J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Lagavulin)

Matured in wooden casks of Lagavulin Malt Whiskey, one of the most distinctive malt whisky from the island of Islay, characterized by the strong peaty notes which should blend with the Harvest Ale to give an explosion of flavors.

from https://www.jwlees.co.uk/beer/harvest-ale :

Our limited edition vintage barley wine is made but once a year. It's brewed with the first hops to be harvested, and then we add the very finest British malt. Each vintage brings different flavours, which then evolve as they age, so it's no wonder it's gained a cult following among ale enthusiasts. Pop the date in your calendar.
Smell Molasses, Fruit
Taste Toffee, Sherry, Rich
Bitter 3/5
Sweet 3.5/5

from https://www.glunzbeers.com/beer/j-w-lees/j-w-lees-harvest-ale-wood-finish-selection-lagavulin :

a few cases of each year’s vintage Harvest Ale are chosen to be matured for four months in casks that previously held Lagavulin single-malt scotch

from http://www.bunitedint.com/information/brands/description/186 :

This fully fermented ale has been brewed by JW Lees as a celebration of the brewers’ art. Harvest Ale can be enjoyed now or laid down like a fine wine for enjoyment to come.
3.8
533 reviews
Middleton, England

Community reviews

3.0 My opinion is highly affected by me not being a fan of Islay whisky. The beer itself is interesting, though too sweet for me. Smoked and medicine in the aroma notes aren’t my favorite .
3.6 Nov 2018 - 275ml bottle at home in Richmond as 'J.W. Lees Harvest Ale Matured in Lagavulin Casks', bottled in 2005 at 11.5%. Dark purple with a red hue, surprisingly lightly sparkling, touch of sediment, minimal beige ring of head. Aroma is deep cherry and blackberry jam, damson and plum jam, dark berry liqueur, no whisky character. Smells quite similar to M&S Black Forest Gateau Liqueur. Body is oily, smooth with soft to lowish carbonation. Taste is lots more jammy fruits, intense blackcurrant syrup, soft wood and burnt wood, faintest peat, intense woodiness against an even more intense fruit cordial syrupiness. Pretty sweet but the whisky helps to balance this out. Teeth start to feel tacky after a few sips. Impressive to start but got wearing. No Lagavulin character here, oddly. (8-3-7-3-15=3.6)
3.7 275 ml bottle brewed in 2014. Poured in a snifter, the color is a cloudy amber/orange with no head. There’s raisin/dark fruit in the aroma, along with smoky peat. Tastes of smoky scotch, brown sugar, dark fruits. Very sweet, almost too sweet. More smoke and fruit as it warms. Long, syrupy finish.
3.5 re-rate 12/19. bumped up from 3.2 not as sweet as my first note. good sipper; not worth the high price imo but a unique brew....................................….Bottle to glass. A definite sipper. Light whiskey, wood and light smokiness (peat). Cloudy orange amber pour taste is like aroma then becomes sweeeeet overly sweet which drops this.
4.6 The Lagavulin variant of Harvest Ale has been one of the finest Barleywines I've had recently, but I'll be damned if it isn't so cohesive that it's tricky to describe. Golden brown pour with a small but uniform head. The peaty whiskey character had been softened through aging, but there's a fair amount of woodiness on the nose. Malty, plummy, and (toasted) sugary character. Plenty of booze warmth and sweetness. This has the feel of a hearty, rich brew. A strong and lovely Barleywine.
2.7 Draft sample. The beer is a clear gold with a white head of foam. Strong booze and sweet popcorn notes. Grainy and weird. Big body and medium carbonation.
3.7 Refrigerated brown 2013 bottle poured into a snifter. Opaque medium brown with small off-white head. Aroma is sweet whiskey, medium body, low carbonation, and a little lacing. Taste is whiskey, smokey peat, oak, caramel, some leather, and molasses. Age might round the corners of this one.
3.8 Dégustée au printemps 2015 au Farmhouse Tap & Grill (de mes notes sur mobile). .
4.5 Just a huge hit of peaty scotch. A little sweetness on the back end. Cloudy light brown orange Amber with a thin quickly fading off white head. Lots of Scotch. Lots of peat. Glassy smooth. Prune. Date. Fig. Sweet finish.
2.7 Bottle to snifter. Holy smokes. Such smoke. All smoke. Light rubber component to it. Light sharpie. Some alcohol noted too. Murky light brown pour. No head. Taste is all lagavulin. Chewy mouthfeel. Peppery alcohol finish with warming in the ears. Mouthfeel is fine but the lagavulin is just too overpowering.
3.8 Pours a golden-copper color with white head. Sweet malty aroma with hints of wood and whisky. Medium malt body, quite sweet with dull oak and scotch notes the complement but not overwhelm. Notes: On tap at Aces & Ales (Tenaya), Mar ’17
4.2 Bottle: Poured a copper with no head. Sweet sticky nose of booze. Sweet tooth addicts unite. Very tasty but very sweet.
3.5 draft in mini snifter, poured a cloudy orange color with no head, aroma was sweet malts and scotch barrel and slight peat. not sure if this is an old keg or not. seemed thin and watery. the flavor was just ok..i mean for a barley wine it should have certain properties and it didn’t do it for me. kind of disappointed. flavor was fine but watery like the scotch and peat mix. but overall wish I would have passed for something else.
