Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old)

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

What an awesome beer. Very often I don’t like whisky flavors in my beer, but rather than cheap bourbon, this has good scotch, and it makes a world of difference. The aroma has lots of peat and whisky. Some smoke, lots of malt, a little sugar. The peat is prominent, and blends very well with the rich malt flavor.

Bottle. Bottle number 07058 from the September 2007 brewing. Pours with a large, brown head that fades to a ring and a very dark brown body. Aroma of dark fruits, yeast, tar, wood, chocolate, soy sauce, figs and dates. Taste is lots of wood, scotch, peat, coffee and dark fruit. Syrupy mouthfeel, light bubbles.

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.

Pitch black color with a thin light brown head. Aroma of scotch, chocolate and malt. Interesting flavor of scotch, wood, chocolate and malt. The body is light to medium with a liquorous texture and soft carbonation.

Bottled. Aroma has roasted coffee malts, whisky (moderate smoked and woody). Quite a nice balance. Pitch black coloured with a thin, beige head. The taste is sweet, slightly bitter, has whisky, chocolate, some vanilla, roast. Well bodied. Nicely balanced. Enjoyable brew.

In short: An unclassifiable moderately roasted black beer with a semi-complex flavour spectrum
How: Bottle 11.2oz. Drank about 1 year after the beer release. Side by side comparison of the Old Dubh 12, 16 and 30
The look: Black body topped by a very small tan head
In long: Nose has the similar elements of its little 12 year old sisters with peat, dirty wood, earth and date except everything is x 2. Also a little smoky note that isn’t there in the little sister. Soft carbonation. Taste of charcoal, burnt fresh wet wood, baker’s chocolate, a whole lot of peat and also a lot of freshly cut green grass, some black liquorice and tobacco leaves. Different but very cohesive. Coming back from a pub-crawl I thought it would be an interesting experience to open the 12, 16 and 30 all at the same while watching a movie. But drinking these three strong beers after an evening of pub crawling let me tell you that I was finding my movie really funny and was laughing hysterically. The problem is I was watching Saving Private Ryan.

Tiny, tan head over a deep rosewood body. Peaty aroma of vanilla with roasted malts. Roasted, sweet malty flavoured with hints of blended whisky and liquorice acidity. Smooth and gentle finish (Taster at European Beer Festival, 12.09.2008).

Bottle. Almost black with a creamy light brown head. Roasted chocolate aroma that ends up very peaty with good hints of vanilla. Tasting peaty vanilla, some mild chocolate, medicinal character. Noticeable alcohol. Soft, full-bodied. Highland Park is still very present- wonderful!