Barleywine Appreciation Thread (2023)

Definitely agree with this. I bought a bottle of 2023 the other day and am going to let it sit.

 

Did you find that here in UT?

 

in my experience, Rev beers are way better fresh. You drank it at the right time (immediately)

 

worth $100? What's a realistic price you would want to pay? I get $100 as a one off, if you can afford it, but let's be real.

 

i traded for it but i would say it’s tough to feel like any beer is worth $100.

 

JW Lees Harvest Ale is one of my favorite beers in the world. After being very disappointed with my first try of a can (the 2020 edition), I knew I had to go a bit deeper and try a can/bottle comparison... but my first attempt at a comparison between the formats was lacking. This newer comparison was going to be more legit for me. I lined up a 2016 Sherry edition bottle, a 2016 Sherry edition can, a 2020 can of the standard beer, and a 2021 bottle of the standard beer (or technically the 1986 yeast edition).

In a nutshell, the two bottles were the Harvest Ale I knew and loved. They had that distinctive "Ricola" herbal assault. Both cans lacked this character. The Sherry can was a fruitier and more acidic beer than the Sherry bottle. It had a huge head... compared to no head from the bottled Sherry beer. The can of regular Harvest was terrible compared to the regular bottle. It was much thinner and drier... and totally lacking in the velvety luxuriousness of the bottled beer. A totally different beer.

In the end, the two bottles of beer - the 2016 Sherry edition and the 2021 (1986 yeast) regular edition were relatively similar beers despite the age, treatment and yeast differences between them... barring the darker color of the older beer. The two canned beers were each unique in their own way... and for the worse (for my tastes).

Before opening these beers, I was wondering if the intense herbal, leathery and earthy character in the bottled beers was actually a product of yeast autolysis rather than a desired character. I couldn't tell you what yeast autolysis tastes like to me... I can only recite descriptions of it from others. Well, I don't think this quality in the beer is yeast autolysis. Since I have been paying a lot of attention to conditioning differences between canned and bottled beer, I took note of the sediment in these bottles and cans. The canned beer was very cloudy at the end. The 2020 can had lots of sediment. The 2016 Sherry bottle had a ridiculous amount of caked sediment... and the 2021 bottle had practically none!

Looking at the description of Harvest Ale on an online store site that is linked to the brewer's site, it states that it isn't bottle conditioned (regardless of vintage). I don't know if this is an error or if it's accurate. Now I have a new mystery.

One old mystery is partially wrapped up though. I've flip flopped in the past on guessing if B United is doing the Harvest Ale canning or if the beers are canned in the UK. Well, it looks like B United is doing the canning in CT. That means that tankers filled with old Harvest Ale were sent to the US. I wonder how the beer was stored in the UK up until that point. Did it sit in those sherry/port/etc casks for years? Nothing seems very logical to me. I am assuming that this is a unique case in the B United tanker project. I guess this means that B United is also doing the can-conditioning of these beers over here... if these beers are can-conditioned at all.

 

That is what someone at JW Lees communicated to me. I initially thought B United did it, but I started to have my doubts when it was pointed out to me that B United does not indicate on the label that it is part of their tanker project. When I noticed that B United stated that the cans were 250ml / 8.4oz... it seemed to confirm the idea that they were canned in the UK. Looks like that thinking was probably wrong.

 

Nope...Got them in Las Vegas..We don't get Bell's unfortunately.

 

we have a shitload if the TO ADWTD bottles on shelvez...i think i sent you a photo.

and yea, they're $100

 

I am curious about the Harvest Ale casks as well. I don't know if B United is filling them in the US. I contributed to a conversation in the current cask thread regarding their German gravity cask beer. As far as the bottled Lagavulin Harvest Ale goes, I'm a fan to a certain extent, but it's clearly a divisive beer that lots of people here really don't like. Personally, I'd be over at your local.

 

I figured about as much. Certainly haven't seen it on any shelves myself.

 

yep, you did. fortunately, i was able to trade for a couple. i’ve paid $100 for a bottle before (fuck me, right?) but i try not to make too much of a habit out of it.

 

Revolution - Boss Ryeway

cheers!!

 

oh hell yeah this is one of my favorite BW. It just fucking slays.

 

Yes this is a great beer! However if you want a truly good BARLEYWINE, you have to try Jackie O's BRICK KILN. It is incredible, I highly recommend it, it is a sweeter English style barleywine.