Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Bottle)

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

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.

330 cl. Opaque black with a four-finger lasting head, and beautiful sticky soapy lacing. Aroma is chocolate, coffee, molasses, maybe a whiff of beef jerky. Taste is big malt, but has great balance: chocolate, chicory coffee, light peppery herb, charred oak, and a slight salty-smoky aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium-heavy, extremely smooth, and just the right balance between watery and sticky. As advertised, a great dessert beer, and nearly perfect.

Bottle sampled. Pours dark with ruby edges and a small beige head. Aroma of roast, dark fruit, chocolate, and spices. the flavor is roast, chocolate, spices, and a fair amount of bitterness in the finish.

Pours dark chocolate brown wtih a smooth khaki head. Very rich chocolate flavors, like bakers chocolate, molasses, lightly burnt flavors, and hints of port. Tastes more like a stout then an old ale.

Bottle. Very dark brown with a slight, tan head. Aroma was roasty, with prunes and bitter chocolate. Flavour of more chocolate, with coffee and preserved fruits. A warming alcohol finish. Very good.

Pours a dark black with a fast fading head. I have had this on tap and in the bottle. I bypassed it several times at Beer and Wine Westpark, but I finally took a chance. Why did I wait so long? This comes acorss like a good British porter with a bit less carbonation. The smoky satin taste brings the chocolate out with very little bitterness. It finishes with a mildness yet moderate alcohol taste.

Tap at Blind Tiger. Pitch black beer with a thin off-white head. Aroma is quite roasty. Heavy tarry/charry roasted malt character. Earthy/roasty with a bit of fruit and dark sweet malts. Leathery flavour and surprisingly dry throughout. Bitter chocolate and roast. The flavour is fairly simple IMHO… dry roastiness, a touch of soft leather, and light toast/heavy roast. More of a big dry stout than any Old Ale I’ve had before. I’d like to try it with a bit more age on it. Warming improves it significantly, bringing out leather and more sweet fruitiness.