Harviestoun Ola Dubh - 16 Year Old Special Reserve

Ola Dubh - 16 Year Old Special Reserve

 

Harviestoun in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

  Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular
Score
7.74
ABV: 8.0% IBU: - Ticks: 174
Ola Dubh, meaning ‘Black Oil’ in Gaelic, is craftily created by taking our Old Engine Oil and maturing it in 16 year old Highland Park whisky casks. The process is far from simple, but the result is a beautiful brew with complimentary whisky notes and caramel shining through. All thanks to the labour of love of our master brewers.

Hops: East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, Galena
Malts: Lager Malt, Pinhead Oats, Roast Barley

Ola Dubh 16yr tasting notes: On the nose, Ola Dubh 16 has aromas of whisky and sweet roasted malt. The whisky forward flavour is rich with coffee, chocolate and caramel notes all shining through. This ale strikes a sensational balance of fruity sweetness with a complex bitter hop background.
 

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7.6/10 Appearance 10 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
330ml bottle from Beers of Europe, drunk at home. Brownish nlack, opaque and sleek with a small khaki head. Whisky aroma, dominant but not overpowering, with light notes of black coffee. Sweet taste, more coffee and whisky but also a big dollop of milk chocolate. Touch of whisky sourness of the way down, and a papery element. Smooth, oily body, not overly thick but it doesn't need to be. Not too carbonated, just right
Tried from Bottle on 22 Jan 2023 at 21:46

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Aroma: Roasted malt with oak. Flavour: Roasted malt with dried fruits and notes of oak and slight whiskey. Aftertaste is sweet malt and fruits with bitter notes. Colour: Black with an offwhite head. From: Bottle @ Vild Med Vin webshop.
Tried from Bottle on 18 Sep 2022 at 14:43

8.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 9 Texture 8 Overall 9
Fles 33cl thuis. Zacht whisky, hout, caramel, licht roasted malts, chocolade, eik, licht turf, licht medicinaal. (24-5-2021).
Tried on 24 May 2021 at 15:06

7/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 7
The second one for our 7th wedding anniversary. Bottle 0.33l. Clear, dark red to black colored. AROMA- chocolate, roasted malts, cocoa powder, touch of whiskey. FLAVOR- neutral, lightly bitter, the same as aroma. Fuller bodied. No carbonation, flat. Probably in bad condition.
Tried from Bottle on 22 Mar 2020 at 20:45

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle from Lithy, thanks! Almost black and opague. Dark chocolate and peat in the aroma. Full bodied. Malty and peaty flavor with dark chocolate. This peat and oak hide the body of this beer. Good complexity.
Tried from Bottle on 26 Aug 2019 at 12:07

8/10
Bottle 11.909, june 2014. Lots of wood, lots of whisky, good dose of peat. Very thin, but the flavours definitely make up for that. Pours pitch black with a slight bit of head, smells peaty. Taste is peat, iodine, with licorice in the back.
Tried from Bottle on 15 Feb 2019 at 23:00

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Appearance: Bottle 08845, bottled Feb 2017. Very dark brown, near black. Some dark tan head. Aroma: Dark malt, roasted, wood, barrel. Taste: Dark malt, roasted, slight tar, barrel, wood. Warming. Slight smoke? Nice. Bought: Bierrevier (Basel), 330 ml, CHF 7.00 Info: 13/12-2018, BB: 31/3-2020
Tried from Bottle on 30 Dec 2018 at 19:30

7.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Sample@Ølfestival København 2018 - dark brown coloured pour with beige head. Medium sweet and toasted malty, some caramel and toffee, singed brown sugar, dried fruity shred, medium body, spiced warming malty finish.
Tried on 05 Nov 2018 at 08:25

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Bottle 33cl from Vinmonopolet.no. Black with a lightbrown head. Aroma of wooden barrel, dark fruit and some smoke. Sweet, light bitter with a good wooden barrel and smoke end. Medium bodied, nice, could even be more...
Tried from Bottle on 10 Sep 2018 at 20:35

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
330ml bottle, sat in a kitchen cupboard for 2 years. Pours very dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is peaty, dark fruits, whisky barrel, smoke. Taste is peaty, dark/dried fruits, barrel, chocolate, caramel, roast malts, smoke. Full bodied, thick mouthfeel, smooth, fine carbonation. Sampling this the night after I tried the 12-year and I'm finding it very similar, but the whisky barrel notes are more prominent, stronger peat and smoke flavours too.
Tried from Bottle on 26 Jul 2018 at 01:26