J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados)

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

This has got to be the most complex beer ever...Try it. and judge for yourself.

2005 Vintage bottle. pours a light red with a small white head with some yeast sediment. very sweet, port and raisin aroma.... really nice. medium oily body... on the thick side... lots of dark fruit throughout... some brandy notes... but far more port. some alcohol on the finish... probably will be even better with a few more years in the cellar.

Vintage: 2004 Bottle pours clear copper with absolutely no head. Smells like apple cobbler with hints of buttery pie crust in the background. Flavor shows apples, pears, brown sugar, toffee, gingerbread, oak, and a small amount of vanilla. Overall body is moderate, slick and oily. Starts sweet and finishes sweet, definately an apertif or dessert beer. I’m extremely impressed how well this beer has held up.

VINTAGE: 2006 Pours a very nice brown with orange highlights and slight tones of rose pink when the light hits it just right. As is the way with these, it has almost no head at all. The smell is the star here. Nice big yeasty scents with traces of spices and apples. Like a freshly baked loaf of apple sweetbread. Taste is sweet and malty. Again, here are notes of spices and apples, from the Calvados, surely. Nice little hints of oak coming through. Like it’s brothers, this has the feel of liquid velvet in the mouth. So nice. A quite drinkable bottle, as far as I’m concerned. Perhaps a bit too sweet for some, or a bit too pricey for others, but I think it’s totally worth it. Mmmm...delicious!

Bottle/2007. Wow, this is a kick in the pants. Golden and shiny. Distinct pear aroma starts this off. It drinks with a slick oily character, delivering an alcoholic warmth and a schnapps-like punch. Not my thing. (#3705, 10/24/2009)

2003 bottle from BBB63. THanks a TON MIke! Consumed 10/9/9. Pours a clear copper. My least favorite of the 4 barrel aged j.w. lees beers. Liquorish booze is the most noticeable in this one. apple medicine and toffee notes.

2006 bottling. Colour... deep reddish-amber. Nose... brown sugar, toffee and dried stone fruits. Palate... gentle carbonation, moderate alcohol, sweet, lavish, Scottish toffee, caramel, Medjool dates, sultanas, dark brown sugar, golden sirup, and a delightfully long finish that resonates with a charred barrel character. Truly a drink to be savoured and shared with a good friend on a chilly fall or winter’s eve!

Wee bottle from Sam’s, Durham. 2005 bottling, and a bit dank at this point. Murky amber pour, with almost zero carbonation. Like many of the BA Harvest beers, it’s a pretty potent brew, with a rich, sweet nose that is port-like. Mouthfeel is thinnish, with nary a hint of carb to liven things up. Wood and crisp apple to the fore, with an excessive sweetness coming to dominate things. Vanilla from the barrel only contributes to the one-dimensionality. Not so hot.