Harviestoun Ola Dubh (18 Year Old)

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

Bottle: Pours a mostly opaque black with dark mahogany edges and a thin, spotty-lacing light tan head. Aroma is rich with smoky peat and oaky Scotch with some sweet dark caramel malty undertones. Starts with a nice malty fullness and smoky dark caramel sweetness with just the right amout of oxidation, well-balanced with earthy peat and Scotch barrel flavor before a smooth, slightly warming semi-dry finish. A very enjoyable scotch barrel-aged brew.

Cask. Small brown head atop black body with brown edge. Aroma is moderately sweet, roast/smoke, chocolate, some vanilla. Taste is moderately sweet, chocolate, roast, some smoke, light vanilla, alcohol. Medium body, low carbonation, smooth.

Cask at Churchkey. Like it’s 30 year counterpart, the beer pours a rich, dark color with a tan head. Aroma is more subtle, with notes of vanilla, malts, alcohol peaks in. Not as smooth as I expected, though flavor was still very rich and enjoyable.

Bottle, batch no. 326. Dark brown body, with a large brown head. Aroma is oak, whisky, coffee. Flavor is wood, whiskey, molasses, coffee incl. notes of alcohol. Great beer.

Bottle. Pours a dense chocolate to mahogany color, nearly black in its oily opaqueness. A thick, foamy head of mocha colored froth settles slowly to a thick, bubbly ring surrounding a patchy blanket. Neat, diagonal flares of paper-thin lacing break apart into a sea of spots that cling to the glass. Aromas of dark chocolate and dry caramel roast are set off by luscious, vanilla laden oak and soft, peaty smoke. Hints of cola and molasses add further earthy sweetness, while hints of coffee and bitter, earthen hops balance things out. Flavors are as even-keeled as they come, teetering back and forth between creamy chocolate, caramely malts and smooth, oaky, smoky barrel influence. Toffee coated hazelnuts lend a certain rich, oily flavor. The palate is as silky as they come, smooth from start to finish, ending on the drier, smoky side. Just a bit more body would make the mouthfeel perfect. This stuff is simply great. I thought the 16 year old was the best of the bunch until a came across this one, and the balance here is just incredible. World class beer.

On cask at Churchkey in Washington DC. Pours a slightly oily, opaque black with a thin, spitty, off white head. Aroma is nice, boozy, grainy, toast, caramel. Flavor is better, both the whiskey and the beer come through: wood, booze, whole grains, pumpernickel, whiskey, sour mash, slight smoke, coffee, brown sugar, molasses. Finish is a little oily but otherwise smooth. Easier to drink than the 40 year. A nice compliment between beer and booze.

bottle thanks to bullzeye. Pours nearly black with a thin head. Aroma of bourbon, raspberry, chocolate and leather. Flavor is smokey, leather, some underlying smokey sweetness. Medium/smooth palate. I am a fan of the Old Dubh series.

Bottle at Mallaskukko, Turku. Dark brown to black, thin dark beige head. Lots of buttery real vanilla on the nose, woody whisky alcohol, simple but enjoyable. Flavor is wood, licorice, soft and sweetish whisky feel, dark molasses, slightly coarse salmiak finish. A bit empty palate, same is with all of these. Enjoyable whisky beer, very much in line with the others in the series, maybe slightly heavier on the vanilla.