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

jmdrpi

Pennsylvania

4.54/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2006 vintage, 275mL bottle. poured into snifter

appears a dark chestnut brown color, kinda murky. no head whatsoever. rich sweet aroma of caramel with dark fruits - figs, black cherry, raisin. taste is not as sweet as the smell. complex. brown sugar, tobacco, boozy fruity finish.

overall - you can taste the contribution of the grapes from the sherry. fruit notes added. great, but just not as good as the normal version when aged.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 02:12:27 | More by jmdrpi

nemetz

4.56/5  rDev +12%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

To start off - I live in Hawaii and it is hot! plus I have no cellar. So it was served well beyond the recommended temperature. About 70F.
The glassware was on the spot though.

A Dark honey color, no head

S. amazing aroma of sweetness.

T. Sweet then instantly strong. rich with warm

M. Very rich and smooth

O. Despite being 11.5% its very pleasant. After half glass it just runs smooth and rich

P.S. My first review - Please message me if I did something wrong.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 06:59:26 | More by nemetz

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

4.39/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Dated 2004.

A: Rich dark amber. Large pieces of sediment suspended within the brew. Has a thin but beautiful off-white head of large bubbles mortared together with cream.

S: Strong impression of sherry. Honey, dried figs, soy sauce. Very similar to the nose on the port version.

T: Very sweet. Strong overall sherry flavour. Dried figs. Very lovely solvent alcohol at the back before swallowing. Very refined aftertaste - a nice balance of sherry and hoppy bitterness to remind you it's still an English ale. Perfectly balanced.

M: Sticky and jelly-like but juicy enough at the same time. Very little carbonation.

O: Very similar to the port version only this is slightly less sweet and syrupy and far more palatable. It's very nice but not something I'd drink often.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 06:29:20 | More by Hoppsbabo

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

maximum12

Minnesota

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Part of a three-bottle J.W. Lees experience my wife bought me last Christmas, & here it is almost this Christmas, & hey, I don't want her to think I don't appreciate it! So here goes the second, 9.3 ounce bottle, 2007 vintage, popped while pecking away at the Great American Novel.

Pour is smooth amber silk until the last ounce or so disgorges dozens of solids, & the liquid turns to a sludgefest; guess I'm going to have a late snack with my beer! Little if any carbonation survived the brewing & bottling process. Nose is whack sherry, along with a heavy yoke of sweetness. Like the Lagavulin Whiskey, the barrel drowns the beer in its infancy. But that's OK.

J.W. Lees Harvest (Sherry Cask) could be reviewed in two words: sweet sherry. But I'll waste a few more. It's sweet, & the sherry is strong. Really? OK, so there's a ton of caramel, sticky sugar-water, honey, touch of raisin. Consistency is thick, strong, & edging towards boozy. When I poured I cursed the midget bottle, but now, I'm appreciative of the brewer's restraint in portion control.

Overall? Good, solid, unique beer. I couldn't name another sherry-aged beer. Now just the Port version to go, & looking forward to it.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2012 03:37:29 | More by maximum12

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

metter98

New York

4.05/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is very hazy amber orange in color and has some large particles of yeast visible that are floating in suspension. It poured with a quarter finger high dense beige head that gradually died down, leaving a thin film on the surface and a collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are sweet aromas of caramel, grapes and toffee in the nose; these become stronger as the beer warms up.
T: Like the smell, the taste is sweet and has an interesting mix of butterscotch, caramel,
sherry and toffee flavors.
M: It feels a bit shy of full-bodied on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation with some warming from the alcohol.
O: This is a very nice dessert beer to sip. Although it tastes a bit strong, any flavors of alcohol are surprisingly well masked from the taste considering its strength. I thought it could use a slightly stronger body and a bit more carbonation.

