J.W. Lees Harvest Ale

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

Serve in Snifter

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

UPDATED: JAN 22, 2004 88': Floaties half way up the bottle.Cap still had life opening.Aromas of alcohol,grapes,caramel. No head whatsoever but still a little carbonation.Aromas are intense in a glass. Smells like scothch. Intense syrup like palate with flavors of stale hops,caramel malts,and strong medicinal flavors.I had a bottle a year ago when I bought these that was just past its prime but a little better than this. I will get fresher bottles of this and age myself to relive this experience again.

1988 must have not been stored right, flat caramel aroma, tasted like maple syrup, too sweet two sips and dumped the rest.1997 was much better, strong caramel aroma, sweet caramel- toffee flavor, this is what I will rate, the 1988 was ruined.

2000 edition. Good, thick head but recedes quickly. An amber color. A very sweet and dense beer. Tastes of burnt sugar, caramel, toffee, and honey. Almost no hops present. A hint of alcohol in the aftertaste. Rather smooth, but drink slowly.

(1997 bottle sampled 6/7/02) Liquid fruitcake with a serious kick behind it.

UPDATED: JUL 11, 2003 1998 edition(rated 6/02)- Wafer thin head over a very dark orange, almost brown and ever-so-slightly cloudy ale. First aroma is sour, rubbery, and I clearly get maple syrup notes. Sip lightly...take babysteps, this is thick and syrupy with a consistancy of whole milk. Way too sweet (can I use the word 'syrup' 3 times?)!! A larger sip started my gag reflex. This tastes so close to corn syrup that I poured the rest down the drain. The alcohol was undetectable and the hops was only present after the gritty-sweet taste wore off. ew! 2001 edition is rich and nutty with aromas of bubblegum, playdoh, peach, mixed nuts and warm breads. Rich and smooth palate pleaser, like a rich, sweet pecan pie with carmelized whole pecans. Peach fuzz dryness is quick and masks the alcohol. Very satisfying.

Little carbonation on this alcoholic brew. Fruity yet vinous. Too complex for this simple palate. But a brew I do enjoy.

UPDATED: JAN 17, 2003 2000 varietal sampled in mid-2002. Lovely. Deep opaque red with no red. Very rich, woody nose, with noticeable port, ginger, and brandy. Flavor is akin to a huge butterscotch candy with maybe a bit more butterscotch behind it. Smoky, with some milk chocolate. Alcohol more noticeable as it warms--prefered this one a little cooler than recommended temperature, as it got a mite harsher once it warmed. Good rich, creamy texture. Looking forward to sampling my "97 in four or five years from now. 1/16/2002. 1999, On cask, aged in a single malt scotch barrel. Spectacular. Maple and strong vanilla, like raw vanilla beans. Incredibly rich. Smoky and powerful, the bourbon and scotch are palpatable. Upgrading the rating based on this lovely experience.

UPDATED: JAN 6, 2004 1997 vintage drank in 2003: Big molasses, sherry aroma with a touch of tobacco. Better than younger versions that I have had. +0.3. Caramel, alcohol and brown sugar in the nose. Ends drier than I remember last time. 2001 vintage on cask Boston Beer Summit '02: This was served out of an oak cask that was used to make apple brandy. They said it was also 17%ABV. Intense apple/cider overtones, almost a maple aroma. While it was an intense brew the whole wasn't as good as the some of the parts. First rating: 1998 bottle drank in 2002: Huge alcohol, fig, molasses aroma, big thick sherry, raison taste. The flavors meld well together, but I get the feeling that even 4 years is a little young for this beer. A slow sipper for sure. Rating 3.3

(1998)Plums, wine and figs scent. Hazy peach colour, toffee head. Caramel, raisins, port, butterscotch and molasses taste. Acidic, warming finish. Complex. Wonderful! Thanks Austin Powers.

UPDATED: APR 16, 2012 Bottle (2010 vintage). Head is initially small, frothy, off-white, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy light amber. Aroma is moderately malty (caramel, malt syrup), lightly hoppy (apricot), with notes of alcohol, cardboard, bile, dried mango, paint. Flavor is heavily sweet, moderately acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter, very unclean/vegetal/husky. Medium to full body, syrupy texture, soft carbonation, moderately alcoholic. Repulsive. The aroma has some nice elements but has a lot of icky things as well...vomit, paint, etc. Where it really falls off the edge is in the mouth...there’s this dirty, vegetal, sour twang that is truly disgusting...one of the worst aftertastes I’ve experienced in a long time, to be honest. Hard to know if it’s just this vintage or if the brewery has gone to shit.