Ola Dubh - 12 Year Old Special Reserve
(has 2 batches)
Harviestoun in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular|
Score
7.64
|
|
Ola Dubh, meaning ‘Black Oil’ in Gaelic, is craftily created by taking our Old Engine Oil and maturing it in 12 year old Highland Park whisky casks. The process is far from simple, but the result is a beautiful brew with complimentary whisky notes and a chocolate, roasty and bittersweet aftertaste. All thanks to the labour of love of our master brewers.
Brewer’s Notes: Ola Dubh is a labour of love. Everything about it is extreme. The brew team fill the mash tuns to the brim with roast barley, pinhead oats and malted barley. It ferments more slowly as the the yeast struggles to move around in such a viscous beer! The base beer is Old Engine Oil which they then put into Highland Park Whisky casks and it stays there for at least 6 months. During this time the flavours from the wood enter the beer to produce Ola Dubh. It is ready only when our Master Brewer, Stuart, deems it ready!
Brewer’s Notes: Ola Dubh is a labour of love. Everything about it is extreme. The brew team fill the mash tuns to the brim with roast barley, pinhead oats and malted barley. It ferments more slowly as the the yeast struggles to move around in such a viscous beer! The base beer is Old Engine Oil which they then put into Highland Park Whisky casks and it stays there for at least 6 months. During this time the flavours from the wood enter the beer to produce Ola Dubh. It is ready only when our Master Brewer, Stuart, deems it ready!
Sign up to add a tick or review
8.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
330 ml bottle into snifter, no bottle dating. Pours pitch black color with a 1 finger dense khaki head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass. Aromas of big caramel, chocolate, toast, brown sugar, roast, raisin, fig, brown bread, molasses, vanilla, oak, tobacco, leather, peat smoke, and roast/oak earthiness. Very nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roasted malt and whisky cask notes; with great strength. Taste of big caramel, chocolate, roasted malt, toast, raisin, fig, dark bread, molasses, vanilla, oak, peat smoke, tobacco, leather, and roast/oak earthiness. Slight roasted bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, chocolate, roast, toast, dark bread, raisin, fig, tobacco, leather, vanilla, oak, peat smoke, and roast/oak earthiness on the finish for a white. Very nice complexity and balance of dark/roasted malt and whisky cask flavors; with a nice balance of the oak character with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a smooth, moderately slick, and lightly chalky mouthfeel that is good. Alcohol is well hidden with minimal warming present after the finish. Overall this is an excellent old ale. All around great complexity and balance of dark/roasted malt and whisky cask flavors; and very smooth to sip on. A very enjoyable offering.
Tried
from Bottle
on 28 May 2014
at 19:38
7.5/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
0,33L bottle, BB 05.2015. Pours very dark brown with tan head. The head doesn’t stay. Aroma is dark chocolate, roast, vanilla. Taste: sweet, malt, smoke, caramel, and chocolate. Finish is smoke bitterness and some alcohol burn. Overall: sweeter than I expected, but still very nice brew; very drinkable for ABV.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Apr 2014
at 11:39
7.6/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Botella de 33 cl en el lúpulo. Mayo de 2013. Botella numero 54290 de julio de 2011. Gran asociación de harviestoun y highland park whisky. Color negro intenso con espuma oscura. Cuerpo medio con 8 vol fáciles de beber. Aromas y sabores a maderas y whisky presentes y bastante refinados. Maltas tostadas y ligeros sabores dulces. Muy buena para repetir sin problemas.
Tried
on 02 Apr 2014
at 22:48
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
At a tasting, thanks zvikar, very very dark brown colour, aroma of dark bread, some peatiness, treacle and a hint of smoke, cakey malty flavour with some charred notes, with touches of alcohol coming through. Quite nice.
Tried
on 19 Feb 2014
at 02:41
6.9/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
Bottle sample at a tasting at Dancing Camel Florentin. Thanks zvikar. Bottle #60303. Bottled July 2011. Very dark brown to black with a bit of tan foam. Aroma of chocolate, some roastiness, a bit of whiskey and woody notes. Roasty flavor, slightly smoky, with a chocolate, a bit of whiskey and a drier and slightly alcoholic finish. Medium to full-bodied. Quite nice.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Feb 2014
at 02:36
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
How: Bottle.
Where: Systembolaget.
Appearance: Black colour with a very small brown head.
Aroma: Malt, chocolate, vanilla, whiskey.
Body: Medium body, low carbonation.
Flavour: Roasted malt, alcohol, caramel, vanilla.
Where: Systembolaget.
Appearance: Black colour with a very small brown head.
Aroma: Malt, chocolate, vanilla, whiskey.
Body: Medium body, low carbonation.
Flavour: Roasted malt, alcohol, caramel, vanilla.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Dec 2013
at 22:16