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

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BA SCORE
95
world-class
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992 Ratings

THE BROS
100
world-class
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rAvg: 4.29
pDev: 13.99%
Reviews: 763
Hads: 229

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd

United Kingdom (England)

Style | ABV
English Barleywine | 11.50% ABV

Availability: Year-round. bottle (718), cask (28), on-tap (17).

Notes:
No notes at this time.

View: Beers (16) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by AleDrinkToThat:

AleDrinkToThat

Tennessee

4.88/5 rDev +13.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1998 Vintage.

A: As soon as I cracked into it (catching the alcohol presence right off the bat), I poured it with care into my DFH snifter. Deep mahogany hue which could only be seen on the sides and bottom in the evening sunlight, and about one finger of creamy smooth head.

S: Again, the alcohol made itself known immediately upon opening the bottle after 10 years of waiting in the darkness. While it was present, it was not utterly dominant. Caramel malt, molasses and raisins permeated and nearly overwhelmed my olfactory senses. I swear I could almost smell how sweet it was.

T: The aroma is great, but the taste is divine. The caramel malt & molasses burst forth immediately with a slightly cloying sweetness, opening up into strong raisin notes and the warming alcohol presence. It finishes beautifully on a warm note and the aftertaste is full of sweet raisins.

M: Again, it is just a little cloyingly sweet. One of the sweetest beers I've had and without the tartness of wild yeast that balances out a lambic. Very low, but not entirely absent, carbonation. But the intense thickness and warming alcohol presence make it a different and wholly fantastic experience altogether.

D: Alas, I cannot recommend more than one a week. It's just too sweet and complex. (English barleywines are right up my alley, so take all this with a grain of salt.) It's best to enjoy this flavor on occasion so one doesn't get to the point that it tastes somewhat pedestrian, which is certainly far from the case. Also, there's just no sessioning an 11.5% monster like this.

I'm not sure if all the vintages are this sweet (I've heard the 2000 is less so), but it was time to drink the '98. I don't think it could have gained much more by sitting longer. Excellent!

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2009 04:40:23 | More by AleDrinkToThat

More User Reviews:

raffy313

Texas

4.5/5 rDev +4.9%

05-18-2013 00:05:31 | More by raffy313

gpawned

Ohio

4.5/5 rDev +4.9%

05-17-2013 05:13:04 | More by gpawned

Tom-Peters

California

4.5/5 rDev +4.9%

05-13-2013 18:53:57 | More by Tom-Peters

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

4.25/5 rDev -0.9%

05-13-2013 18:43:41 | More by Slatetank

vrbulldog22

Ohio

4/5 rDev -6.8%

05-13-2013 02:07:52 | More by vrbulldog22

Bill235

Ohio

4/5 rDev -6.8%

05-12-2013 22:35:06 | More by Bill235

ipas-for-life

Virginia

4.25/5 rDev -0.9%

05-12-2013 15:56:31 | More by ipas-for-life

nbaeteer

Pennsylvania

4.66/5 rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

2010 poured into a wide bottom wine glass.

Appearance: Striking, flat light brown color with almost no variation from light. Very little if any head that completely dissapears very quickly.

Smell: Wow. Can they make scented candles that smell like this? Brown sugar, raisin, malt.

Taste: Complex sweetness up front with the alchohol showing up late. The kind of taste so powerfull you want to swirl it in your mouth as long as possible to hold onto it. So complex I might have to drink another one and revise this post.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, smooth, smooth. Perfect weight.

Overall: This feels like a beer I should be sharing with friends to celebrate a special ocassion. Now I understand the JW Lees following and price tag. This is in my personal beer HOF.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 06:11:19 | More by nbaeteer

jjheinrichs

Wisconsin

3.75/5 rDev -12.6%

05-09-2013 02:08:08 | More by jjheinrichs

bigclydeoliver

Ohio

2/5 rDev -53.4%

05-09-2013 01:01:51 | More by bigclydeoliver

mctizzz

New York

3.33/5 rDev -22.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

2006 Vintage.
This great brew has diminished into a flat sweet syrup with almost no hint of booze. I would like to try it after 2 years but this makes me question whether cellaring a brew for 7 years is even worth it. I have only had 3 beers now that have been cellared for over 5 years and this is the only one I know was far over the hill, live and learn...

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 22:12:26 | More by mctizzz