystazi

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%

06-02-2013 03:04:58 | More by ystazi

Greywulfken

New York

4.23/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 bottling

A: into a snifter, orange amber with a touch of haze; only a slight off-white collar even after a center-pour

S: Lagavulin Scotch - peat and smoke; rich beer malt sugars, like toffee and caramel

T: sinuous blend of top-tier single malt Scotch flavors and sweet malts - aforementioned smoke, peat, toffee, and caramel, delicate malt flavors and whisky-soaked wood

M: slick, thin, light - but a caress over the palate; sweet stick to the roof of the mouth, airy wood and whisky vapors in the mouth

O: not as acclaimed as their sherry cask edition, but I'm more of a Scotch man, so this was an absolute delight. A very thin, graceful, and flavorful barleywine - transcends the boundaries between the beer and spirit worlds.

2007 bottling

A: into a snifter, dirty brown beer with lots of chunky sediment - Heady topper's got nothing on this beer - small, brief head - unfortunately, I've gotta say, that much sediment isn't quite what I'm looking for

S: sugary-sweet caramel and candy apple have grown larger than the peat and smoke I enjoyed in the 2011 bottling

T: again, the Scotch flavors have largely subsided, and I'm drinking something that reminds me of caramel apples

M: smooth, slick, no bitterness, candy aftertaste, light/thin

O: had to downgrade some scores, as this did not age as well as I'd hoped - losing the Lagavulin peat and smoke did not improve the taste of the beer, which I found to be far too sugary for my liking, and the appearance of so much sediment was due in part to my pour, but still detracted from the drinking experience I was hoping for.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2013 15:17:39 | More by Greywulfken

mikeincharleston

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%

05-22-2013 01:17:24 | More by mikeincharleston

nick_asian

Nevada

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-19-2013 07:13:41 | More by nick_asian

jakeox

Illinois

4/5  rDev +1.5%

05-18-2013 23:38:02 | More by jakeox

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +1.5%

05-13-2013 18:44:15 | More by Slatetank

breakingbland

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 9.3 fl. oz. bottle (marked "L2413 11:54") into a pint glass.

Appearance: Poured with no head and only a broken ring of foam. The color was a very cloudy gold.

Aroma: Very much bourbon-forward which evident even before bringing the glass to the nose. The bourbon aroma bordered on harsh. No malt or hops were easily evident.

Taste: Mostly smoky with a honey-like sweetness. There was a slight scotch flavor component. The hops bitterness was very slight.

Mouthfeel: This beer has a full body -- almost syrupy. There is a light, fine carbonation.

Overall: I knew nothing about this beer prior to this tasting, and the smoky, scotch flavors were a surprise -- but a good surprise. The smoke is quite dominant. I enjoyed this beer and think it would best stand alone rather than pairing with any food, although it would be interesting to try it with BBQed pork. I will look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 22:49:32 | More by breakingbland

Offa

California

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This is a strong, but excellent barleywine, a bit sweet and potent to be anything other than a slow sipping beer, but with an interesting and complex character.

Hazy pale amber, it has no real head and only a thin ring.

Aroma is smoky peaty and raisiny grain, old dough, sour vinegary fruits.

Taste is very sweet, a bit spicy, smoky, with dry toast and bread finish, then a whiskyish bitter-spicy aftertaste. It's engaging.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2013 20:11:42 | More by Offa

mctizzz

New York

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-06-2013 14:50:48 | More by mctizzz

zeff80

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

05-06-2013 01:13:43 | More by zeff80

Archemedies

Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -4.8%

05-05-2013 13:12:43 | More by Archemedies

brotherloco

California

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

04-26-2013 04:51:09 | More by brotherloco

superspak

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

275 ml bottle into tulip glass, 2005 vintage. Pours very hazy and cloudy reddish copper color with no head and some minimal lacing bubbles sticking to the side. Aromas of big caramel, raisin, prune, fig, toast, toffee, molasses, oak, whiskey, vanilla, peat, light smoke, and dark earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of malt notes with barrel character. Taste of big caramel, molasses, toffee, toast, raisin, fig, prune, vanilla, oak, whiskey, peat, light smoke, and dark earthiness. Lingering notes of caramel, molasses, toffee, toast, dark fruits, vanilla, oak, whiskey, light smoke, and earthiness on the finish for a while. Very nice balance and complexity of malt notes with dark fruits; with a fair amount of barrel character that isn’t overwhelming; and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Minimal carbonation and full bodied; with a creamy, slick, and fairly syrupy mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a small warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a very nice English barleywine. All around nice balance and complexity of malt and barrel flavors; and very smooth to sip on slowly. A very enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:42:36 | More by superspak

thewimperoo

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -11.2%

04-21-2013 23:15:53 | More by thewimperoo

Pecan

California

4.25/5  rDev +7.9%

04-08-2013 22:59:43 | More by Pecan