J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

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

2004 bottle. Nice dark copper color with little head. Aromas of malt, whisky, peat, smoke, wet grass, toffee, butterscotch, alcohol, leather and maple syrup. Flavor was exqusite sweet caramelly malt, island scotch, chocolate, sweet wine, ripe dark fruits, candy corn, butterscotch, toast, and a hint of yeast. No hops to be found, save in the slightly bitter finish. Mouthfeel was syrupy thick and velvety smooth. This barleywine is sweet but not cloyingly so. The whisky barrel aging adds a marvelous peaty/smoky character. To me there’s also the sweet alcohol bite of a good bourbon as well. Finally there’s a note of fine cognac -- warm and sweetly fruity -- that makes a great barleywine.

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.

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.

Bottle. Whoa. I love Lagavulin and was excited about trying this. Not disappointed. Pours copper with minimal head and lots of sediment (if I had expected that much, I would have been more careful pouring). After it settled for a while, it was more of a golden amber color. Amazing heavy aroma of Lagavulin, with a honey/molasses/toffee sweetness and some grain. Wow, this tastes good. I’m surprised how well the smoky peat flavors mesh with the sweet malts of the beer. Mouthfeel is nice and thick, and the whiskey shows up in the finish with a warming but not a burn.

Whoa! This one has it all. Pours a rich clear orange with a slight white head. Aroma is of candi, smoke, vanilla, malt, whisky, and fruit. and I am sure someone else would find more, even. Flavor is big and sticky. Sweet. Smoke. Hot. Some lingering hop bitterness in the finish. Whiskey. If this is why Alesmiths barrel aged beer is so highly rated....

2006 bottle from City Beer in San Francisco, shared with Mes, renffisch and tashi. Ok, this is amazing. The best aspects of Harvest Ale and Lagavulin, combined. If you see this on a shelf, don’t, don’t pass it by!

2004. Robe ambrée foncée très claire surmontée d’une mousse blanche mince. Arômes de caramel, de malt fumé, de whisky et de chêne. Saveurs de caramel, d’érable, de malt fumé, de whisky et de chêne. Houblon de soutien.

) This beer has an aroma infused with the fragrances of dates, wood, and apricots and smoke can be detected in the background. It is a dark caramel color with a good cream colored head that lasts and leaves great lacing behind. This thick smooth beer fills the mouth with a rich smooth taste. A variety of flavors can be detected: caramel, malt, toffee, brown sugar, and dates. The flavor is sweet from the introduction to the swallow. The closing does produce a mild smoky wood taste that lingers mildly after the solution has been swallowed.