J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

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

2004 vintage pours dark amber with a very short tan head that fades real quick. Aromas of good whiskey, smoke, some oak, and lots of caramel notes.. Flavor is caramel whiskey, smoke, peat, scotch, and oak.. Quite complex. Silky smooth with full body on the palate. Good soft mouthfeel. Finishes with a lingering sweetness. Alcohol is well covered.. This one is a delightful brew. I want to try all of these now... Something I’ve passed by many times on the shelf for other choices.. Quite nice..

NorCal tasting Feb 07 - The 4th and final Harvest ale of the evening, and much like the first 3, the sweetness dominates both the nose and the flavor. There was a clear cut smokiness to the aroma and flavor of the beer, no doubt due to the Lagavuliln casks along with some peat and whiskey. Very smooth in the mouthfeel, ths beer overall was nice.

Served on gravity cask at Spuytin Duyvil. Deep dark garnet colour, completely still. Aroma is intensely oaky and smokey with more whisky character than I’ve ever tasted in any barrel-aged beer. Smells very alcoholic, but the flavour is sweet and soft. Caramel malt, honeyed sweetness and loads of sweet peaty and heathery character. Rich caramel butter sauce, demerara sugar and smokiness. Retronasally, there is still more smokiness, but this is cut short by a vineous sweetness. It’s a tasty brew, but it tends to get treacly sweet, even in this 4 oz sample.

Valley Brew tasting Feb 2007 - 2004 vintage - Aroma and flavor are smokey, whiskey and tobacco over the traditonal English barleywine characteristics. Sticky palate. A tasty brew to be enjoyed in front of the fire.

The most unique beer I have ever tasted. Cellared for 3 years. I shared the bottle with a coworker and I’m not sure If I could drinking an entire one by myself. Not because it wasn’t good But because it was TOO good. With a beer like this it is just selfish to keep it all to yourself. I would highly recommend both aging it and waiting at least half an hour after pouring it before even taking a tiny sip. trust me, it’s worth the wait.

I got this simply because I am a big Scotch fan and Lagavulin is my favorite whisky. Poured into a brandy snifter. Dark cherry color with a small white head and some lace. Wow. This may be the best aroma I’ve smelled on any beer. Incredibly complex and unique. It is smoky but not in the peaty way Lagavulin or other Islays are. Meaty, full, slightly fruity. Lots of other stuff in the aroma I cannot put my finger on. I don’t want to drink it it smells so good. Very full mouth feel, quite thick and heavy. Doesn’t taste quite as good as it smells but it is still great. This is like a full meal. Surprisingly, it doesn’t taste that much like whisky to me. Still great though.

2006 Version - Wooden-pin cask at Spuyten Duyvil: Wow, this stuff is awesome. Pours a very deep and hazy orange with no head. The aroma is filled with piney, scotch-like qualities, peat & fresh earth, dirty woodchip and an underlying open fire smokeyness. At the front of the tongue there’s sweet glazed piney notes reminiscent of baked Irish soda bread with raisins. Unbelievably complex layers of flavors that develop more with each sip. There’s an amazing smokeyness that reminds me of burning wood or a fresh open fire. There’s absolutely no indication of alcohol, extremely smooth texture down the throat. Leaves a light maple residue on the lips. This stuff is just absolutely delicious and unparallel in complexity.

Pours honey-amber with very little head and a trace of cloudiness. Smells like peaty smoke, whisky and butterscotch. Big, thick, flat mouthfeel...a bit of an alcohol burn at the end, but a heck of a cornucopia on the way...definately smoke, dark fruit, sweet coffee, yummy malts, and more butterscotch...lots going on here! Delicious and very drinkable.