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: 176
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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9.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 10 Flavor 10 Texture 10 Overall 9.5
Bottle No: 10504, Bottling Date: Feb 2012. Znakomite czarne piwo, jak oleisty olej nieprzezroczyste z niewielka brazowa piana. Przypominalo w zapachu porto, a dalej trufle gozka czekolada. W smaku lekka nutea wedzona i drewniany posmak whisky, trufle i kakao, rodzynki i chyba jeszcze troche tortu czekoladowego. Po przelknieciu troche pozostaje posmaku alkoholowego w gardle oraz cieplo pochodzace z whisky. Palonosc portera na przyzwoitym poziomie. Ladna buteleczka zdobiona i numerowana, gdyby jeszcze ta pianka sie trzymala dluzej to bylby ideal. Goraco polecam skosztowanie innych rocznikow, oczywiscie chodzi mi o beczki po Higland Park Single Malt.
Tried from Bottle on 09 Jan 2014 at 07:20

7.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 7.5
Black colour, firm tan head. Aroma of caramel, malts, chocolate, tomato and vanilla. Light sweet flavour, caramel, whisky and chocolate milk. Bit thin, especially after the 30 and 40. Finish cacao, light coffee, whisky, caramel, alcohol and honey.
(from 33cL bottle @ post-ZZT VIIIb drink, Oirschot 2013. Thanks a million for sharing, joes!)
Tried from Bottle on 26 Nov 2013 at 14:09

7.6/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7.5
Location: 11.2 oz bottle from Central Market, 10/29/13, Special 16 Reserve

Aroma: The nose is dark malts, roast, coffee, plenty of whiskey, and a some rich malts
Appearance: It pours a pitch black (I would say oil-like, but I hate cliches) color, with mild lace
Flavor: The taste, like the nose, is rich and malty, with plenty of alcohol/whiskey flavors as well
Palate: The body is fairly full, with a rich feel, soft-to-flat carbonation, and some decent heat
Overall Impression: Wow, has it really been over 3 1/2 years since I last rated one of the various Ola Dubh beers? That makes no sense. Anyway, this beer is pretty damn good. I gotta rate more of the varietals of this one. This beer is both clearly underrated and clearly Scottish. Links golf, single malts, and whiskey aged beer, those are the thing I know and love about Scotland.
Tried from Bottle on 29 Oct 2013 at 21:00

8.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 9 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8.5
A pitch black beer with a brown and weak head. The nose is powerfull and tastefull, roastiness, coffee, sweetness, strawberries and hint of smoke. Taste of slightly smoky and turf barrel, roastiness, hint of berries, the end is quite dry and long. Almost full bodied, low carbonation, smooth and enjoyable. The very tastefull and strong beer with a balanced, added value from whiskey barrel.
Tried on 13 Oct 2013 at 00:36

7.8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 6 Overall 8
Sort skum ingen Whisky træ alc humle jern Bitter lidt sød lidt sur lidt Cremet blød @far ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Tried on 14 Sep 2013 at 10:12

7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
33cl bottle from Appellation Wines (Comely Bank). Appearance - like a black coffee, opaque black with the crema head. Nose - savoury note, like gravy then honey malt. Taste - fruit cake, but very dry. Then toffee and tobacco, strangely. Palate - medium to full bodied with a big texture and a fairly decent finish. Overall - good beer and it holds the whisky barrel flavours well.
Tried from Bottle on 08 Sep 2013 at 10:03

7.8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 8
Bottle at home, celebrating a cool start to Autumn and lots of dark beers to come, 7th September 2013. Pours black, little or no head, aroma is rich, some wood, whiskey notes, chocolate, taste is rich, sweet, whiskey, a little leather, very smooth, nice full mouth feel. Great one.
Tried from Bottle on 08 Sep 2013 at 04:48

8/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 8 Flavor 7 Texture 10 Overall 8
330ml bottle from Appellation Wines, cheers Ash! Bottle 1196 Oct 2012. Pours near black with a thin tan head, good lacing. Aromas of soy sauce, bonfires, wood and whisky. Taste has a touch of alcohol, but sweet roastiness and chocolate. Posh chocolate, as bought from a shop that makes and sells chocolate (Chocolatier? Sounds a bit Dumas). Long finish that takes you on a journey from sweet through malt to bitter and back. A very good beer.
Tried from Bottle on 30 Aug 2013 at 13:21

7.5/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 10 Overall 7
Sampled from an 11.2 oz brown bottle this beer poured a black color with a small foamy dark brown head that left good lacing. The aroma was sweetish and a bit tangy with notes of soy sauce, black licorice, vanilla, port wine and a hint of smoke. The flavor was sweet vanilla, port wine, soy sauce, black licorice, wood and smoke. Long finish of vanilla, port wine, soy sauce and black licorice. Moderately full bodied and very smooth and creamy. Interesting.
Tried from Bottle on 19 Aug 2013 at 15:14

8/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 8 Flavor 8 Texture 8 Overall 9
Didn’t know this was called an old ale, but it indeed tastes like an old version of a porter or stout. (old in a good way, not in a dusty way.) It has a special complexity that I can’t explain, but I liked it.
Tried from Can on 26 Jul 2013 at 03:41