Note: 2010 vintage

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2012 01:39:13 | More by metter98

wd40

New York

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

2009 Vintage.

Pours a nice hazy orange/reddish colour. I love the aspects of the Harvest Ale base that are present in the smell and taste. There was a really nice amount of carbonation that balances out the sweetness of the base nicely. The sherry cask's contribution to the taste is actually pretty well integrated and pleasant, but I don't love the contribution to the nose. It's just a little overwhelming for me. Everything else about the beer is really enjoyable and I look forward to trying the other versions of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2012 02:34:26 | More by wd40

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle poured into a snifter; 2008 Vintage

Shared side by side with the Lagavulin 2008

A murky, iced tea brown color with no head or lacing. A thin collar surrounds the glass. The nose is full of sweet sherry, tobacco, raisins, cocoa, brown sugar, and molasses. This versions tends to enhance the sweeter characteristics of the base beer. On the palate, raisins and cocoa hit you up front, then a wave of sweet sherry, with molasses, brown sugar, and dry tobacco in tow. The finish is sweet and boozy. Full body, low carbonation. High complexity. This varietal was more enjoyable than the Lagavulin. The sherry flavors/aromas imparted by the aging process seemed much better incorporated and really enhanced some of the other flavors that weren't present in the other version.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 21:28:26 | More by ColForbinBC

Dope

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2009 bottle

A: Murky rusty brown with just a tiny tan head. Almost no lacing.

S: Lots of molasses, toffee and fig. Sherry is there but milder than the other barrel-aged versions I've had. Smell isn't nearly as overpowering either, it's actually quite nice.

T: Syrupy sweet molasses and toffee just like all of the variants. Sherry adds a decent fruitiness without being overpowering AND it covers a bit of that ridiculous molasses.

M: Super heavy, syrupy, blah blah blah.

O: Honestly not a bad variant. The sherry is very mild but it helps ease some of the ridiculously cloyingly sweet molasses. Not to say that it's NOT ridiculously cloyingly and syrupy sweet, just less so.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 02:56:24 | More by Dope

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2005 Vintage.

Beer is a murky toffee colour. A vigorous pour results in a bit of bubbly off-white head.

Lots of sweet caramel malt in the nose. Sherry, apple, brown sugar, raisin.

Taste is like the smell, but the sherry flavour is stronger. Caramel malt, brown sugar, oak, apple, cherry. Very sweet. Alcohol is noticeable, even seven years after bottling. Finish has an odd flavour that I can't place, makes me think of leather.

Full bodied, but with a low carbonation that makes it feel quite thin. Syrupy sticky.

Overall, too sweet for me. Some very nice flavours, but too sweet and sherry is not one of my favourite flavours. Worth checking out but I don't expect I would buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 17:47:29 | More by jrenihan

mrfrancis

Kentucky

4.28/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a hazy, ruddy amber with no head.

S: Aromas of sherry, apple, caramel, toffee, milk chocolate, and brown sugar fill the nose.

T: Notes of sherry, apple, milk chocolate, toffee, caramel, brown sugar, vanilla bean, black currant, plums, raisins, figs, and Medjool dates. The finish is sweet and long with plenty of port, chocolate, and dark fruit notes.

M: Full in body, sticky, and syrupy. Carbonation is very gentle, but even after eight years in the bottle, is still present. Alcohol presence is decidedly restrained.

O: This is a fantastic English barleywine, and may very well be my favorite of J.W. Lees' cask-aged ales. Definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 22:00:54 | More by mrfrancis

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy brown-orange color with a bit of bubbly white head. The head fades away fairly quickly leaving behind barely any lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of rich sweet caramel malts with some white grape, dark fruits, some oak, brown and caramelized sugars, a bit of vanilla, and some booze.

T - Starts off with a mix of rich sweet caramel malts, caramelized sugars, grape, and some raisin and other dark fruits. Through the middle, some oak comes through with some more sherry flavor alongside some vanilla and a bit of brown sugar. The finish is a mix of sherry, sweet caramel malts, brown sugar, oak, and some booze.

M - Medium-full bodied with mild carbonation. Feels smooth and syrupy with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. The Sherry adds a nice complexity to the base beer. Overall nicely bold and fairly balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 05:57:33 | More by ngeunit1

UCLABrewN84

California

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

Thanks to barfdiggs for sharing this one at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted by mrbubbler.

2009 vintage.

