J.W. Lees Harvest Ale (Sherry Cask)
J.W. Lees & Co (Brewers) Ltd

2017 vintage drank in 2025. Mild oxidation, bold barrel notes and strong overly rippened fruit charteristics.

Bottle from Boise Co-op. Pours out a flat amber, copper, small bubbly head. Aroma is apples, leathery, tannins. Sweet , fruity, plums, latent heat. Does not disappoint.

9.3oz bottle into a goblet. Brewed in 2005, so 19 years old.

Not the best look. Murky mid brown body, no head, no lacing, and no carbonation. Some floaties as well.

Aroma however, is very enticing. Boozy with a lot of dark fruit notes. On tasting, smooth and boozy, warming, still, quite sweet, some molasses. Dark stone fruit and a ton of raisins. The finish is a soothing warmth throughout the upper body.

Was hoping this drink would be a toast to England's Euro win, but it was not to be. Still, a great beer is a great beer, to be enjoyed even in moments of heartbreak. And the World Cup is only 2 years away!!

 

 

Appearance was a muddy tan, with a mild head that disappeared quickly. Nose reminded me of raisins/dates/figs, along with something wine-like which I assume is the sherry. Taste was very similar to nose - I think I’d describe it as dried fruit, only a lot sweeter. The feel was incredibly smooth, with a medium body. And an 11.5% ABV that was completely hidden.

Picked up a 2017 bottle 12-7-22 from the Appalachian Vintner for $10.99. Consumed 9-5-23.

Beer poured a murky light brown with an okay head that dissipated quickly.

Nose is very nice, notes of light and dark fruits dominates.

Taste is very nice as well as the large malt base gives notes of figs, oranges, and apples. A touch of brown sugar sweetens the concoction a bit and is counterbalanced by the sherry alcohol.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied and smooth.

Overall this is my favorite of the three harvest ales, glad i was able to try!

 

 

 

 

2016 vintage:
8.4 oz can poured into a snifter at 55 degrees F:
L - a murky copper with a tan head that quickly disappeared
S - a bit of funk
T - sweetness of sherry, notes of toffee, butterscotch, caramel, a bit of leather, the , slightest bit of funk
F - thick mouthfeel and no carbonation
O - very nice and interesting, 5.5 years in, it still has strong barley wine and sherry characteristics. Next tasting of this vintage in about a year

 

2016 canning 8.4 oz. can. Strong aroma of ripe fruit, apple, woody tannins, toffee, leather.

Murky orange-red body. Active carbonation visible with a backlight. Short off-white head that recedes fairly quickly to a thin ring with scattered slight bubble islands.

Flavor has a wine-like (sherry) character, relatively complex with tannin sharpness. Ripe stone fruit, tart apple, wood, leather. There is a lot going on with the flavors so I'm sure I'm missing describing some. The dominant flavors are ripe tending toward over-ripe stone fruit, tart apple, and woody tannins.

The mouth feel is also wine-like, if slightly thicker and more substantial. Sharp tannins.

Overall, an excellent sipping beer.

2022-02-25
8.4oz can served in a small plastic hotel cup. Brewed in 2016.

Pours a murky amber with a small head, despite the fizzy hiss emitted when the can was popped. Smell is fruity, sherry is coming through strongly, cherries and maybe stonefruit.

Taste is oaky and sherry, very prominent. Cherry flavor is there, very noticeably boozy.

Mouthfeel is thick, heavy, chewy. Overall, very good.

2016 vintage from a can. Pours a muddy reddish orange with a large head. Aroma features date, fig, funky leather, highly oxidized caramel malt, tannins, and a vestige of earthy hops. Flavor is similar but oddly sour, somewhat astringent, and off-putting. Not much of the sweet sherry I was anticipating; it seems to have turned to vinegar. Honestly it was not pleasant to finish my half of the mini-can. One of the most disappointing beers I've had in a long time, and I have 3 more cans to go of this not-cheap beer (I paid just over $30 for the 4-pack including shipping).

2016 vintage

I’m drinking this one side by side with the port cask version. I picked both up at OEC a few weeks ago, along with the base beer and a whiskey cask one I had just the other day. So far the original (2020 vintage) is my favorite, but I’m interested to see how 2 different wine casks will influence the beer. Let’s pop them open and find out

Pours a cloudy burnt orange with 2 fingers of fluffy off white head that slowly fades to a thin cap and leaves decent lacing. Much better looking than the port

It's also much more spirit driven in the nose than the port version. I'm picking up on aromas of sweet sherry, orange marmalade, white grape, sweet toffee, biscuity malt, toasted oak, golden raisin, and light caramel

Taste-wise they're totally different, and this one actually falls a bit short of the port, though it's good for what it is. On the front end of the sip I'm tasting chewy toffee, orange marmalade, sherry, brown sugar, and apple skin. The swallow brings notes of super sweet sherry (almost to an oxidized point), golden raisin, toasted oak, brown sugar, apple skin, caramel, and biscuity malt

A medium full body pairs with gentle carbonation, resulting in a very rich beer. Finishes slightly sticky and quite sweet

This was one hell of a comparison. This one was more even while the quality of the port one fluctuated. However, the taste on the port version was borderline mind blowing, while this one was sweet and contemplative. Both great beers, but the port takes the cake