(ChicagoTribune) - It's no surprise that most people follow a basic tenet when buying and drinking beer: Get it as fresh as possible. After all, when most beers get old they turn skunky, harsh and bitter. But there are a handful of strong, complex beers that, like fine wines, actually improve, or "develop," with age. Chief among those is J.W. Lees Harvest Ale, a barley wine brewed once a year from that year's harvest of barley and hops. By definition barley wines are strong, complex beers. Those traits, particularly the high alcohol percentage, enable barley wines like J.W. Lees Harvest Ale to be cellared for years on end.