Ola Dubh - 12 Year Old Special Reserve
Harviestoun in Alva, Clackmannanshire, Scotland 🏴
Traditional Beer - Old Ale Regular|
Score
7.64
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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!
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7.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Aroma: Roasted malt and red berries. Flavour: Sweet roasted malt with fruity sweetness and some bitterness. Light notes of whiskey and oak. Aftertaste is sweet and lightly bitter. Colour: Black with an offwhite head. From: Bottle @ Vild Med Vin webshop.
Tried
from Bottle
on 19 Sep 2022
at 16:41
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Bottle. Bottle no 25114, bottle date february 21. Color: Almost black, very thin beige head. Aroma: Roasted malt, dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla, subtle Whisky. Taste: Dark roasted malt, fruity notes of dark fruit and some red fruit hints, notes of dark and mild chocolate, vanilla, oak, Whisky, bit boozy, subtle toffee, licorice and light hints of smoke, peat. Quite smooth and very well balanced. Over medium to full body, quite low carbonation. Moderate to over moderate sweet and bitter. Very nice complexity. Lovely beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Sep 2022
at 19:53
8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 9
Bottle @ Fox and Hounds Sønderborg on Øllets Dag 2022. Pours cloudy nearly black with airy tan head. Clear aroma of malt, caramel and yeast, with touches of chocolate. Bitter, roasty and hoppy onset, giving way to sweetish notes of malt, caramel and yeast. Bitter, roasty aftertaste with notes of alcohol and touches of dried fruit and malt. Warming alcohol presence. Lovely.
Tried
from Bottle
on 03 Sep 2022
at 12:42
9.2/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 10
Overall 9
Bottle contributed by my dad and shared with Johan and Bernt at Bernt’s place 08.05.22. Almost ebony. Some beige head around the edges. Fine aroma and taste of rasins, tobacco, prunes, dates, and a hint of Whisky.
Earlier Rating: 12/19/2015 Total Score: 3.9
Bottle shared with with TO at Melkebaren 19.12.15. Ebony. Small, brown head. Sweet aroma and taste of dark malt, dried dark berries, dark syrup and dried red fruits. A a hint of dark caramel and burnt sugar.
Earlier Rating: 12/19/2015 Total Score: 3.9
Bottle shared with with TO at Melkebaren 19.12.15. Ebony. Small, brown head. Sweet aroma and taste of dark malt, dried dark berries, dark syrup and dried red fruits. A a hint of dark caramel and burnt sugar.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 May 2022
at 18:38
7.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
Ebony, small rapidly disappearing tan head. Aroma of dried dark fruits, vanilla. Taste is a bit sweet, lacking a bit in malt body what is promised by the aroma. Bottle shared with BG and EO.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 May 2022
at 18:22
7.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle. Pours opaque black, small tan head, good lacing. Aroma is peaty, smoky, roasty, cocoa, molasses. Flavor is light plus sweet, light plus bitter, light plus peat. Medium light body, almost watery. Lingering bitterness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 May 2022
at 02:41
7.2/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 8
375ml can from Homebrewstuff. Black pour, fizzy head. Toasty, sweet, boozy aroma. Taste is sweet, bitter, anise, dry. How this can feel so boozy at 8% is a mystery. Earthy.
Tried
from Can
on 04 Mar 2022
at 04:34
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Bottle. Xmas gift off of Hydes. Part of a boxed 3 pack. Dark brown. What head there is, is lasting and semi lacing. Some decent legs too. Nose has soy sauce. Yeah, mostly gravy. Taste has some sweetness. A little bit bitter. Fairly smooth mouthfeel. Fine carbonation. Light dry and bitter finish. Nope. Just gravy nonsense.
Tried
from Bottle
on 16 Feb 2022
at 00:11
8.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
Pours dark black with only a small head. Very rich aroma: dark bread, dark chocolate, dried fruit - you definitely get the whisky . Taste is complex and enjoyable: bread, rye, oak/wood, a hint of smoke, dry fruits. Long finish, take time to enjoy it, nothing to be had on the go.
Tried
on 28 Jan 2022
at 10:03
8.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 10
Overall 7.5
Tap. Dark brown, close to black. Aroma: barrel, caramel, burnt, slightly hazy, vanilla, chocolate, whisky, powerful, very good. Taste: caramel, whisky, chocolate, vanilla, strong, very good.
Tried
from Draft
on 01 Jan 2022
at 10:18