J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (All Vintages)
Available filtered and pasteurised in 275ml dark glass bottles. Released yearly and brewed with the same/very similar recipe. All vintages should be rated under this entry.
This fully fermented strong ale has been brewed by J.W. Lees as a celebration of the brewers art since 1985. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a vintage wine for enjoyment in years to come.
This fully fermented strong ale has been brewed by J.W. Lees as a celebration of the brewers art since 1985. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a vintage wine for enjoyment in years to come.
3.9
1164 reviews
Middleton, England
Community reviews
Flaska från systembolaget. Bärnstensfärgad öl med litet beiget skum. Trevlig öl med fina toner av karamell, torkad frukt, malt och kola. Torr fin avslutning.
Unclear amber color, minimal beige head. Aromas of sugar, marmalade, peaches, bread and alcohol. Taste of alcohol, malt, hops, pepper and dried fruit.
Flaska. Mörkorange vätska. Relativt ljus för att vara barleywine. Doft av torkad frukt, mandelmassa och kryddor. Liknande i smak. Söt med mandel, äpple, farinsocker och torkad frukt
(Årgång 2020) Disigt bärnstensfärgad med ett litet skum. Väldigt söt doft av kola och farin. Sötsimmig smak av kola och russin. Alkohol och humle på slutet.
Bottle at Craig's. Pours clear amber, nose is toffee, marzipan, caramel, taste is juicy fruit, citrus, sweet, nutty, caramel, sherry.
Earlier Rating: 5/31/2021 Total Score: 4.1
Bottle at ash's. Pours reddish brown with bits, nose is huge raisin, sherry, fig, caramel, taste is similar, sweet, nutty.
Earlier Rating: 5/17/2014 Total Score: 3.5
Bottle at Craig’s tasting, 2006 edition. Caramel, peanuts, sweet, dry toffee.
Bottle thanks to cgarvieuk. Appearance - orange to brown. Thin off white head. Nose - hazelnuts, toffee and light date note. Taste - hazelnuts, toffee and chewy malt loaf. Palate - medium bodied, rich texture. Dry light roast finish. Overall - lovely stuff.
Earlier Rating: 6/3/2021 Total Score: 4.5
Bottle, huge thanks to cgarvieuk.
Appearance - deep copper with red chinks. Low carbonation but some head.
Nose - toffee, glace cherry, panetone and molasses.
Taste - dates, hazelnut, slight oxidation giving sherry and generally cakey.
Palate - medium bodied and sweet, then with a balanced, dry finish.
Overall - delicious, perhaps the beer of the year so far (although it's not of this year).
bottle at home... copper.. thin tan lacing... soft sweet caramel toffee fruit nose. soft sweet malts.. caramel toffee malts.. sweet toffee.. big sweet caramel sticky toffee malts.. juicy sweet caramel toffee fruit
Earlier Rating: 5/31/2021 Total Score: 4.4
bottle at ashs... 2006...may 2021... deep red brown... thin tan lacing.. soft sweet caramel woody toffee malts... soft sweet caramel.. fig.. dates... rich sweet.. big dates
Earlier Rating: 10/8/2010 Total Score: 3.7
Bottle at home 2008 vintage drank 08/10/10 ... hazy copper ... thin tan head ... big oxidised fruit nose ... light toffee ... sweet vanilla toffee ... big vanilla ... light oxidised malts ... little sherry ... light hop spice ... not quite sure what i think of this ... there a lot to like but theres also something not workin... maybe a little bit of smokeybness ? just not quite sure
Bottle at home ... drunk 2014 ... 2006 vintage ... deep copper ... dark malts ... peanuts ... tiny caardboard nose ... dark malts ... big sweet malts ... massive peanut malts ... juicy malts ... 3.8#
Bottle at home aged tasting July 2019... 2005 Vintage ... copper ... thin white lacing ... soft meaty ... little mushroom ... sweet oily sherry nose ... big sweet oily toffee .. juicy sweet malts ... big sherry ... ligth oxidiesd fruit .. tiny umami ... 4.2
Bottle at home aged tasting July 2019... 2006 vintage ... deep copper ... way way way more darker ... soft nutty .. more mushroom ...light oily fruit nose ... very oily fruit ... soft toffee .. nutty caramel .. too mushroom looks much nicer but not me
Big vintage tasting...
