Harviestoun Ola Dubh (40 Year Old)

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 first with genuine provenance.

This version is aged in Highland Park 40 Year whisky casks.

326 reviews

Alva, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Community reviews

3.9 Dark stern brown, decent ringed head. Fairly swift balsamic nose as it warmed but steamy choc and whisky later but slims out in the initial taste. Rich, nuttier and a more vibrant oakier punch. Not quite as vibrant as the others but smoother pulse on the mouthfeel. Little bit of almost silent tart towards the finish. Bottle, Flu Jab Tasting

4.0 Bottle. Black with tan head. Aroma of coffee, chocolate and whisky. Taste of whisky, smoke and chocolate.

3.8 Bottle at home. Pours black, nose is smoky, chocolate, light oxidisation, taste is sweet chocolate, dry, peaty.

4.0 Bottle at Craig’s. Oh mama! Pours jet black with thin tan head. Aromas of balsamic vinegar, light coffee. Taste is light sour, coffee, dark chocolate. Finishes boozy, nice.

2.6 330ml bottle purchased at the LCBO in Peterborough, Ontario. Near black in colour, very small brown head, no lacing. Aroma is heavy on the alcohol, bourbon, some sweetness, malty. Flavour is surprisingly thin, highly alcoholic, a little harsh, lots of oak, dark chocolate. Hot mouthfeel, light body, moderate carbonation. Finishes long and quite warm, a bit thin. Just can’t get over the amount of alcohol in this. A waste of money really.

3.7 pitch black pour, small head. whisky and char aroma. flavour is still big on the whiskey 4 years later. peat, dark toffee, char, light smoke. medium body.

4.5 another winner in this series. best of the bunch. i’m between a 4.4 and a 4.5, but will go low til i have it again...and i will have it again. smokey peet almost undetectable at first, but as it warms, whiskey booziness takes over from the super chocolate, malty, robust goodness, and manages to do so without the slightest hint of heat or alcohol. well done! 7/11 - 2nd times a charm...still the best in the line."

4.4 Garrafa numerada 27328. Safra de agosto de 2010. Aroma intenso. Perceptível a distância. Adocicado. Pão. Malte. Álcool. Madeira. Caramelo. Frutas vermelhas. O Beltramelli falou em iodo... É possível sim... Fato é que, esta é, indubitavelmente, uma cerveja rica em aromas. Creme castanho, bolhas pequenas. Persistente até o fim como uma fina camada. Coloração castanha escura. Opaca. Complexa nos sabores. Final café, presunto defumado e um calor alcoólico. Início madeira, lúpulo, álcool bem inserido, quase licorosa. Retrogosto persistente, muito ao estilo de um whisky.

4.4 Bottle from Erzbierschof - Black color with a small creamy tan head, good lasting, small lacing - Aroma of whisky, vanilla, oak, malty, hints of soy sauce - Flavor of roasted malt, coffee, whisky, dark cherry, licorice and spicy - Full body, smooth, light carbonation, roasted malt okay whisky spicy finish - all the interest of this beer come from the barrel, well balanced, delicious, this one is little bit dryer than other in the series

3.8 Bottle with thanks to Homer! Pours opaque black with a tiny brown head that dissipates semi quickly with some lacing. Aroma is roasted malt, chocolate, ash, peat, scotch. Flavor is medium sweet, medium bitter, smooth scotch present but not overpowering, chocolate. Full body, creamy mouthfeel, low carbonation.

4.1 6/3/2011. From bottle. Pours black with a creamy beige head. Thick and robust. Oaky aromas with whiskey, roasted malt, chocolate. This beer is all about the barrel ageing and the balance is near perfect. long smooth finish.

4.2 Black with a small pale head. Aroma is raisins, dates, molasses, caramel, beef jerky. Oily mouthfeel, very complex palate, full bodied. Taste is raisins, dates, dark cherry, chocolate, marzipan, liquorice, hint of sherry. Fucking delicious.

3.7 33cl bottle Appearance: Pours black with a finger thick, small creamy tanned head. Aroma:caramelised malts, prunes, dark chocolate, oak ,peat, hint of spice, and alcohol. Taste:he taste is malt, dark chocolate, spice, peat, and moderate alcohol. soft carbonation, medium body

3.7 Had these in a flight of Old engine oil, 12,16,30,40. I found this one to be drier than the 30 year old, with an aroma that is more fruit cake like and overall more balanced. It is the smoother beer and there is peatness there but I did find the 30 yr old to be more exiting.

4.2 Bottle. Pours black with a finger thick, creamy mocha head. Aroma is burned malts with nice, quite bitter whiffs of burned, as well as oak and tobacco. Quite light body with creamy texture and soft carbonation. Flavour is sweet with burned malts and whisky, as well as coffee and oak giving a long sweetly finish with dark fruits.

