J.W. Lees Harvest Ale 2003

Actually the distribution is uneven.

In New Jersey, any store I've seen them in have all four.

Yes, I think I remember finding them first at a Joe Canal's (Quakerbridge), poking around in the walk-in cooler and coming across a case with few markings/logos etc. Inside were all four types. I pulled out one bottle of each but they weren't in their computer, they couldn't scan the bar code to get a price, etc., so I bought them elsewhere.

Here in Chicago metro area, I've never seen all four in the same location.

We've seen them down here. I bought one of each and had a small tasting party (along with some '95 and new ('03?) Thomas Hardy's Ale. They're just OK. IMHO not worth the hype or price.

I thought the Lagavulin one was FG.

snipped-for-privacy@see.headers (Joel) wrote in news:cj96c3$ql8$1 @badger.ncsa.uiuc.edu:

Thought they were pretty good as beer, but the thing that really made them valuable was the fact that you had four different beers aged in four different kinds of casks, and it was a damn good beer lesson as to how the wood imparted different flavors. Were pretty interesting.

Yes, it was interesting tasting all the beers side by side. You may want to learn more about how those beers were produced, if you're really interested in how "wood" imparted different flavors. (IIRC, the casks were new, and were "primed" with the various liquors.)

snipped-for-privacy@see.headers (Joel) wrote in news:cj9djv$qt3$ snipped-for-privacy@badger.ncsa.uiuc.edu:

Yeah, I know, just misspoke. Know the wood didn't give the flavor. I mean, unless there's a calvados tree I can plant in my backyard. That'd be cool.

If Joel's right*, I guess it's not a big deal, but if Lew's right*, it FIGURES that'd be the one I can't find...

Heh, maybe some of you gents could lay one aside in case I never DO find one...

Speaking of that, it was kind of cool to taste the subtle differences between the beers, but I have to admit, I wish I had the patience to lay some down and check again later. Maybe if I find a foursome I'll buy them and hide them away...

I'd say it's worth trying once. But whether you like the Lagavulin spiked one may have something to do with whether you like Scotch. I don't, and I suspect Lew doesn't mind a drop now and again.

The Lagavulin definitely stood out-- nothing at all subtle about it. To me, it was the weakest, as I liked the more subtle differences in the others.

All four are excellent.