4.7 Drank from a pint glass, poured from a twelve ounce bottle. Whoa! This beer sitting at 11.5% is amazingly smooth, complex, and malty!
4.6 Sweet whisky aroma. Dark amber (brown/red) color. Wonderful sweet barleywine flavor with a smokey finish. Something to save for a special occasion.
3.9 Bottle, 2004. Heavy malt aromas of roasted, caramel and nutty, light cooked orange and perfume for the hops, moderate leather for the yeast, with tobacco, sherry, prune, and fruitcake in the background. Head is nonexistent, and the color is a very dark burgundy/brown. Flavor starts heavily sweet, then finishes heavily sweet and faintly bitter. Palate is medium to full, syrupy, with no carbonation. A super sweet and savory Barley Wine to be sipped slowly for sure.
3.5 Bottle. Deep hazy amber liquid with minimal off-white head. Aroma of peat, raw sugar, toffee, raisins and dried fruit. Taste is light sweet and light bitter with notes of peat, smoke, raw sugar and light licorice. Full bodied with low to medium carbonation. Too much barrel character.
3.9 2012 Vintage Tasted on 6/8/16 from a capped 330mL bottle sent as an extra in a trade. Pours muddy dark orange with a thin beige head that quickly disappears to nothing more than a thin collar of lace. The nose is the perfect marriage of smokey Islay scotch and sweet maple malt, along with some light earth and tons of honey and heather. The flavor is the same meld of smokey Islay scotch, tons of caramel and maple malt, with light earth, honey and the very interesting addition of a charred note. The body is full and almost syrupy with light carbonation and a long smokey, honeyed, and somewhat bitter charred finish.
3.7 Golden brown color, cloudy. No carbonation and very little head when poured into a glass from a bottle. Very alcoholic smell. Strong caramel taste comma with hints of wood and Oak. Very strong alcohol content but not overpowering. Very smooth mouthfeel and no bitter aftertaste.
3.4 2008 bottle. Pours a clear copper with small white head that diminishes quickly. The aroma is toffee, dark fruit, whiskey. Medium mouth, lots of peat, dark fruit, smoke, boozy finish, good.
2.0 Gross. Golden pour from bottle with white head. Honey and piece of shit smell. Tastes like smokey whiskey. This might be good and I might not be in the mood
2.2 Like a shot of makers. Smokey boxy whiskey flavor. Aroma makes me sick. Pours light yellow with no head. Had out of a bottle at kasers
2.1 From notes (7/27/15). I may have had an off bottle -- floaties, sludge, and a harsh, oxidized taste -- but I think it was just age on the bottle. Past its prime now, although the whiskey aroma suggests some of the great flavors it may once have had.
4.0 This is the 2012 version and it’s good. The aroma was overpoweringly scotch, but way more balanced in the flavor. Carbonation was very light and while that can be expected in many BWs, I think a bit more here would have helped. More years on it? Probably mellow the scotch more, but also lose more gas, so a wash. I’d be curious to try one just to see, though. This hasn’t been one of my favs of the series.
3.8 Pours a medium copper color with a thin gaseous eggshell foam. Nose is peaty up front with deep honey and buckwheat undertones. Palate follows the nose with sweet toffee, honey drizzeled toasted waffle with a smokey mysterious earthiness in the mid to front of palate. The lingering smoke of the peat wanders into the finish with soft sweet hoeycomb nuances. Nice.
4.0 Aroma of oak, whiskey and a hint of smoke. Pours a hazy tan color. Amazing taste of a peaty scotch, with hints of malt and cigar smoke. Medium body with a smokey scotch finish.
3.8 Bottle. Pours a murky amber brown with a thin wispy film and collar. Smells of strong peat smoke and dulled whiskey wood. Taste is sweet chared peat smoked wood and caramel malt dark dried fruit subtle raisins and hints of whiskey wood. Palate is full slick sticky dry and musty.
3.6 A murky brown with a ton of floaties. Smell is smoky peaty from the Lagavulin, malty, woody, nutty, tomato. Taste is malty caramel sweetness, brown sugar, nuttiness, slight bit of ashy hop, some of the scotch but not near as much as in the nose. No carbonation, medium mouth.
3.9 April 30, 2015. Bottle at CBC pre-tasting, vintage 2013. Shared by Theydon_Bois, thanks! Dark amber with a small frothy white head. Aroma is peat and sweet caramel, toffee, raisins, vanilla and alcohol. Taste is sweet malty with caramel, dried fruits, peat and notes of vanilla, very light bitter. Finish is smooth and soft with sweet toffee, raisins, hints of vanilla and light peat. Medium to full bodied, sticky texture, soft carbonation.
3.8 Nip bottle courtesy of Theydon_Bois. Pours tiny hazy golden with no head. Smell is malty and tiny fruity with caramel, toffee, vanilla fudge, charred wood, raisins, prunes, peat and whisky alcohol. Taste is sweet, slightly bitter, malty and slightly fruity. Mouthfeel is soft, round, slightly sticky sweet, boozy and medium to full bodied. Finish is sweet and slightly bitter with caramel, toffee, vanilla fudge, raisins, prunes, peat, minerals and whisky alcohol. Heavy on the peated whisky but in this beer it really works. A treat!