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

shbobdb

Indiana

2.05/5  rDev -49.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 1

Well . . . it said that it was conditioned in a sherry cask and . . . it tasted like sherry! My girlfriend likes cream sherries and this beer tasted like a cream sherry that I'd expect to pay around $8 for (that's not a lot for sherry). Yeah, it tastes like a cheap cream sherry. It feels, in terms of mouthfeel, like a fine, full, rich english beer on a delightful beer-engine.

Yeah, not cool. The only thing about it that didn't feel like cheap sherry was the mouthfeel. Not worth it unless you really like sherry.

Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention . . . beer isn't sherry.

Serving type: cask

03-23-2006 04:52:50 | More by shbobdb

GreenWBush

Oregon

2.65/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 1

16 oz. pint on special - $5.50.

This particular beer, served from what could have only been an ancient cask (literally a wood cask), seems to contradict everything I know and love about beer. Its a high-gravity barleywine, aged like scotch, that I just did not like. All signs led to "i'll love this one", but that surely was not the case.

This beer pours out an onyx mahogany with absolutely no head whatsoever, and was completely devoid of lace throughout. The nose is strongly sherry-influenced, to the point that I thought the marking was wrong and this was in fact no barleywine, but a sherry. Loads of alcohol in the nose as well, along with plums, raisins, slight tones of malt vinegar. Oaky, cherry, vanilla tones all come through as it warms from cellar to room temperature.

As nice as the nose was, I was shocked when I gagged on the first tipple. There are just too many clashing cloyingly sweet elements for me to distinguish them all. Rotten fruit abounds. Rich, meaty malt character blended with overly alcoholic oaky, sherry.

It looked and tasted like sherry, with no satisfying elements. The mouthfeel is sweetly cask-like, with a slightly slimy liquefied candy.

I've been defeated by a beer. I will have to have this in bottles to either affirm my lack of sophistication or confirm my suspicion that this cask was way long in the tooth.

I had to gag this down to finish.

Serving type: on-tap

10-04-2004 03:16:21 | More by GreenWBush

fx20736

New York

2.68/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 9.3 oz bottle into a pint glass,served at cellar temp.

Bronze Orange, small head, signs of decent carbonation. Beer was strained prior to serving which may have reduced head somewhat.

Aroma: I smell mellow alcohol which must be the sherry cask.

mouthfeel: soft and syrupy

taste: cloyingly sweet with a warming alcohol vibe. Like a plum flavored syrup.

Notes: Darker, sweeter with less sediment than the Port version of cask aged JWL Harvest. This is simply too sweet to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 22:09:03 | More by fx20736

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

2.7/5  rDev -33.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Overwhelming. Palate overload. Good God, what is this? Is this a barleywine or a bad sherry or a dessert port? Definitely a dessert beer. This is an instance of something that was good product and having what seems like is a great idea, but it backfires. Poured brown with a slight red tinge it to. Slight bubbly head on top. Nose is like a glass of sherry or port wine. Flavor is all the wine with a slight hop kick towards the end. The bittersweetness also provides a slight curl to the taste. Very heavy in the mouth and oily--almost greasy. Definitely a slow sipping dessert beer. Aging in a sherry barrel destroys this as a decent barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2005 01:15:41 | More by MuddyFeet

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Disapointing version of something I normally like. Big full mouthfeel, but sourish aroma and only average taste. I cellared with for about 20 months and it has a long shelflife. A bit of sherry, but not too complex. Sorry, not finishable. I guess I am not a sherry fan.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2010 02:28:28 | More by northyorksammy

herman77

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

2008 vintage

A: Clear orange amber with a small off white head. No lacing.

S: Lots of honey, molasses, sugar, raisins. Sherry, candied sherry. A tiny bit of oak

T: Wholly hell is this sweet. Just when you think it can't get any sweeter, it does. Pretty much tastes like complex simple syrup. Has a slight oaky, wet tobacco, wet cardboard taste in the finish that isn't pleasant.

M: Fuller body, low carbonation, but there is some left for sure. Sticky.

O: It's just way too damn sweet for me. I would have liked to try the others, not sure if I want to now. But maybe this is just so sweet from the sherry?

