Harviestoun Ola Dubh (30 Year Old)

Smells like a good aged balsamic vinegar and ground coffee. Taste is flat and roasty. Very thin in the mouth. Pretty interesting but would not buy again.

Bottle 23747, dated Sept 2007. Pours black with orange edges and thin tan head. The aroma is light peat smoke, chocolate, vanilla, oak, and some light coffee and cherry notes. The flavor is semi-sweet chocolate, vanilla, toasted oak, very light peat, and lots of mellow fruity tones. The Scotch character is obvious, but not at all overwhelming. This has got to be one of the most balanced whisky-barrel beers I’ve had. The finish is lightly floral coffee with a fresh Scotch aftertaste. Very well done.

330 ml bottle. Dark brown pour with a light tan head. Smoky, peaty aroma. Flavor is of whisky, smoke, and some chocolate notes. Finish is thick and meaty.

Almost to full and creamy a head for the kind of beer, near black body. Good but quite strange, both nose and body has clear whiskey cask sharper notes but tons of soft milk chocolate and creamy caramel aromas makes at least the nose a little strange and unfinished, to body is very similar to caramel soft with little interest, some iodine notes that are more present in the beer the in the straight Highland Park appear in finish. I think this is an alright drink, but I think the chosen beer for the cask is wrong some much more interesting should have come out of this "experiment".

I shared this very expensive bottle with 2 friends. Pours a thick chocolate brown, almost black, with a very thick light brown head. Smells like roasted malts and chocolaty, with hints of whiskey and wood. Taste is of chocolate covered peanuts and coffee. Sweet with carmel and molasses. There is a heavy presence of whiskey oak cask. Strong alcohol presence as well but also pretty smooth. Very good sipping beer or a nightcap.

Bottled 330ml. Appearance. Pitch black with a smallish full beige head. No carbonation. Nice delicate lacework. Aroma: Outstanding, transcendental nose, reminiscent of my favourite single malt (Highland Park 18 years). Roasted malt showing up, then suddenly lemon peel emerging. Deeply complex with hints of peppermint, heather, vanilla, honey, wood, eucalyptus. Strong notes of leather, cocoa powder and dates. Excellent! Flavor and palate: Medium to full bodied. Much less sweet than expected. Wonderfully balanced, extremely smooth. Complex. Woody, peppery and leathery with a huge amount of heather. Smoky and peaty. Peppery finish. Overall impression: Gorgeous! Thanks a lot nearbeer for this amazing beer!

Black, brown head. Milky, chocolately aroma, only a whiff of scotch.Coffee, peaty aroma, maybe a touch of vanilla. Perhaps a touch smoky, as well. Bottle 22705, Sept 07.

THOUGHTS: Not too much different than the others versions. Not much of that vanilla mentioned on the label. There was some in the aroma, but just a trace in the flavor. Each version of this beer is smoother. TECHNICAL: Bottle. Poured a dark brown that looked black in the glass with a hint of red highlights and an average-sized, tan head that mostly diminished, but kept a nice sheet. The aroma was roasted, burnt and caramel malt, mild coffee, smoke, toffee, vanilla, alcohol and whiskey. The initial flavor was moderately sweet, lightly acidic and light to moderately bitter; while the finish was lightly bitter and sour with a long duration. There was molasses, caramel, toffee, smoke, coffee, chocolate and a hint of vanilla. The medium to full body was oily and slightly syrupy with soft carbonation and a lightly astringent, lightly alcoholic and smokey finish.