Harvest Ale
J.W. Lees in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England 🏴
Barley Wine - Barley Regular|
Score
7.58
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c0axial (8164) ticked Harvest Ale (2020) from J.W. Lees 3 years ago
c0axial (8164) ticked Harvest Ale (2019) from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
madmitch76 (40452) reviewed Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 9 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
1986 Vintage 6th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy brown beer, a few pale tan bubble not forming a head. Smooth palate, unsurprisingly low carbonation. Good rich caramel toffee. Mild spice. Rich fruits, ripe fruits and a touch of bruised fruits. Smooth finish. This has held together very well. Very nice. 3.8 1987 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, no head. Smooth palate, pretty modest fine carbonation. Smooth creamy caramel malts, a little toffee. Light sherry and mild dried fruits. Smooth finish. Nicely sherry this one. 3.8 1988 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy deep amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Smooth palate, modest fine carbonation. Light caramel malts. A bitterish cherry – marzipan makes this one stand out. Bitterish toffee towards the back end, along with some floral bitterness. Interesting vintage! 3.7 1989 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Almost clear amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Light dry malts, toffee malts with some burned sugar/brown sugar. Very mild spice and a whisper of molasses. Ripe fruits. Light finish. Tidy. 3.6 1990 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Light palate, fairly dry, very modest carbonation. Sweet toffee – caramel malts. Mild spice. Ripe fruits, especially orange and a touch of dried fruits. Dry finish. Tidy but one of the least exciting of the vertical. 3.6 1991 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, a few pale tan bubbles. Light and fairly dry palate with reasonable fine carbonation. Modest caramel malts with a floral bitterness over the top. Some spicy bitterness and ripe fruits. Dry finish leaves a bitter linger. Notably bitter this one. Still! 3.6 1992 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, a few pale tan bubbles. Smooth caramel malts contrast with floral bitteress and spicy bitterness. Dried fruits on spicy bitter finish. Has an edge this one! 3.6 1993 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Light palate, semi dry, low carbonation, but there is some! Mild sherry and a touch of toffee. Ripe fruits and dried fruits. Some of the usual characteristics, but everything feels a bit lifeless on this one. 3.2 1994 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear darkish amber beer, reasonable showing of cream colour bubbles. Palate is smooth and fairly light and brings a reasonable amount of fine carbonation. Good toffee malts but a trace of woodiness about them. Some porty fruits and molasses. Mild bitterness. Light finish. Notably different to the others we tried tonight. 3.7 1998 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Almost clear deep amber beer, tidy cream colour head. Palate is smooth and mildly dry, reasonable fine carbonation. Light but rich tasting toffee – caramel malts, sweetish and mildly creamy. Spicy ripe fruits and a touch of dried fruits. Nice touch of sherry before the light finish. Complex and tasty. 3.9 1999 Vintage 11th February 2011. Opened with a pleasing ’fffffftt’! Hazy dark red beer. ghost of a tan head. Soft and slightly syrupy palate with gentle carbonation. Sweet sherry with an undertone of mildly spiced licorice. Trace of candied fruit. Turns a little bitter towards the end. A sweet treat! 2000 Vintage 22nd August 2008. 2000 Vintage. Hazy brown beer. Strong malt with a very distinct marmite flavour - but sweet. Sticky sweet finish. Sumptuous palate. A little salt in the aftertaste. 3.9 2001 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, a few pale tan bubbles. Smooth palate, slightly viscous. Sweet caramel toffee malts, but not as sweet as some vintages. Molasses, spice and tangy dried fruits. Smooth finish. Notably molasses this one. 3.7 2002 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Palate is light and mildly dry and has modest fine carbonation. Sweet caramel – toffee malts. Tangy fruits and sweet ripe fruits. Mild spice. Lively! 