Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (4.5%)

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

Serve in English pint, Snifter

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Cask at Salt Cot in Ayrshire. Finally found this after a lot of searching but on first taste I was slightly disappointed. A bit watery with nothing much to distinguish it from other ales of it’s type. However as I drank more I got a lot more from it. Very bitter chocolate and roast coffee. Slight aniseed taste. There is something else lurking there which I can’t put my finger on but adds another layer. Only had time for one but I will definitely try again. And in response to a previous review ... There were definitely NO mushrooms in mine ;-)

Cask at JDW Charlie Hall; dark brown pour with tan head, roast malt aroma, taste as an initial coffee hit with plain chocolate, some dried fruits leather, quite viscous mouthfeel. Very good.

[Cask at Billy Bobs (JDW), High Wycombe] Tried this in bottle and it tasted of mushrooms. Given the reputation of the beer, I thought at the time it was maybe a bad bottle and vowed to try it again sometime. So bought it on cask when I saw it. It pours black with a good creamy head. Up front there’s still a hint of mushrooms. And mildew. It’s a lot more subdued than in the bottle but it’s still there. The mouthfeel is supremely smooth, and there’s some coffee and roasted malt and chocolate, but really to me this was a reasonable dragged down slightly by the fungi. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.

When fresh on this is a lovely smooth chocolate porter but it seems to go sour very quickly. I have had so many slightly soured pints of this across the UK.

Cask in bridge house JDW, Belfast
Dark brown with fluffy tan head. Chocolate aromas, thick and smooth body, milk chocolate, roast barley. A mild at this strength but a tasty one.

Cask at The Metropolitan Bar (W’Spoons), Baker Street, London. A dark brown/black coloured pour with a medium off white head on top. Roasty, malty aroma. Tastes roasty, malty, some chocolate, slight bitterness. Served in excellent condition in a Spoons. So enjoyable I had 3 pints. Nice one!

On cask @ Bottle of Sack, Sutton Coldfield - Dull black with a thick tan laced head, very thick and lasting. Fruity aroma, in the mouth it’s oily (erm... naturally), with fruit, liquorice and aniseed; the finish is long and bitter with a touch of coffee. Excellent and the reason I love this brewery.

Cask at Hamilton Hall, JDW, London. Pours clear, dark brown with a creamy, tan cap. Pleasant roasted malt aroma, some chalky cocoa, charred wood. Medium sweet flavour with smooth and chocolatey dark malts, mellow roast, faint earthy bitterness, background roast. Light to medium bodied with fine, velvety carbonation. Sweet finish with mild bittersweet chocolate, mild roasted malts, some dirt and burnt leaves, earth, burnt bread. A well rounded and very cohesive beer.

Cask at Cross Keys. Dark brown bubbly golden head. Aroma is chocolate, bit of cream, slight fruity pluminess. Taste is nice, smooth and sweet. Chocolate again, vanilla, bit roasty, hint of something floral, small amount of sweet fruitiness. Pretty solid beer. Might actually prefer the lower alcohol version.

Cask at the Windsor Castle W8. Very dark black colour with thick slightly off-white head. A very smooth porter, with rounded roasted flavours, a bit of ash and coal, malt extract, oreo. Very pleasant.