2010...Copper... Thin white lacing.. Soft oily sweet woody nose... Oily caramel toffee.. Little mushrooms... Soft sweet caramel toffee.. Long
Fruit 3.9
2012...Copper.. Dry toffee.. Light oily ..big soft sweet fruits.. Juicy fruits nose... Big juicy sweet fruits.. Big soft sweet berries.. Long sweet fruit 4.2
2015 copper.. Thin white lacing.. Soft sweet dry caramel toffee.. Light dry toffee malts
2017 lighcopper... Thin white lacing.. Light floral sweet toffee.. Thiner tgan the rest.. Soft sweet caramel toffee fruit 3.8
Thus ends rge non ba ones
bottle at friends and family session 1 2020... 2014 vintage...liggt copper... soft sweet woody soft sweet card asweet caramel toffee fruit nose soft oily caramel.. sweet woody umami mushroom 3.6 too mushrooms
and 2010...soft mushroom caramel toffee fruit nose.. soct sweet caramel toffee fruit 3.6
Bottle at home .. Jan 2022 ...2008 vintage Deep copper ... thin tan lacing ... honey px .. light buggy nose ... soft sweet honey ... big fig and dates ... juicy px .. but linger is a little buggy at the end .. but beautiful 4.3
Bottle from a friend. Amber color, white head. Bitter taste with dried fruits, resin, pine, malts and ripe fruits. Bitter finish with citrus, resin, dried fruits, malts, ripe fruits and caramel. Very nice old barley wine.
Bottle pour at CW Family & Friends, Session 1 @Manchester Central, 21/02/20. Clear golden copper with a good sized off white cap that thins to a swirl. Nose is dusty fruit rinds, brown breads, dark malts, toffee, fruit cake. Taste comprises dusty fruits, brown sugar dusting, raisins, toffee, fruit cake. Medium plus bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a light boost offered at the curtain call. Solid old skool Barley Wine (is life).
Earlier Rating: 3/5/2020 Total Score: 3.7
Bottle pour at CW Family & Friends, Manchester Central, Session 1 - 21/02/20. Clear golden copper with a decent light beige cap that dissipates to a swirl. Nose is bitter sweet dried fruits, vinous twang, toffee, brown sugar coating. Taste comprises fruit loaf, toffee, vinous, dates, prunes, brown sugar kiss. Medium plus bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with balanced alcohol at the curtain call. Drinks easy.
Earlier Rating: 2/27/2020 Total Score: 3.6
Bottle pour at CW Family & Friends, Session 2 @Manchester Central, 22/02/20. Dark amber with a decent off white cap that dissipates edgeward. Nose is oak, dark malts, light wood must, toffee, dried fruits. Taste comprises fruit cake, light oxidisation, toffee, dusty fruits. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with just a trace of alcohol. Pleasant enough sipper but age is starting to set in here.
Earlier Rating: 1/4/2020 Total Score: 3.5
Bottle split at L6 Tasting, picked up online, 22/08/19. Clear golden to light amber with a decent off white covering that dissipates to a swirl. Nose is fruit cake, sweet malts, dusty, caramel, sugars. Taste comprises ripe fruit esters, straw, toffee, dates, sugars, caramel, light booze, grains. Medium plus bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a kiss of booze. Ok Harvest but a touch overly sweet for my liking.
Earlier Rating: 1/23/2016 Total Score: 3.7
Bottle at home, 23/01/16. Lightly hazed orange amber with a decent off white covering. Nose is light spice, caramel fudge, dried fruits, dates. Taste comprises sticky toffee pudding, caramelised brown sugar, figs, sweet licks, earthy stewed fruits, treacle toffee pie. Full bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close, warming alcohol in a boost fuelled curtain call. Good boost for bucke affair.
Earlier Rating: 11/17/2013 Total Score: 3.9
Bottle shared at my 5K tasting at Bruce’s pad, huge thanks to our host with the most for unearthing this whale, 13/11/13.
Murky orange amber with floaties and a topped with a moderate beige covering.
Nose is big dark fruit notes, spice, dark toffee, light booze, Xmas cake, treacle, lightly roasty malts.
