Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Bottle)

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

About as black as black can be. No head. Not much aroma that I could smell. Roasty, coffee, and slight smoke. Finishes with very mild hop bitterness.

Black pour with minimal tan head (55degrees). Slightly woody and a tiny bit of chocolate, but mostly dark fruit in the aroma. Smooth sweet dark malt flavor. The cask aging to the special reserve really adds another dimension that this beer completely lacks. Still a great beer, but not quite as good.

definitely reminds me of engine oil...suprising not as thick and heavy as i hoped. kinda coffee tasting. pretty good stuff

Black, sucks out the light. Smells sweet, roasted malt. Coffeeish. Flavor has the malt, chocolate and something I can’t quite put my finger on. Very, very pleasant. Not as thick and heavy as it might, but not your light sumer ale by any means.

I drank this in honor of the fact that I just rooted out my bathroom sink pipes with one of those twisting wires, and the result was a bunch of guck that truly looked like engine oil (this beer didn’t). This was a wonderful beer--the kind of a beer that, if Americans tried to brew it, they would no doubt screw up by West Coastifying it or something with a fork-lift full of hops. Here you have a great bolt of chocolate with underlying resonances of grape, blueberry, and Madeira. Moderately sweet, none of the bitterness that is mentioned in the commercial description, except for a slight roast quality (but it doesn’t hang around). Somewhat thin; not much carbonation, but it’s all fine and good by my palate. Great stuff, and a happy journey back to Scotland for one moment on my sofa. Bottle.

Draught. Wow, this was pretty durned good. A scotttish ale lots of scottiseness and etc.

1/11/2008: Regardless of the name, Harviestoun Old Engine Oil does have the appearance of used motor oil. It is dark brown in color with a fine, frothy tan head. The creamy, milk chocolate aroma is rich and inviting and goes perfectly with the semi-sweet chocolate flavor. In the middle some tangy/sour fruit or something (maybe a burnt malt flavor?) is noticeable which detracts slightly, but it does seem to disappear somewhat as the beer warms. However, the roastiness and soft bitterness toward the end create a good, coffee-like finish with lots of molasses characteristics. This beer has a medium-full body and is smooth and creamy on the palate. It coats the mouth pretty well which allows the flavor (caramelized malt with a twist of black liquorice) to linger. Pretty good overall (even the wife thought it was good); average value.

11.2 fl oz bottle (6.0% Alc./Vol.) from Dilly Deli in Mariemont, Ohio. Rating #526 for this beer...

Pours like its right out of the crankcase. Wonderful dark almost black color. Lots of coffee and choclate on the taste with just the right hoppy bit on the finish.