Harviestoun Ola Dubh (30 Year Old)
bottle,occasional
NB if your bottle is marked 30th anniversary edition (bottled June 2013) Your rating should go here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/243498/
Ola Dubh (or ‘Black Oil’) is a collaboration between Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park, Distiller of the Year*. It is based on Harviestoun’s award-winning Old Engine Oil. With more than a stylistic nod to the classic Imperial Porters (and Stouts) of the nineteenth century, this deliciously rich, dark, 8% a.b.v. beer is the first ale to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, the rest with genuine provenance.
Ola Dubh will initially be available in three different expressions; the initial release will be of small batches aged in casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 12 Year Old, Highland Park 16 Year
Old and Highland Park 30 Year Old. Further variants are planned for the future. Ola Dubh is, in the words of beer afficionado Owen D.L. Barstow: “The most interesting new British beer I have tried in years.”
NB if your bottle is marked 30th anniversary edition (bottled June 2013) Your rating should go here:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/beername/243498/
Ola Dubh (or ‘Black Oil’) is a collaboration between Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park, Distiller of the Year*. It is based on Harviestoun’s award-winning Old Engine Oil. With more than a stylistic nod to the classic Imperial Porters (and Stouts) of the nineteenth century, this deliciously rich, dark, 8% a.b.v. beer is the first ale to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, the rest with genuine provenance.
Ola Dubh will initially be available in three different expressions; the initial release will be of small batches aged in casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 12 Year Old, Highland Park 16 Year
Old and Highland Park 30 Year Old. Further variants are planned for the future. Ola Dubh is, in the words of beer afficionado Owen D.L. Barstow: “The most interesting new British beer I have tried in years.”
3.9
517 reviews
Alva, Stirlingshire, Scotland
Community reviews
Excelente. O aroma de puro whisky, mas paladar suave. Sabor muito amadeirado. Vale a pena experimentar!! Toast
Bottle:Almost black, almost no head; wood and vanilla detectable in the nose, molasses and dried fruits as well; moderate to solid sweet-bitter flavour, full bodied and smooth; lingering sweet-bitter finish of leather, sweet caramel. molasses and dried fruits, followed by a malty bitterness. Easy drinking thirst-quencher...
Keg at the Hanging Bat. Chocolate and coconut on nose. Taste is silky sweet chocolate, liquorice, coconut, smooth whisky.
Sampled @ Finest Spirits and Beer Convention Bochum 2014: Sehr dunkelbraunes Bier, kein Schaum. Geruch mild holzig, schokoladig, etwas Whiskey. Geschmack torfig, röstmalzig, schokoladig, leicht alkoholisch.
330ml bottle served in a ordinary glass.
Bottled in September 2007.
A: Pours a completely black color forming a small and thin beige head. Medium retention and some few lacings formed and left in the glass
S: Great nose. Strong notes of roasted malts, oak, dark chocolate and toffee. Some notes of whiskey
T: Strong notes of oak, roasted malts, dark chocolate, dark fruits. Slightly sweet upfront followed by a perfect roasted bitter end
M: Quite creamy body. Low carbonation. Roasted bittersweet aftertaste
O: Masterpiece
[ BA Review @ 12/15/2010 ]
Bottle shared by John. Flat with roasted malt taste. There is a slight wood taste an some heat.
Bottle. Black color, brown head. Oaky, roasted malt aroma. Smooth, silky flavor with dark chocolate and coffee. Full body, medium carbonation. Very nice.