Taste comprises burnt sugars, nutty tones, dark toffee fudge, caramelised sugar, dates, stewed prunes, figgy pudding.
Medium bodied, fine carbonation, no heat at all, sweet finale but not overbearing.
Great drinking BW for the ABV and holding up very well indeed, great stuff.
0,275l bottle at home. Cellar release 11-2012. brown color, small off-white head. smells sherry, oxidation, bit smoky, molasses, marzipan, some figs, dried fruits. nice smell. full body, no carbonation. tastes of sherry, marzipan, nutty, some figs, light sweetness, dried fruits, raisins. finishes medium sweet with notes of dried fruits, sherry and some figs. very nice stuff, rather sweet, but also rather expressive, great balance.
Earlier Rating: 3/12/2021 Total Score: 3.9
0,275l bottle at home shared with a friend. Vintage 2006. dark brown color, tiny brownish bubbles. smells of sherry, marzipan, some soy sauce, figs, dried fruits, very nice smell lots of oxidation notes. full body, no carbonation. tastes of sherry, marzipan, soy sauce, nutty, figs, dried fruits, earthy, some sweetness, molasses. finishes light to medium sweet with notes of sherry, marzipan and dried fruits. lovely, lots of oxidation notes, but super smooth, gets better with some breathing.
Rerate 2023 at Craig's. Heavy sherry and almost brandy like taste. No cardboard this time. Much better than last time.
Bottle thanks to cgarvieuk. Pours clear red-brown with a thin white head. Aromas of sherry and toffee, dried fruit. Taste is dried fig, sticky sweet, dates and nuts. Bit too much cardboard on the finish for me.
Earlier Rating: 4/26/2014 Total Score: 3.6
275ml bottle via Craig. 2006 version. Pours opaque dark brown, no head. Rich dried fruit aromas, sherry and Christmas cake. Taste is boozy, nutty, cardboard. Sticky finish.
275ml bottle brewed in England at 11.5%. Clear amber with a nice-sized, decent-duration head. Smoky salted-caramel and dried plum top a biscuit malt in the aroma, with perhaps a hint of gummy bear and woodchip. Next to no carbonation, moderate mouthfeel. Sweet, golden syrup, honey, a digestive biscuit malt, a little plum and possibly even some kiwi, with faint woodchip smoke/ash in the finish. Solid and balanced, but doesn't impress like some other vintages. Nice, unusual fruit notes though. Rewarding sipper. If you're brave enough to swirl and pour that sediment in, it thickens up nicely and there's the typical 'join-the-dots' effect which perhaps adds a little pear meets sticky toffee pudding vibe as it ties the flavours together at the cost of losing some separation on the palate.
Earlier Rating: 5/10/2021 Total Score: 4.1
275ml bottle brewed in England at 11.5%. Faintly murky strawberry-amber with a surprising neat cap of foam, decent duration too. Wooden music boxes, suggestions of tree sap, brown sugar and high-quality caramel and toffee in the aroma. Next to no carbonation, substantial body. Ultra-heavy and detailed dark toffee flavours, shades of a toffee apple; tree bark meets maple syrup in the finish, and then light cigarette smoke in the aftertaste that balances the sweetness with aplomb and doesn't overdo it. Powerful stuff, but accessible.
Earlier Rating: 4/14/2021 Total Score: 4.1
275ml bottle brewed in England at 11.5%. Murky muddy ruby with a cap of white foam, low-duration. Faintly herbal, a little fruity pear in the aroma on top of caramel toffee and a little vanilla. Impressive. You'd think this was a flavour of the month barrel-aged craft affair. Taste is the acid test, though. Thick, sticky, no real carbonation to speak of. Initial chocolate, then developing sweet caramel, golden and maple syrup and honey, a little herbal pear, and a contrasting toasty spice verging on ginger snap in the finish - definitely not quite the out-and-out tobacco flavour some vintages accrue. A very sweet English barley wine with distinct maturity; this one could possibly be past its best, but it's definitely the right side of being over the hill. Very nifty.
