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Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old) 3.8 284

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
2843.82/5.03.8/5.08%96.2English 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?  
 bierkoning (6100), La Tropica, Netherlands
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
Nov 18, 2008  
Bottle from Lithy, thanks! Almost black and opague. Dark chocolate and peat in the aroma. Full bodied. Malty and peaty flavor with dark chocolate. This peat and oak hide the body of this beer. Good complexity.


 aracauna (2391), Georgia, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/103/516/20
May 11, 2008  
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.


 ChristianScheffel (4679), Odense, Denmark
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/103/58/104/516/20
Oct 11, 2008  
Black with a small off-white head. Roasted malt aroma with licorice and some peat smoke. Smooth and complex flavour with peat and roasted malts.


 rajendra82 (704), Alpharetta, Georgia, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/58/103/517/20
Mar 23, 2008  
Dark black body and a foamy head formed after a cascade of bubbles made for a very Porter like appearance. A shade more brown than the 30 year cask version. The smell was mild at first but started to grow on me with the mix of roasted grains, black coffee, and tobacco. The taste was little more roasty and tannin laced than the older casked beer, and there wasn’t as much of a vanilla bean character. Alcohol was warming and and soothing. Mouthfeel was quite astringent. Very well crafter beer, but the special 30 is better.


 00cobraR (1098), Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
May 17, 2008  
pours out a dark brown almost black color with nearly no head. aroma was malty and very sweet with notes of wood and scotch. flavor was very nice with a nice wood undertone in the finish. an interesting beer to say the least and rather good even though i dont care ofr scotch


 TomDecapolis (3213), Skippack, Pennsylvania, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
8/104/58/104/515/20
Mar 13, 2008  
Pours a deep brown with touches of amber notes and a medium creamy tan head that left some lacing. Aroma of a black and white milkshake, cocoa powder, some woody notes. Flavor of dark chocolate, woody, light vanilla, bitter notes, earthy and roasty.


 AmEricanbrew (1946), orange, California, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/103/58/105/516/20
Mar 13, 2008  
Bottle # 07341. Sept 2007 bottling date. Oily dark brown with a wispy tan head. Good smell is charred wood, smoked malts, with a black licorice whiskey sweetness. Rich, viscous mouthfeel. Taste is ashy charred wood with dry blackened malts with a light black licorice flavor to balance. Nice nuances of the barrel aging come through in the finish. Enjoyed this one more than the 12 year.


 drpimento (873), La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA
3.9 Aroma Appearance Flavor Palate Overall
7/104/57/104/517/20
Jun 9, 2009  
Got this bottle at Sam’s in Chicago last week. This is way more subtle, mild, and less fruity than the 12 of this seriies. Bigger tan head. No highlights - opaque. Milder nose of the whiskey, malt, chocolate, coffee. Silky body. Smooth. Very rich yet elegant yet robust beer. Less apparent booziness, yet same abv. Yummy.



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