4.4 Rated on 4-24-2010 (Bottle No. 55878 - Date: Jan. 2009) This beer pours a small light brown head that mostly diminishes, opaque body, and spotty lacing. The aroma is malt, dark chocolate, earthy, smoke, hint of spice, and alcohol. The taste is malt, dark chocolate, spice, smoke, and moderate alcohol. The palate is soft carbonation and this beer is medium bodied. Overall, WOW what a great tasting beer! It has a nice warming sensation as it warms up, worth trying, and a beer I absolutely would drink again. More please!!

3.4 Pour is black with a small brown head. Aroma is very pungent with notes of tar, smoke, oak, booze, and spice. Flavor is a bit sweeter with notes of dark toffee, berries, licorice, spice, and burnt wood. It is dryer and boozier than the other years.

3.8 33 cl bottle @ home. Pours black with a tan head that leaves a little lacing. Aroma and flavour are vanilla, chocolate, caramel, roasted malt, and whiskey – with a bitter finish.

4.0 Clear black colour, red hue, beige head. Aroma of whisky, caramel, tomato, alcohol, whisky and vanilla. Sweet malty flavour, chocolate, whisky and caramel. Finish chocolate, caramel, cacao and whisky. Great beer which still allows room for the whisky to shine. Nice! (from 33cL bottle @ post-ZZT VIIIb drink, Oirschot 2013. Thanks a million for sharing, joes!)

4.1 Bottle from a friend. Pours black with a brown-ish head. Aroma is plums, wood, dried fruits, caramel, coffee, roasty and licorice. Taste is nice malty sweet, definitely whiskey aswell. Some wood and vanilla in the finish. Great stuff. Full bodied with soft carbonation.

3.9 Bottle @ GBF 2013. Dark brown with a tiny tan head. Malty and woody tones. Malt, oak, fruit and coffee. Medium to full body with a nice balanced finish.

3.8 Rating #3000 bottle 33cl #06074 from Allen many thanks ! A dark beer with good copper head for such an old beer. Nose is on prune, caramel and vinous notes, slightly oxidized which is normal. Aroma is on wood and vanilla, like a smooth low alcohol whiskey ! Caramel, astringency and smoked touch, metallic notes, old prune skin notes, very easy drinkable, finish is on smoked notes and roasted malt, light acrid finish.

3.8 Bottle @ home, via trade with Homer321. Fucken a bro. Thanks! Pours a jet black appearance with a dark brown head. Spicy, a bit sweet chocolate, moderately peaty smoky, smooth aroma. Quite peaty, very herbal campfire smoky, burnt malty, big chocolate, slight piney flavor. Tons of peat, tons of chocolate. Pretty fun beer to drink albeit pretty strong.

4.0 Bottle 330ml @ Geokkjer Pours black with a tan head. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, chocolate, caramel, dreid fruits, ash and wood and vanilla, Taste is medium sweet and medium bitter with a long wood, chocolate, roasted finish. Body is full, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.

4.0 Bottle, courtesy of Meilby. Pours dark brown with an off-white head. Aroma of vanilla, some smoked notes, ash and roasted grains. Flavor is sweet and malty with some roasted notes, vanilla, wood, some whisky and peat. Medium body, average carbonation.

4.3 Rating number 4000 +++ Sampled from an 11.2 oz brown bottle this beer poured thick, black and oily with a small foamy dark brown head that left decent lacing. the aroma was strong coconut, vanilla, cocoa, vague dark fruits and a touch of anise. The flavor was richly malty with notes of smoke, hickory, toasted malts, wood, chocolate syrup and anise. Medium length rich malty and woody finish with lingering chocolate and anise. Full bodied and smooth. A bit boozy. Very nice.

3.8 Bottled 33cl. Slightly salty. Medium to full bodied. Heather and pineapple throughout. Practically no carbonation. A huge amount of character. Classy, unique but far from being great to my tastes.

4.1 Bottle at the John=Jim Den Haag tasting, Den Haag. Poured a dark mahogany pour with a thin broken tan head. The aroma is rich and alcoholic. The flavour follows the aroma, with loads of peat, liqourice, dark chocolate,lots of alcohol and oak. A truly awesome beer !

4.3 (bottle - 330 ml - Night of the Titans 2013) Inky black pour with a very thin tan head and mild carbonation. Aroma is rich and earthy, full of dark fruits, various woods and whiskey notes. Flavor is a wonderful combination of dark fruits, earthy hints, burnt and toasted wood and a sweet and vanilla whiskey combination. Wonderful chocolate and whiskey aftertaste.

4.5 12/12/2012 330ml bottle. Nera, liquorosa, quasi impenetrabile, riflessi color caffè, schiuma color beige, leggera e poco persistente. Aroma straordinariamente intenso di vaniglia, cioccolato, malti tostati, whisky torbato. In bocca è meno esplosiva, dolciastra, cioccolato, leggero torbato, non invadente, ha un corpo medio, molto scorrevole al palato, la carbonazione è quasi assente. Un vero capolavoro al confronto di altre birre sullo stesso stile decisamente più grezze.