Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve

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

Aroma is sweet, alcholic, and very very whiskey filled. Color is a dark red. Initian taste is quite sour, but it levels off. Big whiskey taste, with some subtle hints of chocolate and roasted malt underneath. Bitterness kicks in at the finish. Very alcoholic taste. Interesting.

A vigorous pour produced a nice thick head of medium brown which coated the glass and ran off in sheets rather than breaking into a lace. The head disappated quickly, but gave off aromas of licorice, raisins and Scotch Whisky. Complex flavor. Sweet, smoky, not too bitter. A touch of sourness in the aftertaste. Lighter on the tongue than I would have guessed from the name. Interesting and enjoyable.

Excellent brew. Black as night. Tan head that quickly shuffles off. Nose is of cherries and black olives and oak. Flavours match the nose. Aftertaste is vanilla. G-rat

11.2 fluid ounce brown, longneck bottle. No freshness date seen anywhere. Poured out a deep, black color, with reddish-brown highlights around the edges of it. It has a sticky, thick, tan colored head, which left a more than generous lacing down the sides of the glass. Aromas are of roasted malts, whisky(surprize, surprize), sweet caramel malts, and a funky espresso note as well. Engine oil indeed. Poured out as thick as engine oil, actually wasn’t far off from smelling like it too. If this is an old ale, I’ll kiss your ass. This is more a highland Scotch meets Irish stout kind of beer, if ever there was one. Mostly burnt flavors, some caramels way off in the background. Hard for me to finish. Not my favorite beer by far.

This Scottish ale is ok. Sweet, and roasted malt flavors, with a touch sourness. Finishes creamy, smooth, and rich.

Woody, alcoholic, whiskey, toffee and molasses aromas; thick, oily, flat palate with a peaty, smokey sweetness and notes of cola and chocolate; balancing tartness and bitterness in the finish; somewhat salty, acidic, and sour. Complex and yummy, but I prefer the regular OEO.

Bottle Pours very dark. Black with red highlights Virtually no head, barely enough to make any lacing at all. You can really smell the Whiskey barrells in this one. Very sweet, molassas, cherry maybe also. Taste is great. Sweet, coffee, molassas, brown sugar, little if any hops dark but not charcoalish. The whiskey cask flavor really comes through here too. Feel is soft and easy. No bite to it. Just nice. Terriffic brew. Glad I can get it around here.

Black with dark brown light head & some carbonation. Full and hoppy, lots of bitter roast & salty maltiness. Lots of complexity in the nose with a dissapointing saltyness of aged malts. The finish is creamy, toasty & full bodded. Full and there.