Harviestoun Ola Dubh (30 Year Old)

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Bottle.Black with a good coat of tan head that’s a rim and island soon. Aroma of treacle, dark berries, chocolate, peat, vanilla. Oily. Taste is sweet with chocolate and treacle, some plum, coffee, smoke, vanilla, aniseed. Lingering berries, chocolate and spices underneath woody and boozy finish. Whisky well integrated in the aroma, slightly less so in the taste. Very boozy for 8%, yet subtle.

12oz bottle (few years old - forgot to check). Deep black pour with a thin brown head that leaves a ring. Big sweet toasty aroma with dark fruit, nuts, chocolate, whisky and vanilla. Tastes are roasted bitter coffee, wood, smoke, and dark malts. Thin palate - but not that drinkable. Leaves a taste of salt and cocoa in the long finish. I think I really liked the 16year but can’t find my rating note for it - less impressed with this one.

In my fridge for about a year. Pours a mahogany brown colour with a short lived head. Like the other Ola Dubh’s the aroma is awesome and complex, leather, smoke, peat, definite islay whiskey notes, oak, malt, anise, chocolate. The flavour more or less reflects this too a tee, it’s really quite something. Big fan of these beers, just wish the price was a little more reasonable.

Is the 30 or the 40yr better? The only way to answer that is to open both and go head to head. Black pour, not oily. The light brown head in this glass mystified me until I realized that the Corsendonk glass I’m using is etched on the bottom. The hint was the little fizzing black hole in the center of the surface. Nose: the difference? +1 to the 30 - the more nutty, creamy, chocolate goodness in the 30 vs. the dirtier slightly smoky whisky notes of the 40. More 30 aroma: amazing aroma, very tantalizing indeed - chocolate, deep non-sweet roast, biscuit, softer whisky notes that do include some of that Highland smoke, almonds and a bouquet of flowers with notable chrysanthemums - no crazy depth but just soothing. More 40 aroma: cherry medicinal thing, dirty oaky ashy earthy yy, apple bread, spices, I mainly find the cherry thing after letting the glass sit as once that great cloud of smells gets busted up it goes into hiding. Apricot, fresh tobacco. What tastes better? The 40 with ease - not to say anything bad about the 30 - both are excellent but the 40 is meaner and has depth. 40 flavours: Ashes, sweet plum, dirt, very dark melted chocolate, very very light alcohol goodness gives a kick, oak, rough vanilla, tobacco, light mineral flavour, something else. Ok, Vertical Limit is on. I LOVE this movie! As a climber I respect this movie. Ok, I surrendered part of my soul for that comment but it’s so fucking awful that I always have to watch. Lots of whisky in that 40... 30 flavours: ohoh! something is wrong with the chopper!!!!! How are they possibly going to get out of this alive? Smooth roasted malts with a short lived sweetness, chocolate, nuts, vanilla, light peppery spice of scotch, candy, dry dirt, toffee, goodness. Easy drinking. Both are a bit oily and fully bodied, etc etc. I have to give the nod to the 40 even though usually the aroma wins out for me. Excellent beers.

Beautiful peaty whiskey salty aroma. Pours medium dark and clear. Not much carbonation or head. Gets better as it warms - don’t drink it cool or cold!

This is an absolute gem. The pour is a purely opaque black oil with a likeness to viscous oil. A thin tan cap regenerates to a dense finger. The nose is woody and earthy with a subtle scotch smoke and a massive roasty malt. Burnt notes, light alcohol and hints of cocoa. A light scotch aroma with an overall nice sweetness. The taste is similar with a sweet, roasty middle, a brown sugar and molasses taste. Light chocolate, big woody taste and hints of dark fruits (ie cherry, prune). The finish has a subtle and smooth soke taste and a great scotch taste. Overall, a great sipper with tons of beautiful scotch notes and a full on roast.

Bottle split with mcberko. Pours solid black with a slight orange tinge and no head. Aroma of molasses, wood, iodine, oak, vanilla, light smoke and whiskey. Flavour of whiskey, peat, smoke, iodine, burnt wood. Quite earthy. Dark and nicely balanced. However, for personal taste, I would have preferred it to be a little sweeter.

Bottle. Thick, black pour with a short bubbly tan head that quickly fades to a ring around the top. Aroma is quite roasty and is heavily influenced by the whisky barrel, with notes of charcoal, seaweed and vanilla coming through first and underlying hints of dark chocolate, raisins and liquorice also making their presence felt. Flavour is rather salty and roasty but overall very similar to the aroma, with an undeniable impression of Vegemite running through it. Mouthfeel is thick and oily with fairly low carbonation and a lingering bitter, salty finish. This is an outstanding example of whisky barrel ageing really working with the original ale to create a whole new experience. Quite fantastic.

33cl bottle. Pitch black colour with small head. Aroma is even more alcohol. Dark chocolate and oak again. Some whiskey or rum notes. Sweet notes. Flavour is both sweet and a tad bitter at the same time. Some oak and smoke again, but also syrup and caramel. Overalll it feels more balanced. The vanilla is back as well as some rum notes again. Medium long aftertaste.

In bottle. A black beer with a lacy dark tan head. Aroma of oak, whiskey, honey, alcohol, chocolate and caramel. Similar flavours with a lovely oily mouth-feel and a bitter chocolate / caramel linger. Alcohol is fairly present with whiskey far more prominent than I remember from the 12 and 16 yo versions. Very nice!