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

haazer

Pennsylvania

4.65/5  rDev +18.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at Resurrection Ale House for PBW. 2010 vintage.

A - A very turbid, apricot brew. Apple cider with tan highlights, no carbonation from the cask.

S - Dry single malt whiskey. Apple, phenolic, and pure sweet whiskey. A bit of brandy too. Pretty good but one dimensional.

T - The Laguvulin whiskey must be real delicious. Great malt profile, smooth whiskey, vanilla, and charred oak barrel. A cigar would be excellent with this. Some dark fruits, and red apple pulp.

M - Full bodied and ever so smooth. No carbonation, but it drinks perfectly. I would take this over a whiskey on the rocks.

O - Real glad to have had this. The charred oak in the barrel is great. This would go great with a steak. I can't get over how smooth this is. This is whiskey as beer, literally. I think it should be had on cask to see the real transition without the carbonation. Thank you PBW!!

Serving type: cask

06-08-2012 20:07:15 | More by haazer

Holland

Pennsylvania

1.88/5  rDev -52.2%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

A: cloudy orange and brown color with no head and no lacing.

S: apple cider, earthy tones, some sweetness and peaty scotch

T: apple cider and bacon. Later on once I let it settle a bit I get some more scotch, but not much.

M: thick and uncarbonated

O: skip this, it's bad on cask at least. It would be fine if I had it with pancakes in the morning alongside an FBS since it tastes like bacon and apples. At $10 for a pour, forget this garbage.

Serving type: cask

03-07-2012 02:36:43 | More by Holland

DIM

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -36.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pumped from the actual lagavulin whisky cask, pretty cool.

a: This was a ruddy dark copper color. It was served to me with a small but firm cap.

s: Strong sherry aromas with hints of caramel and ash. Where is the whiskey?

t: This tasted strongly of sherry, not whiskey. There was plenty of ash as well that wasn't all that pleasant. There was a puckering quality about this that wasn't quite sour. I found a vague sort of fruit that reminded me of port. The regular version was extremely sweet, that was all lost here.

m: Still and syrupy.

o: I had to try it, the concept is very cool. I just didn't enjoy the beer though.

Serving type: cask

01-07-2012 22:02:57 | More by DIM

KyleDS

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This exceptionally rare brew from JW was poured straight from the cask at the Belgian Cafe in Philly - one of my favorite pubs in town.

I was really excited to try this beer but was a bit dissapointed with the overall characteristics. Although i appreciate the time, craftmanship, and hardwork that when into producing this beer, it's not something that i would likely try again.

A: copper coloring, very little head

A: woody, earthy, chared wood, smokey, caramel

T: alcohol warming, woody, cramel, warm all the way down with sryup, dark fruit on the back

M: consistent of a scotch feel, with apparent warming in the mouth and throat.

O: i enjoyed tasting this beer and differentiating the characteristics, however, its not something that really caught my attention.

Serving type: cask

12-15-2011 19:36:13 | More by KyleDS

Greencoat

Ohio

4.4/5  rDev +12%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

2005 vintage, strait from the cask.

A: murky medium brown with absolutely no head
S: huge whiskey nose with a gorgeous caramel backbone
T: brilliant oak and whiskey flavors, no hop presence. Wonderful smoke character on the finish.
M: still, sweet and warming
O: one of the most enjoyable beer experiences I've ever had. I feel privalaged.

Serving type: cask

11-20-2011 03:34:31 | More by Greencoat

msabin

Maine

1.75/5  rDev -55.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Serving type: On cask at Novare Res

I was super excited to try this beer because I'm a fan of Scotch, however, I was in for a big disappointment

The head wasn't very prevalent, which wasn't a problem, given that it was on cask. The color was a deep orange, which looked great in the lighting of the bar.

The nose was cloyingly sweet. I knew I was in for trouble once I smelled this brew.

The taste was just sickly sweet with some peat in the finish, which was the only good part of this beer. The sweetness assaulted my tongue and I couldn't get it out of my mouth. It really dominated this beer and I wasn't able to finish an 8 oz. serving.

Oh well, at least I will never be tempted to pay $9 for a 12 oz. bottle of this.

Serving type: cask

12-28-2010 00:20:18 | More by msabin

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours cloudy light copper color with no head.

Nose is dominated by whiskey. Then there is some oak and toffee.

Taste is much like the nose, dominated by whiskey, wow, it's almost too much. Alcohol is not hidden here. This one is ment for sipping, took me abut 45 minutes to finish an about 8 oz glass.

Mouthfeel is kind of thin, no carbonation, but it is cask.

Don't think I would go for this one again, too boozy.