Earlier Rating: 4/13/2021 Total Score: 3.5
275ml bottle brewed in England at 11.5%. No head, beer the colour of muddy water. Wasn't expecting this one to be a looker. The aroma is something else, however - sweet toffee and caramel so thick you feel like it'll clog up your nostrils, with plenty of amaretto cherry lurking underneath. Puts me in mind of some of recent hyped craft beers - perhaps a somewhat famous Wee Heavy. The acid test is how the flavour's held up over a decade and a half, though. No carbonation, thick and stolid. Initial chocolate and cherry fruitcake vestiges into a pronounced sweet almondesque nutty finish, woody almost, with caramel and cigarette smoke in the aftertaste. Not boozy, but certainly not easy-drinking. There's a solid barley wine here, underneath the shroud of a heavy smoker's attic that seems to have been cast over it. Not that the shroud is unpleasant, mind you - but it puts this one firmly in the territory of 'beers for people who like decidedly old beers', in spite of it having aged relatively gracefully. Well, fortunately I can enjoy an old beer. Grows on you - not bad. Probably past its best, though.
2017 vintage:
rated on 17/04/2021 - 275ml bottle.
Pours an orange-brown colour with a light haze, almost no head. Aroma of sweet dried fruits, prunes, dates, toffee. Taste is sweet, dried fruits, raisins, prunes, dates, toffee, booze is just right, warming and well integrated. Medium bodied. Good stuff.
Total Score: 4
2015 vintage:
rated on 26/11/2020 - 275ml bottle.
Pours a dull reddy brown, cloudy, almost no head. Aroma of malt fruit loaf, sherry, raisin, toffee. Taste is sweet, dried fruits, malt fruit loaf, raisin, sherry, toffee, light bitterness. Medium body, light carbonation.
Total Score: 4
2012 vintage:
rated on 26/02/2019 - 275ml bottle.
Pours a deep reddy brown, almost clear, minimal beige head dissipating quickly. Aroma and taste are both very rich, and sweet. Sherry, raisin, toffee, caramel, molasses. Incredibly smooth, full bodied, soft carbonation. So easy to drink and so more-ish, belies its ABV. Easily the best barleywine I've ever had in my life. Tempted to give this a full 5.0 but I have other vintages - they might be even better! This is in a totally different league to the 2010 I had.
Total Score: 4.6
2010 vintage:
rated on 11/12/2018 - 275ml bottle, as my rating #3000.
Pours cloudy dark brown with a very slight beige head. Aroma is boozy, dried fruits especially raisins, sherry, caramel. Taste of raisins/dried fruits, sweet honey, caramel, sherry, alcohol, showing signs of oxidisation, bit of a cardboardy note coming through. Full body, very little carbonation.
Total Score: 3.5
Pours a very deep brick red with very minimal tan foam that dissipates quickly. Aroma is full of dark ripe berries, dark sweet molasses, toasted malt, chocolate, cherry. Full body without being thick. Flavor follows the aroma with a very present ripe fruit profile followed by molasses, berry, and sweet malt. Finish is long, sweet and fruity. I wasn’t sure how this would hold up after so many years of poor storage, world travel, and general mistreatment but it is fantastic. It’s everything I hoped it would be and nothing I feared it may have become. I wish I had more but glad I had the one.
Bought at Belmont Party Supply sometime in the 2005/6 timeframe and drank in Guam on 10APRIL2021.
2015 Vintage consumed 2020 Frothy off white head. Berry & liquorice aroma. Full bodied, lightly carbonated with a smooth back. Rich tastes with raisin, boozy, caramel, grape & pith. Excellent!
Earlier Rating: 4/9/2021 Total Score: 4.1
Frothy tan collar on a dark brown still body. Malt, sherry & big boozed up aroma. Medium to full bodied, smooth & oily with a clean back. Syrup, sherry, jam, slightly musty, burnt g chocolate tastes with a big boozy finish. So complex - Excellent still at 20 years old!
Earlier Rating: 2/8/2020 Total Score: 3.9
2012 Vintage Limited Edition - Consumed 2020. Frothy off white head on a reddish brown still body. Malt, caramel, sherry & boozy aroma. Full bodied, smooth & soft with a cloying back. Caramel, sherry, malt, syrup, jam & Christmas cake tastes. Sipper - Tremendous!
Earlier Rating: 7/25/2020 Total Score: 3.9
Small off white head left a collar & spotty cover on a clear reddish brown still body. Malt, sherry & syrup aroma. Full bodied, smooth, oily & slick leaving a clean back. Malt, sweet over stewed fruit, prune, sherry, port & big boozy tastes. Banging!
