J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Calvados)

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Pours out very cloudy brown unfiltered and looks like old fashion apple cider. The aroma is powerful like fermented apples. The mouthfeel is about a 7.5 the taste is bittersweet. A very good barleywine.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

A bright amber color with a white head. Aroma is of fermented apples, cherries, alcohol. The flavor is super sweet with some apples, molasses, brandy, candi sugar. Overall its a bit much but good. Needs age.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

2008 edition. My GF brought this back for me from the States (1 of 3 different Harvest Ale from J.W. Lees). Pours a cloudy amber colour with lots of yeast chunks floating all around. Decent light beige-coloured head that is slightly creamy and goes down slowly, not leaving much lace though. Very sweet nose of caramel, honey, raisins, plums, dates and apples (probably coming from the calvados - apple brandy). Medium-thick mouthfeel, kind of syrupy, but overall still refreshing as the thickness does not last too long. Still sweet tasting, but not as much as one would seem from the nose. A nice mix of toffee and red apples with a beautiful smoky aftertaste of burnt wood. Quite easy to go down, as there is no burn and I do like the finish in this one.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

So expensive, why? .... It pours out a dark copper with a thin light-tan head and a ring of surrounding lacing. An aroma of roasty caramel malts, mild hops, subtle citrus, sherry and cork, bitterness, and light spiciness. The mouthfeel is smooth and very rich. Flavors of roasted caramel malts, hops, orange and citrus zest, honey and brown sugar, sherry and wine, slight bitterness and nuttiness, and spiciness. I have no idea what a Calvado cask is, but I really like this ... don't think it is quite worth the price though ..

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

deifinitely a desert beer. super sweet and boozy aroma. body is rich, thick, and very smooth. taste also very sweet, with a touch of bitterness. hides the alcohol better than the aroma. more like a sherry or even a port than a traditional beer.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Muddy brown color with a minimal head - kind of like a sheen of scum to be honest. Not an attractive beer in my opinion. Huge malt and apple aroma - the kind you can smell from a few feet away upon opening. Mouthfeel is rather thick and syrupy. Starts off sweet and malty - very much like a brandy. Alcohol content boosts the sweetness and warms nicely on the finish. OK, but was hoping for better.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Very similar to the Sherry; which was sampled just prior to this although I got a more pronounced barrel flavor and mild nuttiness. : Thick amber brown body with a decent head and little lacing. Bran cereal, cedar, and mild tobacco. Thick and coating to the mouth it’s a very heavy beer. Sweet and calm. Strong woody flavor with caramel, dark fruits, raisins and red wine.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 10 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

drank at 9:30pm, no electricity, sept13th, sunday, candle and lantern, thanks to Hurricane Ike .. . lots of sherry,rum, plum, sugar and apple toffee ... super sweet and absolutely amazing .. complex! .. .i could drink this by the 40oz by beer bong its that damn tasty...not really but u get my point . ...

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

2004 vintage bottle courtesy of Kryptic drank in 2008: Poured a cloudy brown color ale with a small foamy head with light retention and some very minimal lacing. Aroma consists of sweet malt with some light ester of apples which are really well integrated in the beer. Taste is a nice mix between a sweet rich malt base with some nice apples ester coming from the Calvados. Full body with limited filtration with some low carbonation and no alcohol notes. The Calvados is really well integrated with the regular beer and does not clash or completely take over – really well done.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

NorCal tasting Feb 07 - Been waiting awhile to get this one poured. Aroma is very sweet, with notes of honey, apples, cinnamon, and oak. The appearance is sort of a light amber color, with a little orange mixed in, cloudy with minimal head. Mouthfeel is thick, sticky sweet and full bodied. Flavor is also very, very sweet with apple, golden raisins, oak and a little caramel to smooth it all out. This is obviously a great example of an English Barleywine, and put some years on it and it might just be damned near perfect.