Harviestoun Ola Dubh (30 Year Old)

Bottle (330ml) shared with HogTownHarry, tupalev & garthicus -- courtesy of gunhaver. Bottle No: 03289. Pours a very deep ruby-brown with a small diminishing frothy tan head. Aroma’s malty along with oak, dark fruit, peat an chocolate. Nice earthy, sweet, malty flavour along with peat, oak and chocolate -- so easy to drink! Alcohol’s well hidden. Fantastic stuff -- thanks gunhaver!

A near perfect old ale. Aroma of stale chocolate, and vinious dark malt. Pour was a nice near black with a thin off white ring for a head, Taste was strong and drinkable. Heavy strong roasted malt with a hint of black licorice and a heavy chocolate backbone. A nice underlying carbonated chocolate malt comes in and out. Thanks Mr Stiitch!

almost no light can pass through this jet black used motor oil. No head no carb no problem. On tap and way to cold so i have to wait. Sweet scotch vanilla and blackness. A bit thinner than expected whisky and rich dark malt. Lingering finish.

Bottle shared with Hogtown Harry, Blankboy, and Garthicus, courtesy of Blankboy. Thick black with very little head - love the look of this oily beast. Earthy aroma, sweet. Great peat/earth taste, very sweet, acidic boozy finish. Very nice and complex -a great sipper.

Pours deep blackwith a small quickly disappearing tan head. Aroma is moderately sweet, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, whisky/peat, plum and raisin. Flavor is sweet roasty malt, molasses, chocolate, vanilla and whisky. Medium bodied, somewhat thin texture. Finishes short and cocao bittery.

Bottle number 02982 (Thanks Argo0!) Vertical of 12 – 16 – 30 years. Aroma on the 30 is milder than both the 12 and 16 with notes of molasses, vanilla, whiskey (didn’t really get this one on the 12 or 16), mild coffee and funny enough the dried fruit is non-existent. The flavors are mostly as before though as with the 12 and 16 some flavors have gone or faded and others have become stronger. The molasses is now writ large and vanilla has come to the forefront to almost dominate. The dried fruitiness is now completely gone replaced with coffee and chocolate flavors. The finish is drying and less sweet than either the 12 or the 16. Overall this is a fantastic series of beers and I would encourage others to try a vertical as it can be quite enlightening as to the similarities and differences. Excellent beers overall.

(33cl bottle, #02982, Sept07, vertical with the 12 & 16) Black body with small, quickly dissipating tan head. Aroma is moderately sweet, vanilla, chocolate, molasses, some whisky/peat, plum/raisin, roast,. Taste is moderately sweet, roasty molasses, some chocolate, vanilla, light whisky/peat. Smooth medium body, seemingly lighter than the 12 or 16, almost watery by comparison -- dangerously drinkable. Scotch is complementary rather than overpowering.

Drank as a vertical of 12, 16, and 30: Pour is opaque black with a thin sticky tan head...smell is roasty chocolate and vanilla with hints of smoke....strongly sweet and roasty flavor with lots of vanilla...not smoke put a vegetal peaty flavor towards the finish....