As some of you know, I cellar beer. (I really desire to be a beer seller, but that’s another matter.) For your benefit, here is a link to the article that I wrote about cellaring beer. Anyway, I pulled a beer from the cellar last night that has been aged for 10 years. That beer was J.W. Lees Harvest Ale. Bottles of this 11.5% ABV beer can be picked up for $7.99. In fact, you can often find bottles that are already a couple of years old when you get them, and unlike wine, you aren’t going to pay more for a beer that has been aged (for the most part). Isn’t that a nice bonus and an indication of how attitudes can dictate what happens with a given product? At any rate, this is a strong ale, which is akin to a barley wine. On to the Harvest.
The Pour: Harvest Ale had legs (yes, like a wine) and a nice, thick body, and left traces of itself as it clung to the glass. It was a brown-orange color with little head retention, which can be expected in a many beers that have been aged like this.
The Nose: J.W. Lees came off as being fairly cider-like and sweetly candy-like in its aromas. In fact, I noted that it had some aromas sort of like chewy sweet tarts. Tons of raisiny, dried fruit aromas were noticeable in the beer, as well as a syrupy quality.
The two surprises were that the alcohol didn’t come through and the the hops were basically a non-factor, which would be the case with many beers that are aged (even IPA). The hops were East Kent Goldings, a British variety. I’m sure as a young beer, this had plenty of hop presence, but it comes through now as a ciderish quality. (I had the same thing happen with Fuller’s 2004 Vintage Ale.) It really isn’t that shocking that the hops disappeared. The alpha acids degrade, and hops mellow over time, so expect this when you cellar beer. Also, the beer becomes sweeter. One additional note: this beer has unique aromas from the British grown Maris Otter barley in it. Thomas Hardy Ale is unique because of this, too.
The Taste: Plenty of it. The beer was pretty thick and sweet. It really reminded me of maple syrup in its taste. Some acidity, apples, and coffee roast (on the end) were dominant features of Harvest Ale. It was also raisin-like in some aspects. Once again, the alcohol was almost indiscernible when drinking this ale.
Overall, this beer was simply excellent. Ten years of aging made me wonder what it would be like in 15 or 20. Luckily, I’ve got a bottle of 1998 and some others that can help me answer the question. Do yourself a favor and pick some of this up. You may even be able to find a bottle of 1999…but buy two, so that you can age one for a while longer. Below the rating, I’ve included some similar beers, as well as suggestions for pairing food.
Mike’s Rating:
Overall Satisfaction: 
Among aged beers that I've had:
Beers in this vein and other Harvest Ales: Thomas Hardy’s Ale, Harpoons, Sierra Nevada, Goose Island Harvest, Founders Harvest.
Possible Pairing: Duck, Venison, or any other assertive meat. Cheesecake, White Chocolate Blondies, and other decadent desserts. A strong cheese. Smoke a cigar with one if you like a stogy.
I’ve got a bottle of 2000. I can’t wait to drink it. I’ve never tried any year of the harvest ale…this review has got me anxious though!
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I think I have 99, 00, 01 and maybe another year can’t remember. This is making me want to try a few tonight.
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Do it. They are very nice when they are aged. I’m going to pick up some more when I can. Cheers!
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[...] J.W. Lees’ Harvest Ale Matured In Calvados Casks. You may remember a future article in which Mike review the 1999 Harvest Ale. This beer is of the same recipe, only it was brewed in 2007, and was aged in Casks that were once [...]