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 22:55:42 | More by herman77

PatYoda

Colorado

2.83/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

On the handpull at downtown Indy's BW3. Appearance is a nice deep mahogany with a little bit of foam at first that disappears pretty quickly. Smell is...sweet! A few different types of sweetness combine to create a pretty sickeningly sweet smell. Of course the usual JW Lees toffee and caramel smell is very strong in there, and there is a little bit of malty sweetness, but there is also a strong maple syrup type smell and the sherry cask they aged this in must have been an extremely sweet sherry because it has a very strong influence on this beer. There is also a powerful spiced rum smell in there. The smell is very much in your face and powerful, but not appetizing at all to me. Taste is cloyingly sweet, as expected. There is some definitely depth and complexity here, and I'm sure this is probably what the brewers intended to achieve with this combination, but I can hardly stomach it right now. This is more rich and sweet than almost any dessert I've ever tried. Hardly any balancing bitterness in this one. Mouthfeel is nice and full and slippery without any carbonation. Drinkability is not great. I finished my 10oz goblet and decided that I could potentially enjoy it with dessert, but I definitely won't be ordering one again.

Serving type: cask

10-10-2005 15:40:04 | More by PatYoda

Rastacouere

Quebec (Canada)

2.9/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Golden amber liquid wears no head. Oxidized wine aroma where floral undertones come hidden under strong alcoholic suggestions and milder bread ones. Light liquorice and wood hints. Taste contains a mild grape tartness that is overshadowed by a strong dry wood character, sometimes reminiscent of paper. Bitter alcohol finish imparts an appealing though rough cigar-like aftertaste. Mouthfeel is creamy, full bodied.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2005 18:14:34 | More by Rastacouere

seeswo

Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -28%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

2006 bottle. Pours brown with floaties and no head. Ehh. Smells like sugar, apple, caramel. Smells pretty good. Taste is very sweet and smooth in the front - very tasty up front, then the finish dries a bit with a touch of smokiness, though it's still sweet. I can't help but notice the "ham" flavor in the finish. It drives me nuts as it just lingers. Gross. Sugar just hangs out on the tongue with a heavy mouthfeel and almost no carbonation. Not very drinkable because of the ham, but definitely hides booze well. The ham just kills it for me...Hard to get through.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2011 01:49:49 | More by seeswo

cproioi

Ohio

3/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured in a snifter this beer boasts a dark red body with such a little tan head that quickly shrinks to nothing. The aroma is of big sticky malts. Huge sweet fruit notes little to no hops present at all. The taste has faint alocohol notes with a huge malt flavor that reminds me of a lifesaver. Pleasant sweet aftertaste with a large amount of residual sweetness and a slight alcohol warming sensation. This is a sipping beer that would pair wonderfully with a big blue cheese (stilton, anyone?)

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2007 19:24:17 | More by cproioi

meathookjones

Virginia

3.03/5  rDev -25.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

After trying the other 3 cask aged versions I figured this one could use a little time to sit. I guess that might not have been the case. Fairly clear orange with a light tan head that quickly bubbles down leaving no lacing. Very strong syrupy sweet aromas. Some vinous and buttery notes were there but overpowered for the most part by the sweetness. Taste upon first sip was way too sweet. Light fruitiness and more syrupy sweet flavors follow. Light buttery notes before the sweet finish. Cloying but still drinkable. Mouthfeel is pretty thick and sticky sweet. Drinkability not good at all. It was hard enough drinking this bottle let alone ever wanting another one. Oh well maybe this might have been better earlier.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2005 20:15:16 | More by meathookjones

mdfb79

New York

3.15/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

2008 vintage, 9.3 oz. bottle poured into a taster glass. Tried side by side with a 2008 Calvados version.

a - Pours a dark reddish amber color with a few bubbles of off white head and light carbonation evident. Darker then the Calvados, and with less carbonation and head.

s - Smells of sherry, oak, clay, light fruity malts, dark fruits, sugar, and molasses. Not bad, but the clay smell is a littl weird. I think I like the Calvados smell a little better as it is a little sweeter and doesn't have that clay smell to it.

t - Tastes of sherry, sweet dark fruits, fruity malts, molasses, sugar, clay, light smoke, and toasted malts. Again decent, but I think I like Calvados better again.

m - Medium body and low carbonation. Thick and some alcohol to it.

o - Overall a decent beer but my least favorite of the variants so far. I like the normal Harvest Ale, and love English barleywine's in general, but for some reason can't get into the variants at all; I really don't think they add anything good to the base beer. This one had some weird clay-like smells and tastes to it. I'd personally rank them the normal Harvest Ale, Calvados, Port, and then Sherry. Wouldn't seek it out again.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 00:22:08 | More by mdfb79

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

275 mL bottle poured into a Hunahpu snifter. 2009 vintage.

