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

zerk

California

4.15/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had this on cask at Chalkies. Clear deep copper with no head. Has a very strong alcohol aroma, with notes of smoke, scotch, and sweet malt. Flavor is very sweet, but not what I'd call cloying. Very complex... begins with very sweet caramel and butterscotch, then some smokey, peat-like flavors, finishing a little bit spicey. Had no carbonation to speak of, but had a very full and smooth mouthfeel. A wonderful sipping beer.

Serving type: cask

02-04-2003 21:11:32 | More by zerk

purplehops

Maine

4.4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1992 Vintage
The 92' pours a sparkly red-orange (pms 1675c) with very fine particles of yeast in suspension. There is no head to speak of and no lacing on the glass. The aroma is honey and orange with alcohol and prunes/raisin smells. There are also some floral notes like those from a Belgian Triple yeast. The taste starts off very very malty with a mead like alcohol kick and lots of effervescence on the tongue. The finish is dry with alcohol being the main player here. There are some notes of citrus and very faint bitter hop flavors. The aftertaste is alcohol warmth and sweet. Some hints of corriander like spice flavors and hops float in and out of the alcohol glow. You can feel the alcohol in your esophagus long after the last sip. The mouthfeel is full with tongue tingling and a hint of syrupy, but not in an unpleasant way.
Overall a very nice and complex winter sippen' ale. Full of alcohol warmth with lots of malty, citrus, and spice flavors. The 92' may be starting to go. There were a few medicine and metallic flavors trying to get out as if the yeast was done and the malt was ready to start breaking down.

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2003 19:41:25 | More by purplehops

maxpower

Missouri

2.83/5  rDev -34%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

1988 must have not been stored right, flat no carbonation, sweet sugary caramel aroma, tasted like maple syrup, too sweet two sips and dumped the rest.1997 was much better, very small head, strong caramel aroma, smooth, sweet caramel- toffee flavor, this is what I will rate, the 1988 was ruined.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2002 18:36:34 | More by maxpower

Suds

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1997 vintage. A very dense, thin, tan head sits atop this dark-ruby beer. The smell is fantastic...a woody, complex, malt and grain aroma. Big on the malt sweetness, but also considerable butterscotch and toffee tastes. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel. Exceptionally complex. Simply outstanding: a beer to be enjoyed slowly and deliberately.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2002 20:39:05 | More by Suds

Shiredave

New York

4.72/5  rDev +10%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

2000 vintage. Not bottle conditioned, (ie no yeast )but cellarable, I'm sure the 11.5% alc / vol ensures it's longevity, but I question whether the flavors change.We will see in time. The condition of this bottle was near perfect. Dense and clingy, slighlty off white head, mega malt to start but fresh earthy hop aroma fights it's way through around the alcohol notes. Label states only "the choicest East Kent Goldings" hops are used. This Brarley wine is as close to a US / W. coast barleywine
( more malt than Ol Crusty, more Hop than Ol Foghorn..)as I've ever tasted from the UK. This beer explodes w/ hopflavor and bitterness - all EK Golding grassiness and fruity pine. Massive amounts of malt must be used in this brew and much remains in the sweet, honey like , full bodied flavors that stack up to the uncommonly strong hop presence. As this beer warmed the alcohol notes came through a bit more ; but only a bit as the thickness and hoppiness hide the alcohol very well. If there were dyacitals and funky alcohol flavors, I couldnt find them. The warmth down the throat and into your veins keeps you aware of the Hugeness of what your sipping. This is without a doubt the best British barleywine Ive ever had and quite possibly one of the best made beers. Aged before release, exceptionally well balanced, Humongously Massive in every way... as the bottle states this beer is brewed " as a Celebration of the Brewers Art". IMHO, I think JW Lees has done just that.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2002 11:25:07 | More by Shiredave

ZAP

Minnesota

5/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

F#@ck Yeah!!! I love drinking a GREAT beer for the first time...OUTSTANDING....High in alcohol...the type you want to sip, but the type you can't keep your hands away from grabbing the minute you put it down..fascinating drinking experience....I get a sweet fruity nose with some hints of brown sugar and molasses....the taste is incredible...huge dark fruits...definitely plum...maybe some prunes...dark cherries...the brown sugar is there...as is the molassis....and dare I say some odd hints of coconut....the nose immediately reminded me of a champagne or wine or something...the flavor though is more like a port...or Brandy with a nice hit of brown sugar...this is one of those beers that transcendes the entire beer drinking experience....there is no Barley Wine finer..

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2002 22:46:19 | More by ZAP

marc77

California

4.1/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

1997. Hazy chestnut hue, topped by a thin, but persistant tan head. Intensely aromatic-- a waft of oaky vanilla is followed by darkly caramelized fruit & carob. The complex flavor profile is comprised of diacetyl butterscotch, nutty, almost peanut - brittle like caramel notes, mellow banana & plenty of residual sweetness. Hop bitterness asserts itself welcomely in the pleasantly bittersweet finish. A soothing alcohol warmth rounds everything out.