Serving type: cask

12-11-2010 00:04:28 | More by FLBeerGuy

chaz01

Ohio

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Generously shared out by the owner of Belmont Party Supplies in Dayton at a semi-private charity beer tasting event. According to him, this special cask was from a recent vintage from his private collection, originally poured from a small cask.

A: Amber brown in color, very little head or carbonation detected -- instead this is rich, thick and syrupy looking.

S: I hardly ever give a perfect rating in a category so that I can always leave room to rate something higher. But the aroma on this beer takes the cake! Just a wonderful whiskey, raisins, sherry, smoky and port aromas from this beer make me just want to sit and smell this beer.

T: Sweet, smokey, malty with notes of sherry, port, vanilla and oak. Very complex flavor with so much going on.

M: Low carbonation, very full bodied, thick and syrupy.

D: I have a couple of bottles at home, but not sure if I'll ever get to drink from the cask again. This was a real treat and the highlight of the evening. A very full bodied sipping beer to be broken out on very special occasions.

Serving type: cask

05-16-2010 19:23:35 | More by chaz01

glid02

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wooden-pin cask at the Brick Store for the kick-off of the 12th anniversary. 2006 vintage.

Pours a hazy brown color with a thin soda-bubble off-white head that recedes quickly into nothing. No lacing, but it does coat the side of the glass.

Smells of butterscotch with earthy booze aromas, including peat and smoke.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Right off the bat peat flavors come out and are joined shortly by butterscotch and a solid malt backbone. Ending is sweet.

Mouthfeel is great. The carbonation is just barely there and the thickness is phenomenal.

Drinkability is good. I could definitely sip on this for a while.

Overall this is perhaps the most I've ever tasted peat in a beer. Well worth a shot.

Serving type: cask

06-19-2009 03:06:42 | More by glid02

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.8/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pin cask, 2007 vintage, at Beer Table in Brooklyn. Compliments of one owner, to celebrate his wife's (the other owner's) birthday.

Pours a very hazy golden brown, with absolutely no head.

Nose is peat smoke and honey, woody and decadently sweet.

Taste is peat smoke, honey and caramel, brown sugar and hints of walnut and molasses. Burn of whiskey in the back of your throat as well, though the alcohol is unbelievably well hidden and smooth. Amazingly balanced, a singular experience from the pin cask. The kind of beer that makes you understand what beer can really aspire to be. Fantastic.

One of the beers that I will always remember. Spectacular beer - the smokiness hadn't picked up the sausagey quality I've found in the bottle version. In this is was woody and dry and magnificently balancing.

Serving type: cask

04-27-2009 12:51:08 | More by JohnQVegas

ruckzuck

Georgia

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this during the Brick Store 11th anniversary. This was the '01 vintage.

A - dark cloudy amber body with no head to speak of

S - serious Scotch aroma combined with a malty aroma and no hop presence to speak of

T - hints of Scotch in the taste as well, sweet malt, caramel, some booziness. Sticks to the lips somewhat

M - full bodied, basically no carbonation, but goes down smoothly and deliciously

D - this is a very, very cool beer (and the cask looked awesome) limited in drinkabiltiy somewhat by its strength and sweetness. Really good to have 1 or 2, but wouldn't want to attempt more than that in 1 sitting.

Serving type: cask

07-13-2008 15:41:09 | More by ruckzuck

ViveLaChouffe

Georgia

4.85/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On cask at The Brick Store Pub in Decatur, GA. 2001 vintage.

It pours a lightly hazy dark amber with no head to speak of. I could have just smelled this beer and been satisfied. Peaty and earthy, sweet malt and whiskey from the cask. Beautiful. The taste matches the smell. Very boozy and quite sweet but always with that peaty, whisky flavor permeating throughout. Very fruity with hints of toffee and vanilla. Sweetish finish with the whisky flavor lingering.

Outstanding.

Serving type: cask

06-19-2008 13:08:44 | More by ViveLaChouffe

julian

Washington

4.68/5  rDev +19.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Had this at Uber Tavern in Seattle on Monday. The keg tapping was almost ceremonious. Had this from cask and from bottle as side by side comparison. Night and day...general flavor footprint was there, but there was so much MORE going on from the cask taster therefore review below is for cask version.

A: This poured a dark grassy/almond color with light head and minimal lacing.

S: The scent was sweet and rich flavor with very mild carbonation.

T: Amazing taste involving complex flavors. sweet, caramely, roasted character and malty mixed with petey woody elements from the barrel. So much going on here I can't even properly describe it. Phenomenal.

M: I don't know how else to describe this other than it was like tasting heaven wrapped in liquid velvet. This was by far the smoothest and easiest drink I've ever tasted. Period.

