J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

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

Bottle at PIB. Poured out brown with nice red highlights and a very small tan head. Aroma was very sweet, but balanced well with the aromas of whiskey and oak. Some peat and smoke in there too, very aromatic. Flavor is huge and complex. Whiskey, oak, caramel malt, peat, smoke, brown sugar, dark fruits. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel, and one of the best beers I had at this great event.

Courtesy of boutip! Yes, I may have begged..
What is this? An English barley wine aged in casks from the legendary Lagavulin? Jesus! What more could I ask for? Poured out exactly zero head and a deep amber brew. Odd - I dumped in the sediment almost 15 minutes ago and its still totally suspended with zero settling occouring to this point. Interesting aroma for sure - I can smell the Lagavulin - I’d say that tonight I’m hyper sensitive to it as I absolutely love Lagavulin. First off, the aroma instantly reminds me of some old Hardy’s Ale that I had from 1991 (I wish I had late 90’s for the comparrison) as it is the only brew that I have had that has some of these characteristics. Incredibly sweet, tolerable malts that lean to the soy sauce side, sweet plums, strawberries, peat, smoke, dirt and salt. Ever take a big whiff of a brew and it goes from thick sweetness to, peat and smoke and then back to sweet? How odd. I’m very happy that this offering has absorbed the salty characteristic of the neighbouring Islay distilleries. Don’t forget the caramel. The taste is a bit overwhelming at first go - massively sweet and thick but then you realize there is so much more here even though I think the cast aging has dulled a lot of the English BW qualities in a good way. Thick sweet malts that make me think of soy sauce but then I realize that this is far from the truth - sweet and peaty is what dominates here with heavy caramel malts backing that up. Thick and sweet. Then there is the Lagavulin factor - peat, smoke, sherry and obvious saltiness. Awesome variation of flavours. Man, this stuff is thick! Leaves a heavy heavy coating everywhere. The aftertaste is just excellent with endless sweetness and the overshadowed but still bluntness of what the aging has added. Honestly I wish there was more Lagavulin here but it is a beer after all. This is how a beer that is aged in a cask should be - a strong, powerful beer with character that can handle the addition of such dominating qualities. Chased with another glass of 16yr.....

Clear golden with no head. Barleywine sweetness mixed with a big whiskey aroma. The two flavors don’t quite work together but I like the strength of the whiskey flavor and a nice alcohol burn on the back end/

It’s reddish brown with lots of floaties and an intense fruit and alcohol aroma. It tastes like sherry (can’t wait to try the sherry cask version), with a lot of sugar and alcohol. Lagavulin is my favorite single malt, so naturally I appreciate the smoked peat flavor from the cask conditioning. This is a very interesting version of the barleywine style.

2004 bottle. Muddy looking, flat, light chestnut. Sweet brown sugar nose but a little oxidized with peat smoke accents. Burly peat up front, then rich brown sugary decadence. Finishes peaty, sweet, alcoholic and a little woody. Lots of fun, but not much nuance. The two characters are not as cohesive as I’d like them to be.

2004 Bottle tasted in flight with the Port and Sherry. This is the darkest of the three, a brown-burgundy and almost opaque. Flat. The aroma is pure Scotch whiskey. Lovely peat and wood, maybe a few mineral notes, layers of whiskey. I almost have to search for the heat, the aroma is so accessible. Like the others, the palate is smooth, silky, thick, and viscous. Damn tasty stuff, but for me you can’t go wrong with peat. there are other flavors in here (some chocolate, raisin, tobacco, star anise, nutmeg, dark grape juice) but none as outstanding to my palate as the peatiness. The finish is clean but sweet. Nice. Mellow, smooth, and warming.

Huge thanks to Tony @ OTH for this one. 2006 cask version. pours hazy straw, no head. Aroma was deliciously smoked with a strong nose of fermented apple and fruits. light sour in the nose and peat. Taste, barrel, lots of smoke goodness adding to a superb wood like palate. Some nutty malts, bacon, apple, brown sugar and peat, tad of whiskey seems to peek half way through. Mouthfeel is excellent, almost flat and very low carbonation. At 11.5% this one one amazingly good beer, very smooth, easy to drink. Full of complexity.

2006 bottle thanks to dakine. amber pour with a ring of white. nose is very peaty with vanilla and a hint of alcohol. very thick on the palate with a great peaty/smoke flavor. very nice beer to just sit back and enjoy.