1998. Beautiful clear deep ruby hue w/ flecks of suspended yeast aggregates. The head settles into a tight ring. Vinous, intensely caramelly sweet, buttery, toffeeish aroma, w/ hints of caramelized fruit & licorice. Mild, but heaty fusels round out the aroma. The malt profile is quite deep. Residual unfermented sugar and caramel malt sweetness provide the foundation for subtle vanilla notes, date - like fruitiness & carob. The body is rich, dextrinous & almost viscous. Although faded, hop bitterness eeks its way towards the end, preventing syrupy sweetness. Finishes bittersweet & fruity, w/ sugary sweetness on the lips.

1999. Hazy deep garnet hue, w/ a beige head quickly receding into a glass coating ring. Assertive dark caramel malt and nutty biscuit malt lend an upfront toffeeish sweetness in aroma, then notes of prune like dark fruity esters follow. Trace heaty, solventy fusels prevent the aroma from reaching perfection. Syrupy, molasses like sweetness hits the palate at first, then is ensued by a deep, dark fruity melange of figs, dried dates and raisins. Hop bitterness is muted, and is overpowered by malt sweetness. Moderate to full in body, w/ plenty of residual dextrins for a smooth, rich mouthfeel. Finishes w/ a snap of sugary sweetness, but otherwise clean. Mellow alcohol warmth emerges slowly.



Serving type: bottle

07-02-2002 06:05:10 | More by marc77

Bighuge

Minnesota

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

2000 vintage. This beer is a murky looking deep scarlet color. A slight brown head edges the glass. Very sweet caramel candy aroma. Also get cherry and wood on the nose. These Harvest Ales never cease to amaze me. This is the third vintage I've tried over the past month and they were all wonderful. This beer is so damn smooth for 11.5 a/v. These Harvest ales are truly works of art. This beer is vinous and heavy on the fruits and sweet characteristics. Dark cherry and plum. Vanilla extract. Candied apple. Dry cedar. The more I sip this the more I feel the dominant taste here is cherry-vanilla. Wow. It's great. The mouthfeel is a titch syrupy and almost a full bodied brew. But this is a highly drinkable beer given it's a/v. Another winner from JW LEES.

1998. Appearance is dark burgandy. Thin laced off-white head. The nose is piney, malty and perfumey. And oh yeah, alcohol is there too. My oh my is all I can say when this beer hits the palate. Beautiful. Surprisingly, I get no sign of alcohol whatsoever. And this is 11.5 a/v. This is an incredibly smooth and easy drinking barleywine. This is my first experience with JW LEES and it is very positive. I seem to get some spicing on the palate. Sweet spices like cinamon. This beer has a really nice sweet taste to it. Fairly low on bitterness. Very little aftertaste. This beer is almost a Masterpiece of the Brewing Art.

1997. The beer pours a deep garnet with a decent head. Unbelievable sweet fruity tones on the nose. And some alcohol and brown sugar. The taste is very sherry like. Very nice. Residual sugars are evident. Tastes of brown sugar and candied apple. Very nice taste. A little bitterness perceived. Alcohol is present but not overbearing. This is very good, but the '98 vintage I had a couple nights ago was better.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2002 22:13:35 | More by Bighuge

Murph

Arizona

4.9/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

1999. Pours a clear bright amber with a thick creamy tan head that refuses to go away. Intense sweet chocolate and caramel malts dominate with some raisins tossed in and some very slight alcohol. Intense maltiness right away. Chocolate and caramel. Some fruitiness; raisins, faint cherries, and some other dark fruits. Extremely chewy mouthfeel and nicely drinkable. Not quite up to par with its older brothers yet, but still an awesome brew. A couple of years of cellaring would do this brew very nicely.

1998. Pours a clear dark amber/brown with a thick, rocky, tan head that retains very well. Smells are of cherries, raisins, toffee, chocolate, and some barely noticeable warming alcohol. Tastes start off with some sweet, chewy malt then fade to chocolate before going fruity. Cherries, raisins, and apples are the big ones. Woody and slightly smokey. The chocolatey malty flaovrs stay pretty much throughout. Great creamy smoothness in the mouth and very drinkable for the style. Damn do they ever know how to make a barley wine at this brewery. The best I have had of the style. Some might like it aged some more but I like the somewhat raw characters of the fruits.

1997. Beautiful light brownish/amber with a nice tannish head. Smells of malty sweetness, apples, smokey/wood, light alcohol, and a touch of honey. Taste is unbelievably complex. Tart fruits, smokey character, big maltiness, some earthy hops, honey, chocolate, and more maltiness. Those are just a few of the flavors that I am pulling off of this one. I can't even identify some of them. Incredibly smooth and creamy and pretty damn drinkable for a BW. This was an absolutely awesome brew, if you love barley wines like I do then you have to get some of these. A great special occasion beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2002 18:36:21 | More by Murph

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.38/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle reviews....
(08JAN05) Another nice bier to warm up with on a cold, snowy night! Label states 1st December 1997. Bottling date, or brew date? Anyhow, label also states best before Nov 2002. Oooops, just a bit late. Oh well. Better nate than lever....