Azzal, hogy az ezzel kapcsolatos információk tudatának fényében a whisky-szerű jellemvonások visszaköszönnek a sörben, lényegében semmit nem mondtam. Biztosan vannak, akik mind illatában, mind ízében közelebb állónak érzik ahhoz a típushoz típushoz, mint különleges söritalhoz. Jómagam - nem lévén nagy whisky-fogyasztó - természetesen ragaszkodnék inkább a sörspecialitásként történő besorolásához, az előzőek viszont kellő mértékben illusztrálják azt, mennyire szükségtelen a sör lényegi elemeit latolgatni. Illata nagymértékben hasonlít az Ola Dubh 18-ra, a több fázisban felépülő pörkölt magvas, égetett péksüteményes, hamus ösvényt sós aszalt szilva nyomai szegélyezik, mígnem elérkezünk egy vaníliás, acetonosan alkoholos, vérbeli whisky aromához. A kortyok pályája már nem írható le ennyire összetetten, kezdetben kissé üres, voltaképpen szénsav nélküli, majd egy fokozatosan élesedő, pörkölt malátás, diós-vaníliás ízvilág lép a színre, hogy utóízében az érett, tölgyfahordós, nemesen alkoholos, nagyfokúan whiskys hangulat áradjon szét. Lebilincselő jelenség, amint a vártnál talán kevésbé, csupán közepesen testes, kólához hasonlatos színű és átlátszóságú ital a kóstolás során meglepetésszerűen komplex, olajos és krémes ízjegyeit is feltárja, összességében egy csavaros, összetéveszthetetlen és semmiképpen nem felejthető karaktert alkotva.
33 cl bottle @ home. Pours black with a tiny tan head that leaves no lacing. Aroma and flavour are liquorice, roasted malt, whiskey, chocolate, smoke, and vanilla – with a slightly bitter finish.
Bottle at an Ola Dubh vertical. Pours a very dark brown color. Nose is a bit muted compared to the others in the series, though you still get the peatiness with some subtle scotch and roasting. Taste is very smooth, with chocolate, caramel, and slight wood elements to it. Nice. Favorite in the series.
Really impressive...Oak and vanilla and coffee and scotch (just a hint). Really nice and remarkably smooth. Not a scotch guy by any measure but really like this.
Bottle: Richer than all the rest. Not too much peat, some chocolate. Smooth, very smooth. Low iodine. Nice. Thanks Matt!
Bottle from Erzbierschof - Black color with a small and fast disappearing tan head - Aroma is chocolate, whisky, vanilla, roasted malt and coffee, very pleasant aroma - Flavor is whisky, vanilla, plum, chocolate - Medium body, light carbonation, sweet, a little bit watery, sweet vanilla whisky finish - I love this beer, so good
Black with minimal head. Aroma is raisins, dates, liquorice, smoke, leather, wood, chocolate, hint of blackcurrant. Very smooth on the palate, oily mouthfeel, lots of complexity. Taste is raisins, dates, liquorice, chocolate, caramel. Delicious.
Bottle. Pours near black with a chocolate brown chocolate head that dissipates to the edges. Aroma has strong whiskey with chocolate and toffee forming a strong backbone. Flavor has nice combination of bitter chocolate, toffee, caramel and whiskey.
Bottle 26508, bottled jan 2009. Deep black, dissipatgng head which settles into a tonsure. Dark chocolate on wood, light vanilla, a hint madeira, but certainly not oxidized much. Silky and round on the palate, medium chewyness, relatively dry on the finish. Full chocolate, licorice, salt, a hint wood, otherwise the whiskey asserts itself and blends wonderfully into the stout flavors. Licorice, light herbal aftertaste, whiskey aromatics retronasal. Perfect time to enjoy this one I think.
very nice old whisky aroma,black, brown foam, light sweetness, lightly bitter, medium body, soft carbonation, nice harmonic finish.
Bottle 25631. Dark, almost black. Has an off-white head, lasting. Aroma is dark too, roasted malts, old wood, faint-faint vanilla, medicine and peated smoke. Perhaps salt. Flavor starts sweet, more peated malt, faint acid and moderate bitter finish. Faint chocolate and coffee. Creamy texture. Perhaps a bit too thin a beer for this, if we should above 4.
330 ml bottle sampled in 2010. Practically black body with a nice, dense beige head. Aroma is surprisingly mild and smooth whisky, oak and peat. Flavor is also smooth roasted malt, peat, whisky, oak and balanced bitterness. Full body and nice aftertaste. A nice one.
Malty smokey and tar taste.Some syrup and whiskey too. No head. Dark reddish black color. Oak malty and whiskey taste. Mild coffee and vanilla notes. Also some peat and vanilla. Mm a good one.
4 year old bottle shared by Eric. Thanks bro. Pours deep dark brown with a small brown head. The nose is vanilla, chocolate, booze, light smoke and some hints of wet grass. The taste is lightly sweet and medium to heavy bitter. Something off about it though. Perhaps a little oxidation. The textture is creamy with bits of pop. The body is medium and the finish is long. All in all I don’t think it should have gone 4 years. Would try it at one and two to see what the changes were.
