Harvest Ale (Calvados) by J.W. Lees

Harvest Ale (Calvados). Barley Wine (matured in Calvados casks). J.W. Lees. MIddleton, England.

Spring 2011.

My review on RateBeer:

3.7 AROMA 8/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 6/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 17/20
AHTOH (64) - San Diego, California, USA - MAY 11, 2011

Brewed in 2009. Ale matured in Calvados casks. 275 mL bottle. Duvel tulip.

APPEARANCE: Orange gold and amber. Quite hazy. Sparse sediment. Head is 1 finger, cream colored, and has short duration.

AROMA: Brandy, barley, grain, cereal. Hints of green apple, caramel, vanilla, allspice, lightly toasted wood.

TASTE: Brandy, barley, grain, caramelized green raisin, burnt brown sugar. Charred wood much more noticeable and more charred on taste than on nose. Hints of vanilla, faint spice, extremely faint bitter orange.

MOUTH FEEL: Soft carbonation. Quite sweet. Full bodied. Light alcohol warmth.

OVERALL: Pleasant brandy barrel aged barley wine. Faint notes of charred wood on taste linger for quite some time and become a bit earthy towards the end of the lingering phase as the other tastes fade; charred wood notes are a bit more prominent than would have preferred.