Pours a murky honey orange with a foamy orange-tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, honey, brown sugar, wood, and sherry/alcohol. Taste is much the same with a nice sherry and woody aftertaste. There is a medium amount of bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer that features a nice barrel aged treatment.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 07:01:49 | More by UCLABrewN84

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

9.3oz bottle served in a snifter.
2006 vintage.

pours a murky russet brown tone with a fair amount of flakes/sediment; no head whatsoever. not entirely unexpected so i'll keep style in mind but, judging solely on appearance, this is one unappealing looking beer! good thing appearance is the least important judging criteria. nose is sweet and malty with notes of caramel/toffee, brown sugar, sherry, and some dark fruit-like qualities.

taste follows the nose, very rich and buttery with a tasty range of flavors, from the toffee and brown sugar to the sherry and fruity notes. medium-full bodied mouthfeel with below average carbonation, the latter being (beside the appearance) one of my few criticisms.

overall a tasty, tasty beer; while far from flawless - or cheap - it's rich and complex. worth the occasional splurge.

(originally reviewed: 08-23-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 00:59:49 | More by BostonHops

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

UnknownKoger

California

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

Last reviewed a year ago. Scores reflect the latest tasting. 2005 vintage poured into Bruery tulip glass

Appearance is a hazy brown color. Virtually no carbonation. It's pretty flat

Smells delicious. The sherry is very apparent in the nose. There are also notes of fig and other dark fruits. Some smoke. Malt sweetness. Smells good

The taste is pretty good. The sherry notes give this barleywine a pleasant sweetness. Even though it's lacking carbonation, it's still pleasant to drink. No hop presence.

Mouthfeel is very smooth. Goes down nicely.

Overall I'm giving the 2005 a better score than the 2007 I reviewed a year ago. Perhaps the vintage is different or perhaps my tastes have changed. Cheers

---

Bottled in 2007, consumed now. Purchased from K&L Wines in Hollywood and poured into my New Belgium tulip glass.

A: After pouring, I was afraid I'd screwed something and would have to strain the beer or chew it. The floaties others have mentioned I think are congealed bits of liquid because I tried smashing some against the side of the glass with my finger. I suppose the lesson learned here is don't pour it too cold. Otherwise it poured a hazy brown with very light carbonation

S: Smells like it was made in a sherry cask. Very sweet and malty. It made my mouth water

T: Granted, this is my first English barleywine, it's definitely a sipper in my opinion. Whereas in American barleywines it's a hopfest, this brew is all about the sweet sherry notes mixing with the caramel malty goodness. First drink I was kind of put off, but it started to warm up to me.

M: Like gold, this is super smooth and light on the tongue and goes down smooth. It's weird; you can taste the alcohol, but it's not overwhelming. Given that it's 11.5% it goes down a lot smoother than others near this level and in this style.

D: As I mentioned earlier, it's definitely a sipper. Others have mentioned it's a good nightcap, and that's exactly how I'm drinking it. Not sure if I'm entirely sold on English barleywines, but it's definitely a good beer...just not my particular style of choice

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 01:54:41 | More by UnknownKoger

jdprmd

Missouri

4.58/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

2005 Vintage, pored in oversized snifter.

A - ruby red, very little head that disappears quickly.

S - Wow, sherry, and so many dark fruits, peat and sweetness... sublime

T - Damn this is sweet, tastes more like a grand crue than a barleywine. It has some smokiness and peaty notes that make it interesting. This taste is really complex, if you like sweeter beers this is a home run. Lots of dark fruits: grape, cherry, plum... and so on... and of course sherry! The only thing not giving this a 5 on taste is the high sweetness.

M - very velvety, I had the lagavulin version the other night and it was perfect, this one not as good but very close... super smooth going down the hatch.

O - damn J.W... the whole series is great from what I have had... if you find any of them do your self a favor and make the purchase! This as well as the others are very complex... a bit pricy but well worth it. What is even greater is that you can find bottles as far back as 2005! I will be seeking bottles of this out for years to come.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 05:20:53 | More by jdprmd

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2008 Vintage
appearance: Amber, slightly hazy, not so much as I recall of the Port version. Slight wisp of a head.
smell: Sherry much more prominent than Port was in that version. Sweet fruit and caramel.
taste: Rich and full with all the characteristics of the nose.
overall: Very nice. Better at this age than the Port version I recently had, but also has 2 years age on the 2010 Port version. We'll see what happens as this ages further.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 00:28:24 | More by cindyjeffsmith

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.53/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from '03 into a medium-sized Duvel tulip. Big thanks to Matt for sharing this one.

