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Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old)

Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old) - Old Ale

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 Percentile 
97
overall
Brewed by Harviestoun
Style: Old Ale

Alva, Central, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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 Ratings  Average  Score  ABV  Style Pctl  Serve in 
2763.82/5.03.79/5.08%96English pint, Snifter
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Commercial Description:
Ola Dubh (or ‘Black Oil’) is a collaboration between Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park, Distiller of the Year*. It is based on Harviestoun’s award-winning Old Engine Oil. With more than a stylistic nod to the classic Imperial Porters (and Stouts) of the nineteenth century, this deliciously rich, dark, 8% a.b.v. beer is the first ale to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery and, with traceable casks and numbered bottles, the rest with genuine provenance. Ola Dubh will initially be available in three different expressions; the initial release will be of small batches aged in casks formerly used to mature Highland Park 12 Year Old, Highland Park 16 Year Old and Highland Park 30 Year Old. Further variants are planned for the future. Ola Dubh is, in the words of beer afficionado Owen D.L. Barstow: “The most interesting new British beer I have tried in years.”
 Most Recent Top Raters Highest Ratings Who's Rated This?  
 l1br4r14n (274), Washington, Washington DC, USA
4.3 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/58/104/518/20
May 22, 2009  
Aroma of oak, cherries, vanilla. Pours black with a thin brown head. Flavors of baking cocoa, smoke, oak, vanilla, cherry, dark chocolate. Delicious! Dry finish and aftertaste of baking cocoa.


 Kestral (191), Oslo, Norway
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/57/104/513/20
May 22, 2009  
Bottle. Pours black with reddish brown highlights, big light brown head. Aroma is smoke, peat, mushrooms, dust, fruits, raisins and ripe plums, some alcohol, roasted malts. Flavour is big, coffee, smoke, roasted malt, chocolate, peat, ashes, whisky. A faint note of meat that I don’t enjoy too much. This is a big and complex one. I wouldn’t mind if it was a bit sweeter. Thick and smooth.


 MoDog (909), Griffith, Indiana, USA
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/57/103/515/20
May 20, 2009  
11.2oz bottle (Bottle No. 01417, Sept 2007) served in a snifter. Slick, oily black pour with a thin head of creamy tan foam that settled and lingered for the duration of the glass. Slippery lacing. The aroma had chocolate, burnt sugar, oak, fine whisky, and dark fruit. The flavor was a little hotter than I remember the 12 Year Old being. Warming alcohol with some lingering peat are the focus. Chocolate, dried dark fruits, and some vanilla are also there. Mild cardboard. The mouthfeel was medium to full-bodied but seemed to be thinning a bit. Very lightly carbonated. Slightly oily on the tongue. Tasty, but I wish I would have cracked this open sooner. Showing some signs that it is on the decline.


 Jonte (801), Gothenburg, Sweden
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/514/20
May 20, 2009  
Bottle. Haket. Gothenburg. Dark brown/black colour with a beige head. More sweet and less salty then the 12 yo, oak, chocolate, light smoke/peat, a bit of bitterness. Smooth and creamy mouthfeel. Rosted dry finish.


 altonbrownd (1862), Amsterdam, Netherlands
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
May 19, 2009  
Bottle from Bierkoning. Luscious brown body with thick tan head. Heavenly nose of chocolate and whiskey. Nice taste of malts, chocolate and strong flavour of licorice. Smoked ham towards the end. Dry and smoky finish. Delectable.


 Bullit (1300), Glasgow, Scotland
3.8 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/103/516/20
May 18, 2009  
Bottled @ Peckham’s Beer Festival. Pitch black colour, some lacings. Aroma of roasted malts, whisky, smoke. Flavour of roasted malts, chocolate and licorice. Dry finish. Nice one.


Finwe (56), Grankulla, Finland
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/517/20
May 18, 2009  
Bottle 33 cl (bottle number 60383, Jan 2009) True to its name has an oily black colour with small tan head. Has some liquorice and hints of smoke in the aroma. The taste includes elements of roasted malts and wood, as well as whiskey. Alcohol is somewhat noticeable in the taste, but by no means disturbing.


 SuIIy (1405), Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA
3.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/104/514/20
May 15, 2009  
12 oz bottle. Pours an oily black color with a small light tan head that recedes to clear, teeny bubbles that eventually disappear. Nose is light roast malts, very dry, some very light hints of scotch and alcohol. Palate is smooth with a very dry finish and a filmy palate with a light alcohol note in the end. Flavors are light dark roast almost burnt malts with a hint of whiskey/scotch that doesnt over power. very well balanced. it is noticeable that the whiskey is there, but it does not take away any of the beer flavors nor does it over power with alcohol.



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