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Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old)

Percentile
98
overall
Brewed by Harviestoun
Style: Old Ale

Alva, Central, Scotland

bottled
common

on tap
available

Broad Distribution
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RatingsAverageScoreABVStyle PctlServe in
2783.82/5.03.8/5.08%96English pint, Snifter
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?  
 dwyerpg (2529), Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
4.7 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/519/20
Jun 13, 2008  
Aroma not as intense as the 12. Immediately thicker than the 12, this is the thickest of the bunch. Sweet and strong, it has a solid consistency from start to finish. Excellent.


 MrChopin (632), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
4.6 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/105/59/105/519/20
Sep 17, 2008    Updated: Oct 16, 2008
Dark brown, oily, small dark tan head. Reminds of Goose Island BCS with a little larger head. Strong but classy nose of whisky, chocolate, and wood depths. Taste is delicious: chocolate, alcohol, malt, dry wood, and a nice smoky peat touch. Medium bodied, super rich, long in peat, and ultra smooth, this is one hell of a beer for whisky heads, stout heads, dessert-beer heads, fireside-winter-beer heads...


 jbrus (4845), Delft, Netherlands
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/104/518/20
Sep 27, 2009  
Bottle@Home. Chocolate and Highland Park light peated whisky aroma. Opaque, light brown firm head, good lace. Sweet, chocolate, malty, subtle peated whisky, light bitter, roasted. Soft and full. Flavourful, excellent balanced.


 BBB63 (4228), La Porte, Indiana, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
10/105/59/104/517/20
Apr 21, 2008  
Bottle # 02672 and served in my NB worthy glass (vertical of 12/18/30): Nearly opaque with a fading but lasting head and some lace and some oily legs upon the glassware. Better head retention than the 12 y.o. or the 30 y.o.

The aroma has many of the same notes of the 12 but seem more concentrated, big charred wood and Black Patent malt, star anise, prune and dried raisin, liquid vanilla extract, massive alcohol vapours, and some lovely smoked peat bog.

The taste while similar to the 12 y.o., it is far more refined and smoother. Expressive dark fruits and charred malt with a kick in the face of wood and whisky. I get more than my fair share of iodine and peat bog towards the finish but it is more for rounded palate than a distraction. The mouth feel is smooth and oily with just the right amount of aggressive alcohol bite and woody dryness. What a work of art, right among the very best BA beer I have ever had. The best thing is that I believe these bottles will aged gracefully for years, so get ya some!


 jhumphries69 (722), Tyrone, Georgia, USA
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/104/59/104/519/20
Oct 13, 2008  
33cl bottle. Pours opaque black with a thin, persistent tan head. The aroma is very smoky with peat, molasses, and dark fruit. The flavor starts slightly sweet with chocolate, dark fruit, vanilla, some peat, and some Scotch whiskey notes. This beer is complex: smoke, thick oakiness, raisins, and chocolate. Decadence is an understatement. The finish is somewhat dry from alcohol but thick and sweet with smoke, peat, and an interesting fruity and earthy bitterness. The mouthfeel is thick, ropey, and creamy with soft carbonation and a drying sensation all over the mouth from alcohol. Overall: wow! Decadent, interesting, and uber-complex.


 Bov (5425), Bienne, Switzerland
4.5 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/59/105/517/20
Jun 2, 2008    Updated: Jun 4, 2008
courtesy of Laurent Mousson - dark black colour with a little dark beige head; roasted aroma of pralines, notes of cherries and a touch of mint; viscous, full-bodied; robust bitterness; very bitter chocolatey finish with notes of cookies and a warming alcohol kick


 Oakes (8080), gone rambling, Vietnam
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/59/105/518/20
May 9, 2008  
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.


 thedm (3834), Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA
4.4 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
9/105/58/104/518/20
Jun 26, 2008  
This bottled brew from Indianapolis, IN poured a very small sized head of foam with a frothy top and dark brown colored quickly diminishing bubbles. The body was opaque with a black color and no visible carbonation. The aroma was of very nice dark malts and dark roasted chocolaty malts. The mouth feel was mildly tingly from start to finish with a smooth rich flavor and a soft hop backing. The flavor contained notes of nice chocolate dark malts and a smooth whiskey backing.



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