J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

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

2004 Vintage

Poured copper/gold like a Scotch with a thin, tan skin and thick, tan ring. Light vinegar in aroma with barrel aging evident in its whisky notes. I also find some vinous red wine character amidst its light fruitiness. Thick and syrupy with up-front potency. Could stand a few more years in the barrel as the sugars cloy.

<font size=-4>Sampled at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Events-Detail.asp?Eve Vintage Beer Fest 2006<font size=-1>

Bottle 2003..... Aroma:Oak,smoked,scotch..... Appearanc head.. Flavor:Wow,mixe of scotch,alcoholt,smoked,oak and caramel.........

St Albans (05): Mildly oxidised rubber aroma. Sweet caramel, mild fruits. Some whiskey flavours, but mostly just stale malt. Cheers anyway duff!

Bottle. 2004. Pours a light ruby pink color with a very little head that faded as quick as it came. Aroma of fine sherry, oak, caramel, old grapes, and light hints of chocolate. Flavor is very sweet and smokey. Alcohol notes are predominant, but not harsh. Very smooth. Notes of caramel in the finish. This is medium bodied, and very slick. Nice beer, good for sipping. The more I drank it, the less I liked it honestly. I found it almost undrinkable at one point and refused to drink it anymore. There is too much charred oak taste for me. Good beer, just not my thing. Reminds me of SA Triple Bock.

275 ml bottle 2003: Coppery amber w/o a head. Thick & syrupy on the pour and what little head welled up quickly disappeared. Sherry & toasty malt, brown sugar and a bit of caramel apple. Hints of whiskey gets stronger as it warms. Very light wisps of vanilla w/ oak wood smoke and alcohol in the form of butane lighter fluid. Whiskey flavor is up front from chilled to warm, but not overwhelming; Balanced to malty sweet, but not as sweet as the previous 2. Caramel and toasty malt w/ hints of raisins, w/ a sweet finish that is slightly syrupy. Aftertaste is of oaky wood and toasted malt. Thick and syrupy m/f, but lightly dry as well w/ some astringency, low carb., light alcohol warmth. A bit less sweet than the last 2, but it’s not saying much. I’m not a big fan of whiskey, so this wasn’t much to my taste. A well made beer though.

Pours with an amber body topped by a medium thick head with little lacing. It tastes and smells like steak sauce mixed with cough syrup...yuck. Medium bodied, smooth and warming.

9.3oz bottle, 2004 vintage.
Pours a clear deep ruby-auburn with modest white head. Aroma of malt, some alcohol and lots of peaty smoky scotch. Flavor an even more intense version of the aroma -- VERY scotch-like with a strange medicinal taste. Nice full mouthfeel with thick, slighly oily palate but that scotch lingers on in the aftertaste forever. This stuff is alarmingly gross. It probably doesn’t help that I don’t like scotch much, but even so, the scotch aspects are extremely prominent, almost overwhelming any beer characteristics. The Lagavulin flavor profile integrates poorly with beer. Basically a 23-proof scotch. Blech. As one previous reveiwer put it, "a very expensive drainpour."

2004: Cloudy dark orange body with a small head. Aroma is extremely malt dominated (mostly pale(r)) with Whiskey and alcohol, hints of smoke. Flavor is the same, this is is really sweet. If you like over the top sweet beers like me, you’ll love this. Really tasty, but a bit too much alcohol and a weak nose prevented me from scoring it higher.