Earlier Rating: 6/22/2020 Total Score: 3.5
Spotty off white head on a oily sherry coloured still body.
Cardboard & sherry aroma.
Malt, sherry, wood & port tastes
275 ml. Orange copper brew with a lasting film of cream. Aroma of caramel, booze and hints of cherry and orange zest. Flavors of the same. Finish has dusty wooden hops to dry things up pretty well. Medium bodied with medium fizz.
Earlier Rating: 4/1/2021 Total Score: 4.2
275 ml. 12/2014 cellar release. Pours orange-brown with a smattering of creamy bubbles. Aroma has toffee, bread pudding, fig, and touches of cherry, orange and earthy chocolate. Flavors of all the same stuff with later sips unveiling toasted wood, white pepper and citrus zest. Aftertaste has hints of tobacco. Medium body has a surprisingly middling carbonation level, but remains smooth. This Harvest Ale has a sweet slant, as always, but is never cloying and is dangerously drinkable (also as always).
Earlier Rating: 3/31/2021 Total Score: 4.5
275. ml. 11/2013 cellar release. Copper-red and mostly clear with a thin film of creamy foam. Nose of raisin, cherry, prune, bread pudding and cream. Flavors of the same plus toasted pecan, earthy oak, grilled meat and a touch of cocoa. Medium bodied with low-medium fizz. Sweet slanted but never cloy. Only a small touch of chest warming betrays the big abv.
Earlier Rating: 10/31/2007 Total Score: 4.3
275 ml, 1999 vintage. Beautiful deep amber with ruby highlights. Small head hangs pretty well and leaves a tad of lace. Aroma is brandied fruitcake drizzled with caramel and vanilla. Flavor is nice, but almost cloyingly sweet: bread pudding, caramel, raisins, brandy, and vanilla, with only some slight grassy-herb hops on the tail end. Alcohol is only slightly noticeable. Palate is medium-heavy, syrupy-smooth, and has some alcohol tingle. Great dessert with a satisfying, sweet and woody aftertaste.
Bottle shared with Nari and Gabor Gábor. Deep copper pour, off-white head. Nose is booze, caramel, biscuity bready malts, toffee and dried fruits. Great combination with a lovely intensity. Taste is rather sweet, but definitely not overhwlming; it shows mainly caramel, toffee and dried fruits with some honey and booze. Closes with a long lasting, wamingly sweet finish, has a full body with a soft carbonation. I've always preferred English style bws over the hoppier American iterations and this is a prime example of the style.
Little 25cl can pours out amber copper color topped with a small fizzy head. Nose is sweet caramel toffee malts some smoke peat maybe. Taste is more of the nice sweet malts toffee but that smoke hangs on.
Earlier Rating: 6/3/2009 Total Score: 4
Bottle Vintage 1998 Pours out a amber topped with a very small ring. Aroma very sweet tons of pit fruit, sweetness and rich malts. Tast was very nice lots of sweetness honey, camamel, and more sweetness. A tast one.
25cl can from Woodland Bottle Shop. Dark copper colored, relatively flat. Malty, caramel, raisin, apple aroma. Taste is more of the caramel and toffee, pit fruit notes and a small tingly bitterness. Warmth comes in late. Always a treat.
Earlier Rating: 2/22/2016 Total Score: 4.2
2015 vintage on tap at Churchkey. Dark copper with small airy head. Malt with tons of brown sugar sweetness, maple, caramel, toffee. Sweetness distracts from the 11.5% ABV, which delivers some latent heat. Like a big alcoholic Sugar Daddy. (I love Sugar Daddies) Also sampled ’14 vintage at BitterCreek.
Bottle. Pours bronze with minimal off-white head. Bready malt, brown sugar, and prune notes on the nose. Sweet brown sugar, molasses, and raisins on the palate. Medium-full body and a chewy mouthfeel. Long, sweet finish. No noticeable alcohol for such a high alcohol beer. Very good, albeit a bit sweet.
Flaska från Best of British Beer. Rostbrun med beige krona. Kanderade/övermogna äpplen, sött, fikon, knäck, nästan lite sherry, kandisocker, lätt kryddig.