Appearance - Just a hint of a head that got me so excited that I forgot that the chunks would soon start to flow. Sadly, a giant lump of something gross fell into my glass. It burst into smaller chunks and suspended itself into the murky amber liquid. Like a water sample from Lake Erie. Yum.

Smell - Huge sherry aroma. Like an oxidized barleywine, but without some of that cardboard. Harsh alcohol in the back of the aroma. Lots of raisins and sugars.

Taste - Intense sherry flavor up front that fades to raisins and brown sugar. Then the back end kicks in. Bitter cardboard. Rather unpleasant.

Mouthfeel - Syrupy as every other Harvest Ale. The sherry does nothing to cut the sweetness. Definitely a rough finish with the bitterness and the cardboard. Almost a burnt oak flavor.

Overall - Big beer. A sipper. A sugary sipper. It's complex, though. It's one of those beers you can ponder for a while. Maybe the result of the pondering isn't the best, but the activity of drinking it is nice.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 01:21:22 | More by Alieniloquium

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

3.18/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

2005 vintage aged in sherry cask. 9.3oz bottle for $12 at Discount Beverages on Hoosick St in Troy NY. Shared with me by a friend.

A: Tawny brown color, like fresh apple cider. Chunky precipitate is slow to settle, floats slowly around the glass. Thin eggshell head.

S: Thick, heavily aromatic, toffee, molassas, caramel, apples. Sweet.

T: Brown sugar, creme brulee. Sweet. Not hoppy, not very beerish. More like a sweet malty brandy. Barley port?

M: Light carbonation, mostly flat. Thick and syrupy. No alcohol apparent.

D: Thick and sweet.

Obnoxious price does not buy a good review. Disappointing, not recommended. Sure glad I didn't pay for it. Unbelievably overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

07-07-2009 02:05:54 | More by BeerNinja007

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.2/5  rDev -21.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2005 Vintage. 9.3oz bottle. Pours a rusty brown color with tons of sediment floating around. Thin layer of head that dissipates rapidly. Kind of smells like a boozey caramel apple. Strong alcohol aroma. Flavors of caramel, sherry, alcohol, apple, and slightly bready. Pretty boozey tasting. Even with this beer being less than 12oz the booziness make this a sipper for certain. Overall it is an alright brew but the price helps make this time probably the only time I will drink it.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2011 07:37:38 | More by PicoPapa

bobhits

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Sometimes I love people that don't get beer. I really don't know what this was supposed to be (8-11 bucks I suspect) but the girl at the register couldnt' find it so she gave it to me for 50 cents...I tried to tell her it was wrong but how hard can you fight about a deal like that?

2007 poured into a new style stone old gardian glass.

Thick, cloudy, huge chunks of yeast, and a dirty orange and red mix leaning toward well nasty water. That said nothing wrong with the beer, I just can't think of a discription that sounds nice. A very thin head poured and quickly vanished.

Red wine like sweetness coming off, subdued by yeast aroma. Gone is the fruity complex nose from a normal one. I suspect this is greatly a result of the sherry barrels and well I really don't even know what sherry is.

Sweet, yeasty, ummm...well that's it? The alcohol is nearly gone, which is impressive. There are some hops in the back but they are only adding a slightly bitter feel and mostly just a part of the sugary sweet malt finish. The sherry plus the age seems to have more or less just left us a very mellow and tame beer.

I mean it's as drinkable as a flat beer that's got a very high density can be. It's a sipper if you want or you could drink it pretty fast (would be a wast if you did). Seems thinner than the normal beer which is odd. Again could be an age issue but I somewhat doubt it.

I certainly won't be trying this again (unless it's at 50 cents a bottle cause i'll drink it nightly for that!!!).

