Harviestoun Ola Dubh (18 year old) (Cask)

Brewed by Harviestoun
Style: Old Ale
Alva, Central, Scotland

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Draft at Red’s. 11% ABV version. Poured an opaque black color. The head was thick and light brown with good retention and lacing. Smelled of roasty malt, anise, dark chocolate, and cocoa. There were also whiffs of raisin, blueberry, and subdued soy. Full bodied and dry. Lowish carbonation with a surprising tart note. Distinct woodiness with unripe dark fruit, cocoa, and burnt malt flavors.

(Cask, by gravity, at White Horse, Parson’s Green, London, 26 Nov 2010) Black colour with foamy, beige head. Malty, roasted nose with notes of coffee, chocolate, dark bread and subtle hints of oak wood and whisky. Roasted, malty taste with chocolate, coffee, dark bread, oak wood and a slightly spicy finish with hints of whisky. Almost full body, sweetish. Exceptionally well balanced for its abv, and as usual with these beers the oak wood is subtly integrated with the rest. Lovely stuff.

Cask (gravity dispense) at the White Horse Old Ale Festival on 26 November 2010. I’d tried the 10 and 30 year olds from cask before so it was good to be able to try an inbetweener. This is the uncut, cask-strength version although mistakenly listed under the normal bottled ABV of 8.0%. Very dark ruby colour - almost black. No head. Very vinous in the aroma and flavour. Also some dark chocolate and lots of chewy fruit. Sweet and rich with a full mouthfeel. Overall, just a little too sweet for my taste but excellent stuff nonetheless.