Harviestoun Ola Dubh (18 Year Old)

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

Bottle. Pours a dense chocolate to mahogany color, nearly black in its oily opaqueness. A thick, foamy head of mocha colored froth settles slowly to a thick, bubbly ring surrounding a patchy blanket. Neat, diagonal flares of paper-thin lacing break apart into a sea of spots that cling to the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate and dry caramel roast are set off by luscious, vanilla laden oak and soft, peaty smoke. Hints of cola and molasses add further earthy sweetness, while hints of coffee and bitter, earthen hops balance things out. Flavors are as even-keeled as they come, teetering back and forth between creamy chocolate, caramely malts and smooth, oaky, smoky barrel influence. Toffee coated hazelnuts lend a certain rich, oily flavor. The palate is as silky as they come, smooth from start to finish, ending on the drier, smoky side. Just a bit more body would make the mouthfeel perfect. This stuff is simply great. I thought the 16 year old was the best of the bunch until a came across this one, and the balance here is just incredible. World class beer.

On cask at Churchkey in Washington DC. Pours a slightly oily, opaque black with a thin, spitty, off white head. Aroma is nice, boozy, grainy, toast, caramel. Flavor is better, both the whiskey and the beer come through: wood, booze, whole grains, pumpernickel, whiskey, sour mash, slight smoke, coffee, brown sugar, molasses. Finish is a little oily but otherwise smooth. Easier to drink than the 40 year. A nice compliment between beer and booze.

bottle thanks to bullzeye. Pours nearly black with a thin head. Aroma of bourbon, raspberry, chocolate and leather. Flavor is smokey, leather, some underlying smokey sweetness. Medium/smooth palate. I am a fan of the Old Dubh series.

Bottle at Mallaskukko, Turku. Dark brown to black, thin dark beige head. Lots of buttery real vanilla on the nose, woody whisky alcohol, simple but enjoyable. Flavor is wood, licorice, soft and sweetish whisky feel, dark molasses, slightly coarse salmiak finish. A bit empty palate, same is with all of these. Enjoyable whisky beer, very much in line with the others in the series, maybe slightly heavier on the vanilla.

Big thanks to Peter from Angelica’s in Redwood City, who was nice enough to provide us with this excellent beer while we were having a tasting there. Great guy, good to see more people running quality beer establishments in this area. Pours black and fairly viscous with a nice tan head. Great aroma of smoke, chocolate, tobacco, leather, and scotch whisky. Flavor is similarly complex with lots to it: roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, smoke, Copenhagen tobacco (this is not a bad thing), vanilla, and wood. Also some Scotch whisky of course. Rounds out very well. Body is medium and palate is smooth. Great beer!

A black colored beer, with a thick almost brown head. By pouring out the whisky flavors are explicit there. The aroma of fruits, with coffee and chocolate. Hints of vanilla. The taste of roasted malts, fruits chocolate and whisky notes in the back with alcohol. The aftertaste is dry with coffee bitter.

Bottle. Deep dark brown color. Malt, whisky, smoke, caramel and vanilla in the aroma. Malty sweet alcoholic flavor with caramel, molasses, peaty malt whisky, chocolate, vanilla and raisin. Some roastbitterness in the finiah. Warming complex beer.

330ml bottle, 2009 vintage, no.12539, enjoyed as an aperitif to lunch at Olympen in Oslo. Deep, dark brown body with ruby highlights. A thin, tan layer on the surface. Inviting aroma of dark vanilla, raisin and liquorice. Rich in flavour with peaty malts up front, developing into a nice taste of coffee and hints of chocolate added by notes of anise. Dry, bittersweet ending that lingers for a long while with a whisky-like tint on the back of the tongue. Very pleasing with a rounded and velvety mouth feel (shared with Øyvind, 13.10.2009).