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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8.5/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 9
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Opaque. Almost black. Modest ivory head. Aroma: a blend of delicate smoke, barrel, rich malts. Medium body. Taste: roast, toast, smoke, light whisky. Light bitterness. Very soft and tender. A brew of class.
Tried
on 28 Feb 2019
at 21:14
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Friday 1st Feb 2019; 7th Pre-Brugge Bier Festival International Beer Swap, De Bierboom. This is one of the many bottles that landed on my table for me to try, it is OK to take a decent sized sample (within reason) because there are so many beers to share. Really please to see this come my way. Black body, brown foam on top. Malty with a huge Whisky aroma and taste throughout; peat and oak flavours try to get involved but the malts and whisky overpower them somewhat. This is a sipper, not a gulper!
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Feb 2019
at 09:30
7/10
Tried
on 21 Jan 2019
at 15:29
7.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Bottle from Brendan's Brewtique, Bristol - my final beer of 2018. Near black in colour, opaque with a hint of red when held up to the light. A momentary tan head with plenty of lively carbonation. Big aroma of charred malts, oak wood,and vanilla sweetness. Thick, viscose mouth feel, coating the mouth with some caramel, dark chocolate, prunes and roasted malts, with a trace of quality malt whisky before a dry finish. Excellent in every aspect.
Tried
from Bottle
on 14 Jan 2019
at 11:58
8/10
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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, hint of smoke. Taste is peaty, dark fruits, raisin, fig, caramel, roast malts, light smokiness. Full bodied, fairly thick mouthfeel, smooth, fine carbonation. The richness and complexity really ramped up as this warmed, I must have served it too cold.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Jul 2018
at 22:12
8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
F: medium, tanned, not long lasting. C: dark, opaque. A: dark malts, light mellow fruity, peat, caramel, chocolate, dried fruits. T: dark malts backbone, mild peat woody tones, dried fruits, bit vinous, caramel, medium body and low carbonation, bit coffee, bit warming alcohol, light chocolate, very nice, fully enjoyed, 33cl bottle #15836 (bottled 02/17, BB: 08/20) from Auchan Market in Luxembourg.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Jul 2018
at 19:04
6.5/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
33cl Bottle from Beerwulf, birthday gift. Black colour, beige head. Aroma of a hint of whisky, sweet malts, some molasses, pumpernickel, aspartame, roast. Flavour is sweet, pumpernickel, molasses, aspartame, treacle, hint of earthy whisky, bittersweet finish. Medium bodied. Very underwhelming.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jul 2018
at 19:29
7.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 8
Bottle shared at Kim thingy Buurthuis Zaandam. Dark brown with beige head. Sweet malts, smoke, light peat, whisky, toffee, light vanilla, light port, brown sugar, light milk chocolate. Over medium sweet and medium bitter. Over medium bodied with oily feel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 07 Jul 2018
at 17:17
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 5
Bottle at home from the Wine Society. Will drink the 12, 16 & 18 as a flight over 2 nights. A very subdued pour with no head and very little lacing. The taste is that of a rich porter/stout hybrid and no real taste of the barrel aging. The mouthfeel was fine, but a little weak; in fact the word "watery" went through my mind on the first sip. Drinkable. but didn't set my world on fire.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Jun 2018
at 07:22