J.W. Lees Harvest Ale

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

Serve in Snifter

Overall... DAMN!
2000: Musky and sweet... it smelled like sex. Topaz in color. The flavor was just brilliant on the tongue.
1999: much sweeter, more buttery and woody
1996: even sweeter, stronger finish with overtones of toffee and fruit
1991: much more mature, confident not as sweet as future years
1988: much sweeter, and very rummy flavored
1986: this is undenyably paramount, it vanshes off the tongue almost too quickly, leaving you to wonder at the flavors you just tasted. This stuff ages phenomenally. Everyone who tried it was floored at what great things happened to it.

Real, proper English barley wine that fills a certain void every time. A cakey rum soaked dried pit fruit medley hits the nose. The flavor is warm date butter spread on wheat with that luscious, tender touch of alcohol at the finish. Themouthfeel is full scale whole milk and a wonderful coating effect that tingles and sours the flavor at the back of the mouth. Outstanding. 2007 bottling that I’m enjoying in celebration of my amazing daughters fifth birthday today. Thanks jw lees. 2007 small bottle.

Fatheads in Pittsburgh on draft: Orange with no head in a small tulip filled to the brim. Dates, Apple Pie and Caramel on the Nose. Sticky sweet fruit notes. No carbonation whatsoever. 2010 was a great batch!

Tried 08, 05, 03 - Always brilliant in particular the 08 with it’s complex sherry notes. It’s good looking - burnished gold, not much head which is to be expected with this sort of barley wine... Really expansive on the pallete, very sweet but nice goldings biotterness, traditional BW and a lovely drink.

(2002 vintage) Brown pour with a beige head. Calvados apples, cinnamon and tobacco aroma. Baked apple, woody-chocolate flavour. Warming finish. Excellent. A= 9 AP= 4 T= 9 P=4 Ov = 17/20. (2009 vintage) Brown pour with a beige head. Meat, tobacco and bonfire toffee nose. Butterscotch, toffee apple and calvados apple flavour. Vinous. Full on throat warmer. Warm, sweet finish. Preferred this to the 2002.

Bottles shared by Marcus! very special tasting. opened a 1999 and a 2001 on a side by side. 1999 pours burgandy with a malty molasses aroma. Taste really sweet and date like raisins. 2001 not as sweet as the 99. Finishes with a bit more cocoa and a bit better than the 99.

2010 Vintage 1/23/2012 similar to 2009 Vintage but flavor is alcohol, sweet dark fruit and hints of cardboard. Also $8.99 for a 275ml bottle from Julio’s Liquors, Westborough, Ma. 2009 Vintage 1/5/2012. Pours a one-finger cream head that fades quickly to a ring leaving traces of lace. Brown murky color. Light carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Alcohol and dark fruit nose and flavor is alcohol and sweet dark fruit, paper like finish. Pricey, $8.99 for a 275ml bottle from Julio’s Liquors, Westborough, Ma. Rates a 4. 2005 Vintage 10/26/2010 Straight up pour and no head, no lace. Cloudy dark brown color. No carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose. Flavor is sweet dark fruit and alcohol, slightly cloying with no carbonation. $13.99 for a 275ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT. Rates a 4. 2008 Vintage 10/12/2010 Pours a one-finger cream that fades quickly to a ring leaving a little lace. Cloudy amber color. Very light carbonation and medium bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose. Flavor is sweet raisins and alcohol, almost cloying because there is not enough carbonation. $7.99 for a 275ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma. This rates a 4. 2002 Vintage 9/22/2010 Pours with virtually no head and no lace. Cloudy brown color with some yeast left in bottle. Very light carbonation and heavy bodied. Sweet alcohol and dark fruit nose. Flavor is dark fruit and alcohol, almost cloying. $10.99 for a 275ml bottle from Beverage Warehouse Winooski, VT. This rates about 4. 2007 Vintage 3/21/2010 Pours a one-finger white that fades quickly to a ring leaving a little lace. Almost clear amber color with a ton of floaties. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Alcohol and raisin nose. Flavor is dark fruit and alcohol. Cellared well. $11.60 for a 275ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma. This rates about 4.5 2006 Vintage 3/17/2010 Pours without a head so no lace. Deep brown/amber color with a ton of floaties. No carbonation and medium bodied. Alcohol nose. Flavor is sweet alcohol, with some dark fruit; strong alcohol finish. Did not cellar well, good flavor but the carbonation is gone. $10.40 for a 275ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma. This rates about 3.5. 1999 Vintage 12/31/2009. Pours a two finger cream head that fades slowly, leaving some lace. Deep brown color. Good carbonation and medium-heavy bodied. Dark fruit and alcohol nose. Flavor is dark fruit and alcohol with a strong alcohol finish. Cellared very well. $10.40 for a 275ml bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma. This rates about 4.5 1998 Vintage 12/31/2008. After ten years this is as fresh as the day it was bottled. Pours a three finger brown head that fades quickly leaving no lace. Deep mahogany color. Light-medium carbonation and heavy bodied. Raisin/plum nose. Flavor is sweet raisin almost like a port. The high ABV comes through but does not overwhelm. Pricey at $6.99 for a 275ml bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Wells, ME. This rates about 4.5 2000 Vintage 3/31/2007. Pours a two finger light brown head that fades quickly to a thin layer leaving some lace. Almost clear mahogany color. Light carbonation and heavy bodied. Raisin/rummy nose. Flavor is sweet rum and raisins with alcohol overtones. Pricey - $5.99 for a 11.5oz bottle from John’s Grocery Iowa City, Ia. This rates about 4.5

draft and i hope this is the right one jw lees vintage harvest ale 2010,. poured out hazy orange to almost brown color minimal head and has the aroma of sweet malts and dark fruit rasins figs dates something on that order medium to full bodied flavored the way it smells sweet and dark fruits with nicely hidden alcolhol burn. malty syrupy sticky.

2002 bottle into a tulip A: Muddy brown body... one finger light head... little lacing.. quick recession ... lots of floating shit S: Caramel... dark fruits.. candied sugar.. honey.. floral notes T: Much of the same... decently complex... high malt content, notably dark fruits.. figs, raisins etc... caramel and candied sugar sweetness.. floral bitterness M: Medium-full bodied... thick and chewy.. the damn floating shit didn’t help here O: Not sure how well this one was cared for ... the flavor and smell was pretty solid, but the other factors were not impressive