J.W. Lees Harvest Ale

Brewed by J.W. Lees
Style: Barley Wine
Middleton Junction, England

1988, which makes this beer 21 yrs old at tasting. Smells like sweet raisins and caramel. Murky dark brown with no head or lacing. Very soft and smooth palate, also sugary sticky, it stays on your lips, nice! Very complex beer, hard to describe! Sweet fruity, raisin, malt taste. At first, this beer had a background flavor of almost cardboard,(thought that maybe it had oxidized a little) but after it had time to breath that taste disappered. This was a gift and a good one! A special treat, i liked it!

Deep red-brown color. Caramel aroma, fruity and rich, with some wheat underneath. Not much carbonation, texture syrupy and sticky. Sweet, full body. Seemed almost like a sweet liquor, very rich.

275 ml 1999 bottle. Pours a deep red kind of brown with a creamy light tan head. Aroma is very sweet and fruity, lots of big malts coming through with a heavy dose of dark fruits, sweet toffee and some prune and plum characteristics. Tastes so rich with maple and oaky notes in the start along with the dark overripe fruits. So very sweet from start to finish, barely any hops present tiny bitterness in the finish. Boozy but blends perfectly like a nice port. very rich full sticky body and almost no carbonation. Damn this is a tasty night time sipper

1998 Vintage. After ten years this is as fresh as the day it was bottled. Pours a three finger brown head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Deep mahogany color. Light-medium carbonation and heavy bodied. Raisin/plum nose. Flavor is sweet raisin almost like a port. The high ABV comes through but does not overwhelm. Pricey at $6.99 for a 275ml bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Wells, ME. 2000 Vintage. Pours a two finger light brown head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Almost clear mahogany color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Raisin/rummy nose. Flavor is sweet rum and raisins with alcohol overtones. Pricey - $5.99 for a 11.5oz bottle from John’s Grocery Iowa City, Ia. 1999 Vintage Pours a two finger cream head that fades slowly, leaving some lace. Deep brown color. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose. Flavor is dark fruit and alcohol with a strong alcohol finish. Cellared very well. $10.40 for a 275ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

v.2008. Murky, swampy brown pour, with no head and little CO2. Aroma- wood, over-ripe fruits, spices, extremely complex. Flavor- huge malt, overly ripe figs, wood, brown sugar. Finishes syrupy; somewhat one-dimensional, but not to its detriment. Unctuous.

Poured on tap, pours a light clear yellowy peach color with a billowing white head. Nose is heavy on table sugar, peaches and pears. A lot of anticipation to taste this one as it is a craft beer staple and I had yet to ever try one. Anticipation changed to disappointment quickly as it was like drinking a shitty syrup. Flavor profile was dominated by residual sugars, mouthfeel was extremely sticky, it tasted like i was drinking a simple syrup. I left the remainder of the glass on the bar. I now have to check my blood 3 times a day and take insulin injections, thanks JW Lees.

Bottle, purchased in San Francisco earlier this year. Vintage 2000. Pours a dark orange-brown with a brief golden head. Rich toffee malt aroma and flavour, with tons of figgy port-like fruit, nuances of orange brandy, subtle spices. The sweetness is balanced well by a generous citrus peel bitterness in the finish. Silky smooth, heavy velvety mouthfeel. Long, warm finish. A beautiful winter warmer.

Pours a murky brown color with a thin white head. Aroma is somewhat boozy, with a hint of molasses, toffee and caramel. Taste is sweet to begin with and mixes the flavors of with the bourbon very well, hiding the alcohol. Finishes very smooth and clean.