Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Bottle)

Bottle, Many thanks to Craig aka Cgarvieuk for picking this up for me I’ve had this before but never rated so was quite chuffed that Craig had picked one up for me. Poured as black as it’s name describes with just the tiniest of beige heads to top off. Aroma slightly bitter and sour but also some sweetness as well. First taste was wonderful, really quite indulgent and even though it was 6% it really was an ale that you needed to sip to get maximum enjoyment, molasses, chocolate, dark fruits even some burnt wood, it was all in there in this very lovely beer.

Chocolate and smoke in the nose. Pours jet black. Odd tang upon first sip that goes away with future sipping. Sweet and dry at the same time with some mild roastiness.

Bottle. Moderate notes of dark chocolate and toasted for the malt, light grass for the hops and a light hint of earth for the yeast. Charcoal, band aid, and a little alcohol in the background. Head is small, light brown, fully dimishing and has fair lacing, color is pitch black. Flavor starts moderately sweet and lightly tart and finishes the same sweetness and lightly bitter. Palate is med/full, creamy and it has a soft carbonation. Tastes and smells like an American craft stout should, a very nice beer from Scotland.

12 oz bottle received in trade with Acknud (Thank You Bill ), Pours a deep brown, almost black with ruby red highlights. Nose is smoky. Palate is dry and mouthfeel is a little thin. Taste is of semi sweet chocolate, roasted malts. I agree with everyone else that says this is more of a dry stout than an old ale. This stuff was great. I enjoyed it.

11.2oz $3.29 Sam’s Downers Grove Old Engine Oil pours the deepest most dense red you could imagine sporting small but bright ruby highlights when held to the light. A 1+ finger beige head formed on the pour that fell to a half finger of creaminess rather quickly. Left drink lines from each sip. Good looking beer. This beer has a nose full of powerful rich aromas. Malts that are roasted so deeply they actually make my eyes water. Strong notes of dark chocolate mesh very nicely with the roasted malts. There’s even a drop or two of cream. Faint hop presence toward the backend. Very inviting. This is one interesting brew. Starts off with a deeply roasted malt bitterness and it seems to me a mid palate hop bitterness. Bittersweet chocolate comes around toward the end along with a few drops of cream and mild nuttiness as it warms. The roasty bitterness shows up on the swallow, then quickly disappers to a creamy smothness, then the bitterness actually lingers around. Strange, but definately unique and enjoyable. Great mouthfeel. Medium bodied with an absolutely velvety smooth mouthfeel. This beer just glides along your tongue. The bold flavors hurt the long-run drinkability but this is an easy one to finish off the single bottle. The bottle calls this "a delicious after dinner beer" and I couldn’t agree more. A perfect beer to go with a nice cigar after an enjoyable meal. Unique and nothing like I expected. I will definately pick up again, even to share with company. 8/2/07

pours an impressive black for an old ale w/ slight red tones around the edges. Nose predominantly of malted candy, some smokiness further malts on the tongue, rather well attenuated with little residual sweetness, definitely some chocolate malts but without the body of a porter/stout, finishing with a level bitterness. Pleasant, but nothing too unusual.

Pours dark brown to black. Small amber head. Very dry tasting with dark chocolate predominating. Very little sweetness.

A Mes rate: 33cl bottle from Utobeer. Very dark brown with a reasonable tan head and some good looking lace. Dark chocolate malt in the aroma with some pleasing cheesey funk about it. Very cheesey in fact. Creamy goats cheese even. Flavour is just about ok with some nice chewy malt and a bit of rubber but it’s the stout like finish that makes it. A lick of fruit appears out of nowhere with banana and more chocolate but this time a little sweeter. The finish adds more complexity as it lingers turning hoppy and bitter then tangy malt at the death giving really good balance. Lovely oily feel to it too. Very interesting stuff with plenty of character.