Harviestoun Ola Dubh (30 Year Old)

Bottle No. & Date: 064256 / Sept 2007. Again, like the 12 and 16 it pours a deep dark inky black. This time, however, the rough pour produces a thick head of mocha foam. Laces in a thin sheet. Boozy aromatics with plenty of dark fruit, molasses, and smoky peat. The flavors here are by far the most whiskey-like and warming. Boozy and creamy, with a combo of scotch and woody vanilla to coat the tongue. Quite smoky. Plenty of chocolate. The best (for me) of the 3.

bottle from LA 7-11. Pours pitch black viscuous tar with no head, aroma of sweet crude, malts, sour milk?, chocolate and coffee. Flavor to match... tastes like piece of expensive dark chocolate. Heavy smokiness, dark fruits, molasses. Full mouthfeel. A lot to think about.

This smells like a nice stout. This it crazy. It alternates between thick and thin. Sweet and with an initial bite that mellows out. This is the hoppiest of the three oddly. Excellent.

I’m not sure if there’s a whole lot of difference in the three beers because I didn’t get the 30 year at the same time I tasted the other two back to back. There is a nice aroma of high quality dark chocolate, like the high percentage cacao stuff that tastes slightly winey, and dark berries. The whisky is strong in the aroma, but not too overpowering for the beer. Enjoyable.

Bottled September 2007. Pours an extremely dark chocolate brown, almost black. A frothy, light khaki head settles to a wispy film with a bubbly edge. Random micro-dots of lacing mark the glass like stars across the night sky. Aromas include bittersweet dark chocolate, earthy hops, smoked peat, and caramel malts. Flavors follow suit, with rich and smooth chocolate leading the charge. The smoky Scotch notes are very subtle, imparting all of their peaty goodness without overpowering the base beer. Velvety and decadent in the mouth, the body is just shy of full and quite viscous. Finishes with lingering, subtle, whiskey and caramel notes. This is really nice, but after having tried all five versions now, I’d give a slightest possible nod to the 16 year and the Special Reserve. Still, this is a great beer.

Black pour with a thin tan head. Aroma has oak, peat, scotch notes. Flavor is similar, very smooth and nothing at all over powering. More peat, some caramel, chocolate, oak, vanilla. Finishes silky and very smooth. Worth the price of admission.

Pours brownish/balck with thin tan head. Aroma of peat, oak, scotch, and malt. Reminds me of a scotch ale. Taste of oak, slight whisky notes, chocolate, and vanilla. Oak really comes out in this one. A tad too thin. Good beer.

Cask at Blind Tiger in NYC. Pours dark brown almost black. Aroma is heavy toffee, and scotch. Tastes of rich malt, little bitter fruit taste, huge whiskey taste. Palate is sticky and boozy.