J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

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

Serve in Snifter

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Bottle 9.3fl.oz. @ home.
[ Trade by GAManiac ]. Light unclear medium to dark amber orange color with a small, fizzy, fair lacing, fully diminishing, white to off-white head. Aroma is moderate malty, caramel, wood, moderate to light heavy prune and date, moderate alcohol - whisky. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium to full, texture is oily and sticky, carbonation is flat. [20091202]

A dark orange beer with a disappearing beige head. The aroma is slightly smoked and with notes of whiskey. The flavor is sweet with notes of whiskey and peach and with hints of smoke. The end is slightly woody and the alcohol burns the tongue slightly.

(Bottle 27,5 cl) Courtesy of boboski. Pours a slightly hazy dark amber with a small rough off white head. Distinct aroma of smoke and tar. Full-bodied with a low carbonation. Flavours of sweet caramel and vanilla, smoke, tar and tobacco. No bitterness. Of the four barrelled J.W. Lees I think the Lagavulin version offers more resistance to the extreme sweetness of the base beer. 200608

27.5 cL bottle. Pours hazy deep orange with a lacing off-white head. Dense malt aroma and solid fruity but also smoked. Flavour is dry and light smoked. Once again extremely sweet caramel malt. Dense smoked flavour into the sweet finish.

Great thanks to Papsoe for sharing!
Hazy dark amber color. Sweet smokey malt aroma. It has a full mouthfeel, with full malt flavor, very sweet, classic English Barley Wine, with minimum bitterness. Almost syrupy at the end, but luckily there is some more caramel and bitterness, and a light smokey touch. It’s the most intriguing of the 4 special editions. Excellent.

UPDATED: OCT 12, 2008 Date: 06/14/2008
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brick Store Pub
Vintage: 2001

Appearance: muddy burnt orange, headless,
Aroma: big smokey dark caramel and rum raison aroma, charred wood,
Body: still body,
Flavor: sweet dark caramel flavor, nice vanilla sweetness, smoked wood character adds bitterness as the scotch comes in, lots of alcohol gives warmth without distraction,

Aroma: 9/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 9/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 18/20
Rating: 4.3/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: ***4
-------- /> Date: 11/24/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Green’s, Atlanta
Vintage: 2004

Appearance: muddy brown, scant beige head,
Aroma: smokey charred wood aroma,
Body: creamy body,
Flavor: rich malt flavor with tons of smokey charred wood character, rich fruit, light bitterness from the charred wood, the sweet fruity finally fights through to balance with the charred character,
Overall: the most flavorful and unique of the casked versions
-------- /> Date: 05/09/2008
Mode: bottle
Vintage: 2004
Score: 3.4 to 4.1
Words: cellar stock

Appearance: clear dark ruby red, scant beige head, glossy surface,
Aroma: sweet oak and vanilla aroma, brown sugar sweetness, dark fruits, nice smokey whisky character, touch of chocolate, light alcohol,
Body: big body,
Flavor: rich sweet caramel flavor, lots of brown sugar sweetness brings out a big deep dark fruity character, nice chocolate, well balanced whiskey,

Aroma: 8/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 8/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 17/20
Rating: 4.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: ***+/4

Hazy amber with tiny beige head. Sweet and vinious aroma with wood, smoke and whiskey notes. Sweet flavor with notes of plums, peat, smoke, wood, caramel and whiskEy.

Bottle @ Blindtasting, Odense, July 2011. Pours cloudy golden with a small off white bubbly head. Heavy peated smoked nose and flavor. Sweet and sugary/syrupy with hints of dark fruit. A bit of alcohol warmth. Heavy . .

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.

(Bottle, ’03 vintage) Pours a clear amber body with a small white head. Aroma of whisky, wood, and caramel. Has a mild whisky and caramel flavor. Warm alcohol presence. Enjoyable!