D: This is a pretty high ABV barley wine, and honestly will limit how much you can drink. This is more of a sipping drink, which is what I used it for and how I suggest it be drank to fully enjoy everything it has to offer.

Serving type: cask

06-12-2008 04:01:04 | More by julian

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

4.7/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This beer was great out of the bottle, but on draft out of the cask... this beer is other worldly. On tap at Max's today.

The beer pours an amber honey color with fair head retention and lacing. Doesn't look all that impressive, but...

The nose is incredibly complex, consisting of old sherry, walnuts, cherry and heaven. The beer tastes even better and has just layers of flavor. One gets moderate sweetness initially, which consists of maple syrup, cherry cough drop and beef boullion. Those flavors quickly turn over to rich aged sherry and walnuts. The finish is long, rich and decadent. Mouthfeel is full, soft and lingering. Abv. is noticeable, but the beer is so delicious, it's hard to pay it any mind.

Incredible. A tour de force. Just fabulous stuff.

Serving type: cask

05-31-2008 21:29:59 | More by johnmichaelsen

MarineHokie

Connecticut

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Clear reddish copper, absolutely no head.

S - Strong sweet smoky oak scotch aroma.

T - Sweet & smoky. Maple and bacon on the finish.

M - Medium-heavy body. Sticky & sweet.

D - Very interesting and definetly a sipper/apertif kind of drink. One is enough.

Serving type: cask

04-07-2006 22:26:20 | More by MarineHokie

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A real treat to enjoy about 1/2 of a pint of this fine sipper from a "wodden pin" (mini keg) with a gravity pour at the Blind Tiger in lower NYC. Pours dark dark brown, very cloudy, no carbonation nor lacing to be found. Nose is of whisky. Notes of ripe plums and more whiskey on the palate.Also smoky notes picked up, hints of salami and soggy raisins and figs. Fine, fine brew, strong, rich flavors and quite complex and interesting. Depth of flavors is outstanding. Each sip is intriguing. Long wiskey infused finish. Outstanding.

Serving type: cask

11-11-2005 17:33:41 | More by Billolick

gentlebubbles

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

on cask at Redbone's

Dark caramel served in a 5oz wine glass that looks like a very dangerous port.

Wonderful aromas of cherries and plums with trails of smoke.

Lots of sweet cherry fruitiness and smoky peat, though these two elements have not yet figured out how to get along with each other. Rich, silky texture that slowly melts in the mouth, like eating chocolate-covered whiskied cherries that have been smoked over peat.

Alcohol hidden so well it should be carrying a conceal weapon permit. I found even a couple sips overwhelming. I think I'd rather have just a splash in a snifter as the cap of a large meal.

Serving type: cask

04-24-2005 21:44:14 | More by gentlebubbles

breakingbland

Michigan

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
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 +4.1%
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

superspak

Michigan

3.95/5  rDev +0.5%
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

MadScientist

New York

3.4/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A 2008 that's been in my cellar for most of those year.

A: A light copper colored beer with a light haze. The thin head is off-white; it never goes away but dissipates to a thin ring of bubbles around the glass.

S: The aroma is peat smoke, whiskey and cherries over a rich malt background. There is a bit of a chew-able vitamin smell to malt sweetness and moderately-light fruitiness but not in a bad way. And a soft alcohol sweetness that is slightly floral.

T: There honey sweetness, lots of cloying honey sweetness of a pile of sugar. The alcohol and moderate whiskey is all that's left to check the malt sweetness but both fall well short. A light hops bitterness and no hops flavor. The moderately-light oak flavor is there but you kind of overlook it with the smokey whiskey note. The balance is very sweet and the finish is sweet.

M: Moderately full bodied with a pretty low level of carbonation.

O: The Harvest Ale always tends to be fairly sweet but this is a bit much. One of sweetest beers I've had and kind of hard to finish without someone to help. A cigar would be fine compliment to this beer though.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 22:32:52 | More by MadScientist

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.03/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

2010 bottle.

Light tan creamy head, not very high, light lacing and retention. Muddy dark amber color with noticeable sediment floaties. The aroma is very thick with charred wood, peat, sctoch, smoke, leather, a mixture of brown sugar, dark fruits, and malts - all burnt. Behind that are extremely rich/sweet notes, deep caramel and molasses, toffee, vinous/grape notes, and tobacco. The taste is much like the nose. Big peat, scotch, smoke, leather, toffee, heavily burnt brown sugar caramel and malts, vinous and dark fruit notes. Strong. Mouthfeel is super heavy. Consistency is viscous, carbonation is light, body is heavy, and the finish is lingering, almost sticky.