Earlier Rating: 10/24/2020 Total Score: 4
Flaska från Best of British Beer. Något murken rostbrun med beige krona. Apelsinkrokant, övermogna äpplen, fikon, knäck, fina oxidationstoner, nästan lite sherry, kandisocker, lätt kryddig. Förvånansvärt mycket beska jämfört med senare årgångar. Mycket gott.
Earlier Rating: 10/4/2020 Total Score: 3.6
Flaska från Bestofbritishbeer. Rostbrun/rubinröd med smutsvit krona. Kanderade äpplen, knäck, rostat socker, maltsötma, brödsirap, något kryddiga toner, sherry.
Earlier Rating: 9/17/2020 Total Score: 3.7
Flaska från Bestofbritishbeer. Klar, guldfärgad med liten vit krona. Torkad aprikos, syltad apelsin, kanderade äpplen, snäll kryddighet, stor maltsötma, marsipan, brittisk fruktkaka, låg beska. Sött, klibbigt, stor kropp. Enkelt, klassiskt.
Earlier Rating: 9/25/2020 Total Score: 3.7
Flaska från Bestofbritishbeer. Klar, något ljusare guldfärgad med liten vit krona. Söt, spritsig och något eldig med toner av rostat socker, rörsocker, aprikos, gula russin, brittisk fruktkaka, snäll kryddighet och beska. Mer levande än äldre årgångar, men god just så.
Bottle pour at FFB20. Malty and caramely, no attic aroma in this version, sweet, candy like, hazy brown to amber, sweet taste, malty and very biscuity, lots of caramel and toffee, full body.
Earlier Rating: 10/26/2020 Total Score: 3.2
Bottle pour at FFB20. Big old attic aroma, very dusty, old rotten wood, brown color, old attic and beetles, herbal, cactusy, caramel, raisin, smooth and sticky.
Earlier Rating: 3/3/2020 Total Score: 3.8
Bottle pour at FFB20. Malt, caramel grapes and raisin, clear amber, sweet, boozy, caramelized sugar, thick.
1996 vintage Total Score: 4.7
26/9/2020. Bottle shared with SHIG. 1996 vintage. Bought this for £1 at Chelmsford Winter Beer Festival around 2012/13, it was being sold as an 'out of date' not for drinking collectible beer bottle alongside many other beers which you'd have certainly not wanted to ever open up and taste. But this little gem has been quietly maturing for 24 years and was opened and tasted as a follow on from the 2017 and 2014 versions which I'd recently bought from Cloudwater. And wow this was just so good. It opened with an encouraging slight hiss of carbonation and poured dark brown with an off-white to beige head. Delicious aroma, dried fruits, dark fruits, treacle, toffee and malt fruit loaf. Medium sweet and light bitterness. Full body, slight sticky texture, very soft carbonation. Sweet dried fruits, slightly woody and touch boozy to finish. Incredibly good, super stuff.
2014 Vintage Total Score: 4
26/9/2020. Bottle shared with SHIG, bought at Cloudwater online store. Pours clear amber with a small bubbly/frothy white head. Aroma is woody, brown sugar, golden syrup, caramel, stone fruit. Medium plus sweetness and light bitterness. Full body, sticky texture, soft carbonation. Boozy, tingling mouthfeel to finish. Quite different to the 2017 with the woody side, and not quite as good.
2017 Vintage Total Score: 4.1
26/9/2020. Bottle shared with SHIG, bought at Cloudwater online store. Pours clear dark gold with a small bubbly/frothy white head. Aroma of golden syrup, malted bread, soreen, dried fruit, biscuit, boozy notes. Medium sweetness and moderate bitterness. Medium to full body, sticky texture, soft carbonation. Warming alcohol, fruity finish. Good stuff.
Bottle shared by Grumbo: Poured caramel with tan head. Aroma is woodsy, light booze, mellow fruits. Taste is super sticky fruit, mellowed a bit, sugary, light booze warming.
Earlier Rating: 9/26/2020 Total Score: 4
Bottle shared by Grumbo: Poured a orange with jello white head. Aroma is super boozy, dark fruits, raisins. Taste is stick dark fruits, malty, boozy, sticks to palate.