3.7 5th August 2023. Almost clear deep brown beer, decebt bubbly pale tan head. Smooth palate, slightly viscous, decent fine minerally carbonation. Smooth malts, big caramel, some of it derived from age but certainly not all. Good brown sugar, boozy caramel and cream. Spicy brandy soaked overripe fruits. Prunes and dates. Rich ripe boozy finish. Delicious! 4.2 2004 Vintage Unpasteurised 3rd March 2011. Courtesy of Harrisoni - Cheers Ian! Cloudy brown beer, little off white head. Prunes, dates. Delicious toffee, caramel dried fruits, brown sugar. Rich and rewarding. 4.2 2005 Vintage 18th January 2009. Hazy amber brown beer. No head and precious little carbonation. Soft silky sweet beer. Sweet toffee and caramel malt. Just a touch of porty fruit at the very finish which is semi dry. Sumptuous beer. 2006 Vintage 15th November 2014. Murky amber with a few pale tan bubbles. Palate is light with very modest carbonation. Sweet caramel malts, big sticky ripe fruits. Lesser dried fruits. Light finish. These beers age so well! 2007 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy amber beer, tidy cream colour head. Mildly dry palate, decent fine carbonation. Slight thin toffee-caramel malts. Bitterish dried fruits and a light floral bitterness. Light finish. Spiky! 3.6 2008 Vintage ‘Special’. 13th November 2013. Tasting at Bruce’s Pad. Big thanks to Bruce for this J W Lees whale. Hazy deep amber beer with no real head. Toffee, maple syrup, nuts and light dried fruits. Touch of cinnamon and a whisper of mellow brandy. Light dry finish. Delicious. 4.0 2009 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy amber beer, a few cream colour bubbles. Light palate with decent fine carbonation. Light caramel malts with a somewhat thin creamy sweetness. Spicy dried fruits. Light finish. Notably lighter than any other vintage tried this evening and very drinkable. 3.8 2010 Vintage 6th January 2018 Bottle at Partizan, thanks to Seth. Cloudy amber - brown beer, good cream colour head. Smooth caramel and malt cream. Tangy ripe fruits. Mild spice. More cream and caramel. Sumptuous. 2011 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Hazy amber colour beer, tidy cream colour head. Palate is light with decent fine carbonation. Light caramel – toffee malts. Unusual floral sweetness and even a little candy fruits in this one. Bright dried fruits. Light finish. Pleasantly bright and notably different from other vintages. 3.9 2012 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, tidy cream colour head, Palate is smooth and light with decent fine carbonation. Light caramel malts, fairly sweet. Mild dried fruits. Some creamy caramel towards the finish. Laid back and lacking complexity but nice. 3.7 2013 Vintage 16th June 2016. The great Harvest Ale Vertical in 100 degree heat at Chez Scopey, Croydon. Clear amber beer, a few pale tan bubbles for a head. Spicy sweet caramel and good dried fruits. Some malt cream. Smooth spicy finish. Nice. May develop more. 3.8 2014 Vintage 13th June 2020 Hazy deep amber brown beer, tidy pale tan head. Nose of toffee caramel cream, prune and dried fruits and all that goodness comes through with aplomb on the taste buds. Some sherry and Madeira and brown sugar. Marmalade and ripe citric peel. Smooth finish brings a trace of ripe red wine and leaves a mildly bitter linger. Delicious. So very few barley wines manage to achieve this level of depth or complexity unless they are barrel aged or have some Craft Beer twist on them. Lovely. 4.3 2016 Vintage 22nd August 2019 Level 6 Bottleshare. Thanks to Cloin. Light haze on this gold beer, tiny pale cream colour head. Smooth palate, slightly soft, decent fine carbonation. Smooth sweet creamy malts. Some caramel. Rich ripe fruits. Smooth spicy finish. Very JW Lees Harvest!! Nice. 2017 Vintage 14th June 2020. An almost clear gold - amber beer, tidy cream colour head. Smooth palate, very slightly viscous, reasonable fine carbonation. Good caramel and cream malt base, a little sticky toffee. A light tingling spice. Ripe fruits in abundance with a touch of not quite-by-its-sell-by-date marmalade. Smooth finish brings a touch of ripe citrus liqueur. Very nice, but really not a comparison on the 2014, no big pruney date goodness. No sherry or Madeira. Nice barley wine but not tippy top notch. Don't believe another 3 years would see the loveliness that is the 2014.