Into the snifter she goes, and it's a dark brown, opaque brew, with a very thin, wispy head congregating only around the rim of the glass. Upon closer inspection, with a little light turned on, I see that the Harvest has a deep ruby hue. Quite nice! Nose is a potent, sweet, rich combo of dark fruit and malty sweetness. Mmmm! Body is more than medium, almost chewy, and silky smooth. Oh yeah! And the flavor is replete with fruity notes, like plum and raisin. Not quite as sweet as the nose suggests, but bulging with dark fruit notes. The high abv is oh-so-well concealed! Don't feel any real warmth, though it's early yet! Along with the fruit is an undercurrent of caramel/toffee sweetness. Real nice! Gotta sip it though; take your time! Tasty bier!!

overall: 4.35
appearance: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | mouthfeel: 4.5 | drinkability: 4

*** ***

Bottle...
(20FEB03) This is a 275ml bottle of 1997 vintage. Poured a very rich, dark brown color, with little transparency to it. Head is a finely bubbled, tan layer, with more head ringing the outer rim of the snifter. It leaves a fair amount of lace, yet nothing spectacular. Upon taking a whiff I am inundated by raisiny, dark fruit aromas, as well as the unmistakable nose of alcohol. Sweet and rich....quite nice! The body is medium to medium-plus, and the biers' passage across the tongue ruffles nary a feather....nice and smooth! The taste itself is loaded with creamy, rich, sweet flavors...lots of dark fruit and some toffee notes as well. A verrry nice sipping bier, which has aged well since '97. Cheers!! (4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5 = 4.50)

*** ***

Cask sample from 20MAY02... This beer was sampled at the Boston Beer Summit. The following, courtesy of Matthias Neidhart of B. United: "It was 2001 vintage , 11.5% alc./vol. The wooden cask was primed with E.Dupont's
calvados from Normandie,France, prior to its filled with JW Lees Harvest Ale." Lovely mahogany-like color; minimal head and lace, though. Assertive sweet nose, with alcohol quite present. Very nice body, and the smoothness caresses the tongue. Rich, sweet, malty, oaky, nutty flavors with the ever-present alcohol. A wonderful brew! (4.0/4.5/4.5/4.5/4.5 = 4.40)

160

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2002 17:39:35 | More by Bierman9

Viking

Indiana

4.68/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I must say my first experience with JW Lees Harvest Ale was a great one! This beer is dark reddish-brown, yet not cloudy. The head was a bit weak, and dissolved quickly. The aroma was rich and saturated with molasses. The beer is thick, but not overly surypy. It has a strong, sweet, buttery caramel flavor with some odd fruit flavor hiding away inside. Damn good at nearly 3 and a half years old!

I might have to pick up a couple more bottles and save them for next fall.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2002 15:06:29 | More by Viking

mattmaples

Oregon

4.8/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

1998. OK, I love this just as much as the 97. Both are great beers. I was fortunate enough to have this beer on tap this summer and baby was it good.

1997. EEEXcelent! I like Todds rum rasin comment, malty smooth nice alcohol presence. Complex, asertive flavors but easy to drink (unlike some barley wines). This is what an aging beer should taste like. Lucky for us B United (the US Importer) ages these beers for us and periodically releases some of them. Rumor is that they are still sitting on some 88. I currently have 97 and 98 on the shelf due to these wonderful people. It's still out there to be had, go hunt some down.


Serving type: bottle

10-16-2001 23:54:33 | More by mattmaples

Todd

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 275ml brown bottle. Limited Edition - 1st December 2000. No sediment in the bottle.

Appearance: A rich, slightly hazy, copper coloured beer with a magnificent foamy, creamy head. Initial pour is about 3-4 fingers thick! Head retention is outstanding -- seems to last forever.

Smell: Raisins, molasses, raw honey, buttery toffee, rich fruity esters and an almost pungent raw hop aroma.

Taste: This is a huge beer! Silky smooth and ultra-creamy with a gentle carbonation that attempts to break through a thick syrupy malt profile of rich caramel, toffee, molasses, coffee and chocolate milk, honey and raisin. All sorts of toasted malt flavours play the palate, with baked sweet bread flavours. Alcohol notes follow, and try to hide in a cornucopia of big sweet ripe fruit flavours (pineapple and sweet honey dew melon come to mind). Bitterness is just enough to tame the malt from dominating 100%, with light citrus notes. The ale finishes with a touch of buttery diacetyl, toasted malts, coffee, milk and a bit of grain flavour.

Notes: Last time a tried one of these it was a bottle of the 1986, I believe. It was staggering. For being around a year and a half old at the time of this review, the 2000 is simply to die for. There's so much complexity of flavour going on that you almost need to stop analyzing and simply enjoy it before the glass is empty.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2001 00:00:01 | More by Todd

Jason

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Alcohol is still a bit boisterous as well as the forceful fruitiness. Jam packed with flavour with a similarity to a port or sherry minus the carbonation. I preferred this year over 1997 due to it being a bit more robust and over the top for a barley wine.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2000 23:26:04 | More by Jason