Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Bottle)

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

Tried this in bottle. Very dark, but not quite black as I expected and a light brown head. Strong pleasant aroma. Great mix of bitter and sweet and chocolate/nutty tastes.

Bottle. The pour doesn’t look as black and viscous as the rear label so claims. It is black but thins around the edges to where light easily passes through. The beige head is quickly dissipating. The aroma is a little roasty with notes of chocolate, coffee, and wood. The flavour, at first, seems very porter-like with light cocoa qualities and some robust coffee and roasty qualities as well as a hints of plum. However, as the brew leaves the taste buds, extreme nuttiness hits with subtle sweetness. There was so much sudden nuttiness that it just completely surprised me. After the initial sip, it felt like I ate peanutbutter on a loaf of bread. It was surprising because I didn’t detect a whole lot of this in the aroma. A nice blend of a sweet cocoa, nuts, hints of coffee as well as a slight bitterness of the hops is a nice balance of flavour in the dry finish. I was skeptical at first, reading the rear label. But this is quite enjoyable.

Pitch black poor with a nice light brown head with good lacing. Aromas of milk chocolate, chocolate malts, moca coffee beens and very creamy. Velvetty, creamy medium body. Very pleasent porter like mouthfeel. Perfect balance with bitter and sweet. Aromas are very much the same as the flavors. Very impressive.

A beautifully stouty beer, much like a porter. For mine, it tasted noticeably but not unpleasantly salty. It could easily become a favourite, subject to availability for me.

Smelled of coffee/chocolate. Very dark color. Excellent flavor. First impression is slight sweetness but immediately overtaken by the bitterness. Chocolate after taste. Thick but not too thick. Overall, a good beer.

Perhaps the smoothest dark Ive ever had. The nose is a light roasted nut/coffee blend, wafting from a deeply dark amber, bordering on black, brew with a moderate tan head. The flavor is a lightly chocolated coffee with a caramelized sugar undertone.

Had this on draft.Poured a jet black-with a small head.Aromas of coffee and chocolate and malt.All those aromas were also in the taste of the beer as well as light fruit.Thought the beer was a little thin,but all in all an ok beer.

Nose is VERY chocolate laden with notes of dried fruit and floral accents. Beautiful in a glass, dense quickly disapating head of tan leaves nice lacing. Flavor is CHOCOLATE dominate... or mayb it’s COFFEE.. Get the idea? The chocolate and black patten perhaps darker crystal malts really shine. Well balanced with a nice bittering. Mouth feel is nice, thick to a point just shy of chewy. Overall this was a real supprise. Now one of my favorite beers. While alot of complex flavors are not apparent this ale really hits the spot. It shines the way bananas do in banana pudding, ham, or a corn on cob cooked on a grill... simple, singular in flavor, but an awesome flavor. There’s beauty in it’s simplicity. I’m a big fan of porters, and this ale reminds me of alot of good porters I’ve had. VERY enjoyable and drinkable. Will trade Lazy Magnolia Southern Pecan or others. Message me.