Overall, I'm not really digging this. It's strong but not necessarily offensive on the nose, and nearing harsh in the taste, and not just because of the alcohol content. Quite a different take on english barleywines for sure but just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:41:16 | More by matttttYCE

hustlesworth

Ohio

4.14/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

2011 vintage.

A- pours into a snifter a hazed reddish amber with a liquory shimmer. There's almost no head except for a thin ring of foam and some swirls on the surface. Sparse bubbles rise and since I can smell it already, I'm prepared to treat this one like scotch.

S- the nose isn't overwhelingly peaty, not yet at least but I'm sure it will open up as it warms. At this temperature, mineral water and definite salty seaweed aromas blend with the touch of smoke and bold sweet wood. There's also a heavy amount of malt sweetness, very fruity in character with notes of apple, pear, and cherry. After letting it sit for a while, the smoke begins to rise. Thought not as smoky as the mighty Lagavulin 16 which I'm assuming previously occupied the barrel.

T- enourmously sweet and warm. There's plenty of smoke flavor but it doesn't come through in the same manner as it does in the scotch itself. Here it's more astringent, woodsy, and quite frankly tastes like leftover smoke. I don't wanna use the word "stale" but it is, and that's ok, because that's what's gonna happen when the barrel absorbs the smoke flavor from the whisky and spits it back out into the beer. The sweetness is akin to some sort of smoked-over brandied caramel vanilla dessert with seemingly no hop presence to balance it out. Oak and earth flavors erupt as the smoke and sweetness slowly fade and the finish is a beautiful mingling of grain, charred oak, and loads of tannins. Alcohol flavor is rather prominent and there's a touch of bitterness to the smoke.

MF- very tannic and absurdly dry, this one has the mouth numbing smoky feel of Lagavulin with the voluptuous body of Laphroaig. Carbonation is seriously toned down and only felt as some zip on the center of the tongue and in the throat. Although the sweetness in the taste stops just short of cloying, the malt sugars wreck shop on the palate and along with the high level of tannins and smoky astringency, my mouth doesn't even know what's going on. It's a very complex feel but not exactly awesome.

D- if I could make three wishes for this beer, they would be more peat, more seaweed, more "fresh" smoke. The oceanic pungency that I love about Islay scotch is all but lost in the malt sweetness. The scotches themselves are plenty sweet, but still retain a balance. This one sadly does not. This is a great beer and very monsterous and a must try for anyone that loves this type of scotch, but be aware that the taste is of smoked wood, not smoked barley. Like you over-smoked your BBQ by adding too much oak. I'm glad I found this bottle but I don't think I'll ever buy another one.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 01:18:55 | More by hustlesworth

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

$12.00 for 275mL bottle, served in a mini snifter
Brewed in 2009, Sampled 10JAN13

[A] Pours with almost no head at all - just a few stranded bubbles that are reluctant to form a collar and quick to disappear. Light tan in color with a very thick, still, chestnut brown body underneath. Wonderful clarity, impressive depth, minimal sediment, no lacing.

[S] Peat and sharp wood overtones with outgoing alcohol. Complexity is minimal as a result.

[T] Peaty whiskey flavor turns into a sweet, dry smoke with a touch of meatiness. Sweet dried fruit (apple/pear) and buttery caramel subtleties are discernible in the back end of the palate.

[M] Huge mouthfeel. Thick and tongue coating. Very full body, lightly cloying with lots of residual sweetness bringing it all together.

[O] Normally I find that I rate the aroma and flavor in most beers about the same. For some reason, the nose on this one didn't do it for me - but the flavor sure did. Very nice beer...better than the BA average in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

02-03-2013 13:45:56 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

275 mL bottle poured into a Courage snifter. 2009 bottle.

Appearance - Deep red brown body. Doesn't seem to have the chunkiness of other versions. Maybe the nastycake at the bottom is well compacted. I don't get much sediment until the very end. Slight semblance of a head for a moment.

Smell - Peaty smokey scotch aroma. Sweet caramel. Subdued raisin character, but it still has that distinctive dark fruit aroma.

Taste - Barrel is less intense here. Scotch blends throughout the flavor with a smokey whiskey flavor. Cuts the sweetness nicely, allowing the caramel to produce a better flavor. Also cuts some of the complexity, though. Raisin flavor comes back in the very end and sweetness lingers.

Mouthfeel - Still thick and syrupy. Low carbonation. Slick with a slight smokey bitterness.

Overall - Enjoyable variation. Better than some of the others. I don't always love a scotch barrel on a beer, but the intensity of the whiskey flavor tends to subdue the sweetness of the base beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 01:43:37 | More by Alieniloquium