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 22:01:21 | More by bobhits

brystmar

New York

3.35/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2007

A: hazy orangeish gold with TONS of sediment. Minimal white head and lace, looks very oily.

S: smells of sweetly aged booze and malts. Oaky too.

T: woah, sherry cask overload! Woody / oaky flavors absolutely dominate everything else here. The deliciously aged, boozy malty notes I loved from the regular Harvest brew are apparent but take a backseat to the cask's presence. And by backseat, I mean they're actually 3 cars behind this one in the caravan.

M/D: creamier than expected; syrupy. Would be easier to drink if not for the cask flavor dominance.

Should probably note that I'm not a big fan of the flavors imparted from cask conditioning in general, but I really love the JW Lees Harvest ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 00:27:17 | More by brystmar

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -17%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The barleywine has a garnet orange-red color with no head and little carbonation.

S: The ale has an unusual alcohol smell. Never having had sherry, I'll say that it is a sherry-like aroma.

T: The ale has the malty sweetness of a barleywine. Mixed into that is a slightly vinous, sharp flavor. The flavor is full-bodied and somewhat unpleasant. I don't think that I will like sherry.

M: The mouthfeel is sweet with a sharp, vinous edge..

D: The ale weighs in at over 10%, making drinkability difficult. Add to that the sweetness of the malts and the intense alcohol of the sherry and this is a one and done beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2006 01:55:54 | More by akorsak

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 275ml bottle. 2004 vintage.

Appearance- Pours a semi-film over the beer with no retention. But I don't expect any kinbd of decent head from a barley wine. Color is a deep amber, copper color with the bottom reminding me of maraschino cherries.

Smell- A mix of reduced brown sugar sauce, something sour, and very dark fruits. I don't know what sherry tastes like, but I assume its tart.

Taste- Starts out with a very sweet apricot flavor and leads to a straight brown sugar and apricot mix. This slowly leas to a more and more vinous flavor that eventually develops into just a sour aftertaste.

Mothfeel- A little too tart for my liking, the finish at least. But the gradual build up to the sherry like finish was pretty cool. Very syrupy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2006 06:09:14 | More by scruffwhor

Kooz

New York

3.43/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an opaque orane color with a creamy, tight-packed head. Not too much of a nose, but a bit boozy and warm. Tastes sweet with caramel hints. The boozyness continues throughout, but it gives it warmth and isn't unpleasant. The beer isn't over-carbonated, and is nice. It's really smooth and I'd enjoy drinking this again. It's a pretty good beer overall.

Serving type: on-tap

04-06-2013 01:57:48 | More by Kooz

Halcyondays

California

3.48/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

275 mL bottle, 2009 vintage,

A: Pours a deep orange red with a moderate white head, good retention, no lace.

S: Notes of red wine, lots of brown sugar, pleasing smell.

T: Aged malt, bit of a harsh husky quality to the flavour. Hint of oxidation/ash on the finish. Still a lot of sugar. The base barleywine is still great, it's just not surrounded by anything interesting or real tasty.

M: Full-bodied, viscous, fairly smooth. Light carbonation.

D: In my opinion the weakest of the JW Lee's barrel experiments. Still a good beer, but doesn't reach out and grab you or dazzle with its complexity.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2010 03:21:42 | More by Halcyondays

soulgrowl

United Kingdom (England)

3.5/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: Deep, plummy chestnut brown with a bright ruby shine to it. Head is blanched almond-colored, smooth but volatile, and surprisingly large and stalwart - not huge, but big for the style and the ABV.

Smell: Woody pipe tobacco wreathed around a ripe, fruity essence: baked apples, pears, prunes, a touch of peach and some raisins, sweetened by a hint of maple syrup and dark rum, shine their way through a curtain of velvety, earthy, oaky, resiny notes from the hops and sherry casks. Alcohol comes through only slightly, mingling with the dry-yet-robust pome fruit scents to lend the impression of Calvados. (I wonder what the Calvados cask version smells like...)

Taste: Sweet as hell but full of fruity barleywine goodness and woody, nutty, resiny sherry flavor. Gushingly sweet flavors of white sugar, apple juice, honey, and sponge cake dominate, but the varnishy, walnutty tweak of sherry offers a pleasant distraction. This beer does not have what I would call depth or complexity, but it isn't boring. I must say, though, it is too sweet.

