Ola Dubh - 30 Year Old Special Reserve
Harviestoun in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular|
Score
7.89
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This beer is 8% ABV in bottle, 10.5% in cask and keg.
We make Ola Dubh 30 by taking our Old Engine Oil (amped up to 10.5%) and aging it for up to 6 months in casks that previously held Highland Park’s phenomenal 30 Year Old single malt whisky.
Ola Dubh (pronounced ‘ola-doo’ and Gaelic for ‘black oil’) was conceived in 2007. It was the first ale to be matured in whisky barrels from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, it is a beer with real provenance.
This amazing brew has been aged in selected oak casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, adding complementary whisky notes to our chocolatey, bittersweet beer.
Ola Dubh 30 pours deep brown with a burgundy flush and a head the colour of milled oatmeal. On the nose it has gently-finessed top notes of fresh heather and honey, subtly toasted malts and vanilla with balancing hints of red fruits and a distant, beguiling smoke. The flavour has elegantly-subtle developing wine-like notes; from bitter chocolate and espresso beans into to a sustained, oaked conclusion. Extended, oaky finish with pine resin, juniper, perfumed honey and traces of peat.
HOPS: Galena, East Kent Goldings, Fuggles
MALTS: Roast barley, oats
We make Ola Dubh 30 by taking our Old Engine Oil (amped up to 10.5%) and aging it for up to 6 months in casks that previously held Highland Park’s phenomenal 30 Year Old single malt whisky.
Ola Dubh (pronounced ‘ola-doo’ and Gaelic for ‘black oil’) was conceived in 2007. It was the first ale to be matured in whisky barrels from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, it is a beer with real provenance.
This amazing brew has been aged in selected oak casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 30 Year Old Single Malt Whisky, adding complementary whisky notes to our chocolatey, bittersweet beer.
Ola Dubh 30 pours deep brown with a burgundy flush and a head the colour of milled oatmeal. On the nose it has gently-finessed top notes of fresh heather and honey, subtly toasted malts and vanilla with balancing hints of red fruits and a distant, beguiling smoke. The flavour has elegantly-subtle developing wine-like notes; from bitter chocolate and espresso beans into to a sustained, oaked conclusion. Extended, oaky finish with pine resin, juniper, perfumed honey and traces of peat.
HOPS: Galena, East Kent Goldings, Fuggles
MALTS: Roast barley, oats
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8.8/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 8
31/12/2011 Bir&Fud Bottega (330ml bottle). Nera, liquorosa, quasi impenetrabile, riflessi color caffè, morbida schiuma color beige, non molto persistente. Aroma straordinariamente intenso di malti tostati, whisky, botte, note alcoliche e affumicate. In bocca è meno esplosiva, malti tostati e affumicato leggero (molto elegante), ha un corpo medio, consistenza vellutata al palato, e una carbonazione quasi assente. Mirabile esempio di complessità ed equilibrio. Una birra semplicemente magnifica.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Mar 2012
at 07:59
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle 330ml @ gunnfryd
Pours pitch black with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, oak, vanilla, chocolate and caramel. Taste is medium sweet and light bitter. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.
Pours pitch black with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of roasted malt, oak, vanilla, chocolate and caramel. Taste is medium sweet and light bitter. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jan 2012
at 15:10
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottled 330ml. -from Biererei, Vienna. Bottle No. 36922. Had this one to celebrate 12th anniversary with my girlfriend (she hates beers matured in whisky casks LOOOLL). Pitch black coloured, medium sized brown head, wooden whisky nose. Roasted malt, chocolate and evident smoked whisky notes with hint of alcohol in the finish. Delicious one.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 Dec 2011
at 09:31
8.4/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8.5
Clear dark brown with an beige head. Aroma is sweet, malty, caramel, dried fruit, a little vanilla, wood and moderate whisky. Flavor is quite sweet and moderate bitter. Dry and moderate bitter finish with a little alcohol. Full bodied, smooth and soft. Lovely balance. 191211
Tried
on 20 Dec 2011
at 02:27
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 8
Bottle. Medium head with medium duration. Color is black. Aroma and taste are roast malt, wood, tar, caramel, licorice and chocolate.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Dec 2011
at 11:29
8.3/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle.Black with a good coat of tan head that’s a rim and island soon. Aroma of treacle, dark berries, chocolate, peat, vanilla. Oily. Taste is sweet with chocolate and treacle, some plum, coffee, smoke, vanilla, aniseed. Lingering berries, chocolate and spices underneath woody and boozy finish. Whisky well integrated in the aroma, slightly less so in the taste. Very boozy for 8%, yet subtle.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Dec 2011
at 04:16
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
11.2 oz. bottle, split with Matts_Property, pours black with a small ring of light brown head. Aroma of wood, whiskey, roasted malts, and burnt caramel malts. Flavour is heavy on the barrels with loads of whiskey coming through (much more so than the 12, 16 and 18), smoke and peat. I actually prefer the lower number versions better as they're more well-rounded. Still great.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Oct 2011
at 20:51
8.1/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
0.33l bottle. Then the time has come to try the #30 in the Ola Dubh series. This one pours a oily black body with a small bubbly sidesticking caramel head. Aroma is woody and peaty with lots of licorice, leather, chocolate, smoke and molasses. Fantastic! It has a oily-as-hell mouthfeel, average carbonation and it's medium-bodied. Tastes really smoky and woody, lots mote notes of alcohol and whisky in this one than it was in the >30. Also lots of nice nice sweet licorice blending with the woody and oaky flavors, and it's leaving a everlasting black(yeah it's a flavor), chocolate and burned-wood taste in my mouth. Fantastic as expected!
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Aug 2011
at 01:11
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle thanks to TexasJeep who shared it at the May Houston RB Tasting. Pours a very dark brown wiht a small light tan head and good spotty lacing along the glass. The aroma is oak, dark chocolate, and whiskey. Thin mouthfeel with a creamy vanilla and oak malt with a smooth finish hiding the alcohol well. A good old ale from Harviestoun.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Aug 2011
at 14:19
7.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
(Bottle, 0.33 l - #2808, from Alko Arkadia, 20110729) The beer poured oily and black. Its head was small and light brown. Aroma had roasted malts, whisky, vanilla and chocolate. Palate was full bodied and a little bit dry with medium carbonation. Flavours were roasted malts, vanilla, whisky, ash, chocolate, hops and bitterness. Aftertaste had roasted malts, wood and bitterness. Nice balance between the beer and the barrel flavours and aroma.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jul 2011
at 10:44