octal (3685) ticked Harvest Ale (2020) from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
c0axial (8164) ticked Harvest Ale (2011) from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
KevinReddirt (2121) reviewed Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 9
An undersized bottle that came at an uncheap price from the newly discovered local beer shop. Good thing I have developed an appreciation for barley wines. Lifting into a snifter from a small Ft. Worth brewery I see a murky amber-brown body with no determinable head. The scent is very ripe fruit and white bread. But the taste, oh, it is interesting. Barley wines seem to go this way with me, push me away, pull me back. Ripe red plums, caramel, grain, raisins, brown sugar and meadow. The alcohol is not discernible although I do get a slight warming. A good representation of the style.
AndySnow (19631) reviewed Harvest Ale (2020) from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
How: Bottle.
Where: Systembolaget.
Appearance: Hazy amber colour with an off-white head.
Aroma: Dried fruit, malt, caramel, alcohol, raisin.
Body: Medium body, low carbonation.
Flavour: Dried fruit, caramel, malt, raisin, alcohol.
berkshirejohn (10223) reviewed Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7
[33cl bottle from the Beer52 online store.] AN opaque malt brown coloured pour with absolutely no head; sugary aroma; full bodied with a sugary taste and a malty body; and a dry yet syrupy finish with a strong malt base and a touch of spice. A pleasant sipping beer.
Hanoi (1998) reviewed Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5
Edit: Why has Rate Beer merged these beers, the relative vintages are simply not the same this is absurd. Bottle 2021. Nose is marmalade, honey, brown sugar, toffees slight woodyness. Taste is brown sugar, slight burnt sugar, toffee, smoke, some earthiness, marmalade, lots of licorice, almost aniseed, herbal sweet, slight pith note. Harvest seems to vary between the ultra sweet and the darker smokier and slightly herbal versions. This is cracker of the smokier ones. Earlier Rating: 9/29/2021 Total Score: 4.2 2018 Bottle rated late 2021. Nose is toffee, slightly yeasty, caramel, a slight earthyness. Taste is caramel, toffee, leading to fruits, candied orange, bread, syrup, sugar, a lightly vinous, sherry note, hint of apricot. As it breaths I get more wood, Christmas cake, dark fruits, figs, a nuttyness; hazelnut, toffee apple. Smooth mouthfeel. Delicious barley wine, very well balanced, and much smoother than some of the younger bottles I've had. Not sure if its the age or this particular year but very good. A Earlier Rating: 7/19/2020 Total Score: 3.9 2019 drunk 2020. Nose is sweet, apples, hint of white grape, almond, Taste very sweet, boozy, apple, brandy, banana, caramel, spice, raisin, some dried fruits, hints of marmalade malty, peppery boozy bitterness. Much less sweet than the 2014, and still feels very raw and peppery in 2020. Will put one down to mellow. Earlier Rating: 5/16/2018 Total Score: 3.8 Bottle. 2016 drunk 2017. Nose is yeast, pear drops, caramel, malt, sugar. Taste is rich honey, caramel, candy, very sweet, pear drops, hint of cherry syrup, brown sugar, hint vanilla, malt, plums, butterscotch, more sweetness, hint of marzipan. It's enjoyable but is perhaps the sweetest beer I've ever drunk, to the point of being overpowering, would perhaps benefit from some time in a cellar. Bottle drunk October 2021: Nose is yeast, caramel, toffee, malt, marzipan, sugared nuts . Taste is sweet, syrup, brown sugar, butter scotch, soreen, slight frutiness marzipan, candy sugar, slightly nutty. It remains very sweet, but not as overpowering; I was right it does benefit from time in the cellar! I do prefer other years however. Earlier Rating: 10/6/2021 Total Score: 3.9 Bottle drunk 2021. Nose is toffee, hints of marmalade, slight pear drop, brown sugar. Taste is brown sugar, caramel, toffee, marmalade, honey, leading to light fruit, fruit cake. There is a spicy quality to this similar to the 2018 which is not present in the older beers, and the sweetness is much more balanced. Good.
pilsnerrogge (4763) reviewed Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees 4 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5
(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.