A: Clear orange body with a few stray tan bubbles on top. A swirl brings more to view, showing that the beer still has real life. Impressive.

S: Yup. Sherry. Rich, candied, slightly oxidized sherry. It's impossible to tell where the barrel ends and the age begins. Some strong, pure brown sugar sweetness backs up all the nutty, fruity sherry goodness. Wow.

T: Creamy, rich, sweet, and simple: sugar, sherry, toffee, vanilla, and more sherry. So, so good. No booze at all. Again, wow.

M: Full, sticky, creamy, and amazingly lively. I honestly couldn't imagine a better-feeling Barleywine.

O: Incredible beer. I feel like we really hit the nail on the head with this one's age, as the fresher bottle of the Port version I tried was (while equally delicious) significantly boozier. The '03 Sherry could not have been smoother. If I happen to run into any from this year, I'll buy them without hesitation. You should, too.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-14-2012 23:50:34 | More by woosterbill

seand

California

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

2005 vintage.

A: Pours a clear amber with red highlights, slightly deeper in color than the regular '08 harvest ale. Hardly any head, and what does show up dissipates fairly quickly.

S: Rich honey, and raisins, with a slightly vinous backdrop.

T: Extremely well balanced rich sweetness. Strong honey, along with molasses and dried fruit. No bitterness.

M: Fully body, very little carbonation.

Fantastic; possibly the best I've tried in the style, though I've yet to try any of the other barrel aged versions of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 01:50:38 | More by seand

jsanford

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

04 Vintage. 12oz bottle poured into a Snifter.

Pours a hazy mahogany with a thin white head that settles to a slight haze and ring. Moderately sweet aromas of caramel, ripe pear, and toffee with a ton of oak and Sherry character. Taste is right in-line with the nose, the oaky Sherry character definitely overpowers the rest of the beer, and I'm getting a decent amount of oxidation. Mouthfeel is smooth and sticky, with a medium-full body and low carbonation. Overall a decent treatment of J.W. Lees, but Sherry already isn't my preferred taste, so I didn't enjoy this as much as the "regular" or Calvados versions I had alongside it.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 17:22:51 | More by jsanford

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

champ103

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a 2008 bottle.

A: Initially this pours a clear ruby red color. Be careful because lots of suspended yeast is sitting on the bottom. Definitely bottle conditioned. A bubbly two finger white head forms that recedes to a ring. Some lace is left behind.
S: Toasted malts, chocolate, wood aromas. The sherry is very apparent with a great fruit medley. Apples, pears, cherries. Excellent.
T: Again a great warm toasted malt flavor that follows the nose. Chocolate, caramel, lots of wood flavors. Big on the apples and cherries. Awesome.
M/D: A full body that is slightly sticky. Very smooth though. So easy to sip on. The huge alcohol is nowhere to be seen, and very enjoyable.

Yep this is a good one. J.W. Lees makes the definitive Barleywines. I really like what the Sherry casks add. Something I would highly recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 03:27:39 | More by champ103

DaveHS

California

4.43/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Vintage 2005

A-Pours a bit darker than the regular harvest ale. When held up the light, the sherry red highlights reflect the time this beer has spent in casks. A few fat chunks of yeast settle at the bottom of the glass. Let this one settle for a while before you open it, and pour with care.

S-Like the non barrel aged harvest ale, earthy aromas of dirt and molasses are right up front. However,they are muted, more rounded and soft. Barely perceptible dark berry sweetness peeks through, on the heels of a slightly dry boozy sharpness.

T/M-The time this one spent in the barrel (and the bottle) has rounded off some of the edges that made the straight harvest ale so dynamic. This one is all about elegance. The body is thinner, with an undernote of vinous acidity playing against musty sherry soaked wood. The sweetness of this version is more sugary and straightforward, accentuated by the thinner, sharper mouth feel, with tart grape juice acidity on the back end.

O-An excellent example of how barrel aging can add a new layer to a beer without disrupting its true character.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 20:15:37 | More by DaveHS