Mouthfeel: Suitably thick, with subdued carbonation. And yet it's also quite dry - the finish, though sweet, is surprisingly not syrupy.

Drinkability: I do like the sherry flavor, but unfortunately it doesn't really do enough to buoy the leaden sugars that overwhelm this beer - nor is it interesting enough to warrant those sugars, or the big ABV, for that matter. I suppose this deserves some points for its totally undetectable alcohol, but then again, a little spicy heat might help to fence in its out-of-whack sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2008 11:03:31 | More by soulgrowl

BlackWednesday

New York

3.53/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

2003 bottle: Pours an amber color with some red color on the outside with a thin off-white head. Aroma is of sherry, caramel, dark fruits, cherry, and some alcohol. Flavor is basically the same with sherry, cherry, dark fruits and plenty of caramel and sweet malts. Very delicious, but I think I still liked the aged Harvest Ale better.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 03:32:12 | More by BlackWednesday

EPseja

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Vintage 2004. Servedfrom a 10oz. bottle in a tulip glass at cellar temperature.

A - Pours a watery looking rusty brown orange color. A one-finger high unevenly bubbled tan head rises slowly after the bottle is drained and reduces to a craggy island floating adrift on the barleywine sea.

S - The very first thing to hit my nose was a sweet honey-mustard smell. Interesting... not what I was expecting in the least. Along with this smell comes notes of port wine and musty oak.

T - Very very maraschino-cherry like sweet right up front, with no subtlety. Lots of nice oakiness and vanillin become apparent soon after along with maple syrupy maltiness and apertif-style sherry notes. The kicked up flavors continue to flex right into the finish where the hop profile finally makes a cameo appearance then departs; leaving you with a semi-dry tongue. There is a mild cloying in the throat after the swallow that unfortunately grows to a dissatisfying level about halfway through the glass. The alcohol is apparent, but not huge, mainly due to the impossible sweetness of this beer. For as many interesting flavors that are present in this beer, it still falls short of being well-rounded.

M - Slick and thick, but not viscous. Presents a slight tingle on the tongue, but that is all that is to be found of the carbonation, save the creamy froth that is left to slide down the throat. Very nice. Very appetizing for a dessert beer.

D - For as nice as this beer is as an after-dinner cordial, the sherry casks add little to the flavor other than huge sweetness as opposed to the Lagavulin casks which added some interesting peat and smoke notes. I am beginning to realize that the JW Lees line of Harvest Ales should be purchased, forgotten about for many years, and then opened up once they're reached a more satisfying level of complexity.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2006 01:36:45 | More by EPseja

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.55/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

2004 Harvest Ale matured in Sherry Casks (tried on 8/2/06)

Presentation: 275ml bottle (9.3 fl.oz.) 11.5% Alc/Vol. Single obverse cream colored label with word Harvest in dark purple text and a small black rectangle below which has the words ‘Ale matured in Sherry Casks’. Below that ‘Brewed in 2004 – Limited Edition’. Sealed with a metallic red crown cap.

Appearance: A dark ruby mahogany torso plays host to an off white ½” cap which quickly settles in a controlled manner to reveal a thick halo head and a broken surface. Finely dissolved conditioning looks great.

Nose: Molasses, sweet malts, sugared plums, raisins and crushed brown sugar enhance a very intriguing nose. Boiling fruit preserve litters the aromas with a warm working kitchen feel.

Taste: Not sure I really “get” the Sherry, but assuming it was a Sweet Sherry Cask I can go with it. High levels of dissolved sugar add a thick sweetness. Maple syrup, dark fruits and sweeter malts. Finish is cloying.

Mouthfeel: The texture is of syrup, thick fruit preserve and Grandma’s jams. Thick deep pile carpet feel but a little sickly at times.

Drinkability: 275ml was just about enough to handle.

Overall: 2004 Sherry – as with the fresher versions of the Harvest Ale and the especially the Calvados, this is just a little too sweet for my own personal taste profile. Nice enough but just a little heavy on the syrupy sugary sweetness

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2006 06:23:59 | More by TheLongBeachBum