Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old)

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

Bottle from Frugal McDugal in Nashville, TN. Pours a deep dark brown with a milky brown head. Strong amounts of chocolate and dark roast in the nose. Full bodied, but with soft carbonation and smooth oily texture. This goes through a roller coaster of flavors, starting with chocolate and subtle scotch, then moving to sweet notes of vanilla. Mid palate brings on accents of smoke, peat, and ash. The dry and peppery finish has some warming alcohol followed by lingering notes of charred wood. Very complex and well brewed, but just way to may smoke going on here for me. I was hoping for more scotch, but got more of the barrel. Fans of smoked beers should dig this. This is definitely better as it gets closer to room temp

IThis is a pretty well-done whisky-barrel-aged beer. The beer itself is fairly light in body (for its size) and lacking the aggressive flavor of it’s American counterparts, it could have easily been overwhelmed by the whisky. I’m surprised, but this beer (which I’m assuming is the same base recipe as the 12 year, but with this one the whisky note is more mellow. There’s still that little charred wood bit, but it’s balanced out more by the chocolate notes. this is the better of the two.

Bottle 02529, Sept. 2007 - Yep. "Gloopy and viscuous" it is, indeed. It pours a thick, dark brown body that for a few moments has a skinny little brown head. The aroma is a blending of whiskey, bittersweet chocolate, dark stone fruit, dates, and wood. Thick, creamy, and hot in the mouth. The flavor has the addition of peat smoke, hard nuts, and an earthy bitterness. The finish is hot, malty, bitter, and sticky. Very nice.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? Beverage World, Elmhurst, IL<font size=-1>

Very dark brown and oily-looking. Gentle whiskeyish nose with lovely chocolate character. Big whiskey taste, some peat and iodine. Rich deep chocolate malts with accents of nuts, wood and alcohol. Sublime balance. Gorgeous stuff.

Pours a thick looking, inky chocolate brown to virtually black color. A frothy, cream colored head settles to a thin film with a prominent, bubbly edge. Random patches and splatterings of lace mark the glass. The nose shows dark chocolate, caramel, sweet peaty smoke, dry whiskey, and some earthy hop character. At this point, I can’t believe how much better this smells than the 12 year. The first sip is nearly mind blowing, as the balance is damn near perfect, a stark contrast to the 12 year version, which was far more harsh. Sweet and bitter dark chocolates lay the base, while soft peat and smooth whiskey add perfectly subtle compliments. There’s a lactic creaminess that goes incredibly well with the dry smokiness. The body is medium-full and silky smooth, finishing slightly dry and chalky, with lingering peat on the tongue. This is a flat-out awesome brew. I can’t believe how much better this is than the 12. A chocolate and scotch lover’s dream.

Bottle (number 08427). Black beer with ruby highlights. Slight brown head. Light peat, vanilla, oak, caramel aroma. Peat, caramel, light oak flavor. Medium body. Lingering peat, caramel, light roast, vanilla. Lighhter barrel components and more drinkable than the 12. Nice balance.

Bottle 09265, 9/07 from Wine Warehouse Charlottesville. Pours a very, very, very dark brown with a small head. Little lacing or head retention. Notesof wood, vanilla and tobacco in the aroma. Taste is very strong wood, tobacco and smoke with a tinge of coffee and chocolate. Nice and complex.

Pours almost black with a medium tan head. Looks like an Imperial Stout. Aroma of molasses, toffee, and smoke. Taste is full of sweet malts, smoke, and wood with a clean whiskey finish. The finish has some bitterness as well. The whiskey is well integrated throughout. Very nice beer.