Earlier Rating: 9/24/2010 Total Score: 4.6
Bottle '96 shared by Grumbo: Poured a toffee caramel brown with no head. Aroma was light booze, dark fruits, dates, raisins, sugar, malty. Taste was like it was bottled yesterday, super dark fruits, more of that raisin, smooth booze, alcohol heat to the cheeks. Anyone that has ever been worried to age this, should never worry!
Bottle ’05: Poured a light brown with off white colored head. Aroma was a mix of whiskey, malt, and fruit. Taste had more of that sweet malt and dark fruits like raisin, there is a nice whiskey alcohol finish.
All you crazy kids running around thinking that barleywine isn’t life - I’ve got a news flash for you: IT IS. Murky chestnut brown with minimal head. An underrated beer, very smooth, very English, toffee, black tea, earth, brown sugar, sherry on the aroma and similar notes on the flavor. Lots of sweetness, only slight bitterness, some boozy heat to it. Smooth full (but not overly) and slick feel. Super nice.
Earlier Rating: 10/30/2009 Total Score: 3.8
1999 bottle from K&L Redwood City. Pours hazy chestnut brown with a small off-white head. Aroma is very nice, dominated by sweet caramel malt and toffee, along with spices, wood, fruity notes, and sherry. Flavor is very sweet, with caramel and toffee, quite a bit of sherry-like oxidation, port wine, wood, spice, and raisin. People may disagree, but I definitely think 10 years of age is a little too much for this one. A little too oxidized, but still very good. Palate is very smooth and creamy with medium-full body. Drinkability average.
Bottle from a pop-up stall at the Manchester Christmas Markets some years back. Amber-brown with very little head. Rich, mildly sweet, with its strength apparent but with a decent mouthfeel. Earthy and woody sugars are evident in both aroma and taste. Lots of the advertised sherry flavouring.
Earlier Rating: 3/29/2017 Total Score: 2.6
Manchester Beer Festival 2017. Extremely strong, very sweet, and not overly palatable in this respect.
Earlier Rating: 7/1/2015 Total Score: 2.7
Bottle from Manchester Xmas markets. Orange-bronze with next to no head. Extremely strong tasting, although you’ll notice this first in its nose. Has a sticky sweetness with a lingering alcohol aftertaste.
Earlier Rating: 5/30/2020 Total Score: 3.2
Bottle from a one-off stall at the Manchester Christmas Markets. Twelve years old and absolutely fine. Lots of alcohol here in aroma and taste, not as sticky-sweet as expected with some caramel malts coming across sweet, and to a lesser extent rich. It's a slow sipper but interesting. 2008 edition.
Historical tick which I am adding as a rate so that I can see the impact it has on my stats. 500 Beers To Try Before You Die. Beers of Europe. One of the highlights of the 300 so far.
Thanks to SimonTomlinson. Clear copper appearance. Aroma is sweet, malt, syrup and boozy. Flavour is sticky, syrup, malt, sweet, boozy and dried fruit.
Earlier Rating: 2/8/2020 Total Score: 3.8
2012 bottle drank in 2020 thanks to SimonTomlinson. Dark copper appearance. Aroma is caramel, sweet and dried fruits. Flavour is sticky, malt, sweet, caramel and dried fruits.
Millésime 2001; âge de la majorité britannique.
Apparence : Brune trouble, dépôts, sans col ni carbonatation.
Nez : Caramel, sucre d'orge, dattes, raisins secs, autres fruits séchés, pointe boisée et alcoolisée.
Sensation : Corps moyen, bonne durée sur le sucre résiduel, effervescence pratiquement nulle.
Bref : Du malt, du malt et encore du malt. D'aucuns auraient pu craindre une oxydation et une madérisation... je n'ai pas bu la bière 'fraîche', mais aucun signe de mauvais vieillissement ici. Tout ce que je m'attends d'un Barleywine typiquement anglais.
275ml bottle, online from Cloudwater. Pours opaque amber brown with a small beige head. Aroma: Rich, with raisins, dates, figs, caramel, toffee, brown sugar, sherry barrel vibes. Taste: moderate sweet & light bitter, rich marmalade, dried fruits, caramel, toffee, molasses. Medium body, light carb, sweet warming finish. Beautifully complex, no oxidation here thankfully. Just stunning depth of flavour