This review is exported from olutopas.info with no comment. Original rating date 29.10.2010
(bottle) pours a darkest ruby-black in colour with a frothy beige head. aroma of caramel, herbal hops, milk chocolate and fudge, slightly oxidized, with notes of honey, cherry schnaps, toasted rye bread, walnuts and lots of tobacco. flavour is mostly dominated by smoked ham and ash, with a light hint of caramel and herbal hops in the finish. medium to heavy-bodied with soft carbonation.
Incredibile. Ebano quasi nera nel bicchiere. Un bel cappellino di schiuma. Aroma complesso: whisky, malti affumicati, torbati, pappa reale, frutta secca e qualcosa di balsamico. Ingresso in bocca vellutato, per niente acido, nonostante l’invecchiamento. Ottima alchimia tra gli elementi alcolici e maltati del whisky e le note del cioccolato e del caffè della birra che emergono di più verso la fine. Tra le tante note: frutta secca, caffèlatte, menta, sentori affumicati. Anche al palato ho riscontrato qualcosa di balsamico che non sono riuscito a decifrare. Una birra di incredibile equilibrio. Stupenda. Alto livello.
Super dark and heavy. I would recommend this to anyone at least once. Excellent brew!
Strong dark portery smell. Very mild in taste with vanilla and salmiak notes.
Bottle 05688, March 2009. Pours dark black in color with almost no head. Nice lacing on the glass. Amazing complex aroma. Chocolate fudge, tobacco, prunes, toffee, light whiskey, light smoke, licorice, marshmellows, and caramel. Taste is almost as good as the aroma. The fudge, tobacco, and whiskey stand out but can taste all other aromas too. Peaty smoke comes through much stronger in the finish. Light boozy feel at the end too. I wish this beer had a bit more body to it but other than that I love it. A top notch old ale, great sipper.
Fast schwarz, wenig Schaum. Holzige Noten im röstmalzigem Duft, auch leicht nach Heidekraut und Torffeuer. Halbtrockener Antrunk, erstaunlich leicht im Körper. Startet würzmalzig, wird dann schokoladiger, viele Kakaonoten, etwas Kaffee und wärmender Alkohol. Klingt zartbitter, röstig aus. Am besten mit einer Partagas oder Montecristo begleitet.
Jan 2009 bottle at home (#34421). It pours near black with small light tan head. The nose is whisky, roasted malt, treacle, toffee, fudge, medicinal notes, chocolate covered marshmallow, Christmas pudding, nut, date and prune. The taste is roasted malt, treacle, whisky, fudge, oak, earth, salted caramel, nut, light bitterness, liquorice and warming alcohol with a bitter-sweet finish. Medium-full body, fine carbonation and sticky mouth-feel. Wow! The balance is spot-on. Great depth of flavour, yet ultra smooth and massively drinkable.
330ml bottle (Alko Arkadia, Helsinki) BB201201, drunk 201212
Pours seemingly black, though its actually a clear but very dark red, with a tight tan head that settles to a ring. Beautiful whisky vapours on the pour. On the glass that doesn’t fade, but is accompanied by a beautiful perfuminess which was extremely surprising. That, and come dark chocolatey roastiness, and just a touch of salty butter that sometimes accompanies whisky. Soft and smooth in the palate, with just a gentle carbonation to crispen it up and stop it from being sticky or heavy. Roast dominate in the taste, it’s dark Belgian chocolate, a little praline nuttiness. Whisky comes and goes in the retronasals, but never really impacts on the main taste. Not really saying 8% to me. There is a fullness, but the only heady vapours are more ephemeral than tangible or fungible. Finish takes the dark chocolate, and adds a lovely dry bitter bite that keeps the palate clean. No "i need a drink now" sugariness, for a start, unlike the last 8% beer I had. The BB date was irrelevant - this was great a year late. An absolutely lovely beer. Hard to fault in any way. Now I’ve done all 5, I think I’d like to do all 5 side by side so that I can get them ordered correctly. I’m not surprised this jumped in in 2nd place, it was gorgeous.