Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve

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

Pours black with a modest, spattered head reducing to a full, creamy canopy that lasts the duration. Aroma of espresso, smoke, coaco, and honey. Full, rich nectar with a few residual effers in the mouth only. Texture of pure cream baby! Flavors of roasted honey, coffee bean, copper, coaco, old leather, charcoal, stewed vegetables, and earth with a mild sweetness. I can faintly taste the cask. It’s got a peaty, smokiness about it that reminds me a an Islay malt. The finish has a perfect bittering. Overall: a fantastic brew that goes well with aged cheddar and crackers. Trump. Highly recommended.

Pours an opaque black with a thick tan head. As I was pouring this, the word "gorgeous" hit my mind. Like the beer soul I possess deep down, the nose spoke out. Strong malty wood with thicker cocoa qualities and an overall roasted character. Flavor is rich with chocolate character and a strong malt flavor. So meaty and earthy I almost want to start chewing it as I drink it. Feel is great. Small level of bubble and a nice smooth and thick liquid feel. I am shocked. Last night I tried the standard Old Engine Oil and had slightly higher expectations for this one. But geez. In no way did I expect to be hit with only my 2nd flat 5 rating as of yet. Unbelievable. Blows the hell out of the standard Old Engine Oil...and most other brews at that too.

330 ml, opaque black with a small, but beautifully creamy and lasting head. Roasty malt aroma of cocoa and espresso, some charred wood in there too. Flavors of peppery beef jerky, chocolate, oak, molasses, coffee, leather, brown sugar, char, vanilla, dates, tobacco, and green herbs are very well blended. Medium-heavy body is smooth and syrupy, with a slight tingle, and a nice drying finish. About as complex as they come, awesome, and thankfully not too heavy on the whiskey flavors.

Aroma is simply heavenly - rich and "stouty" with strong smoky and coffee undertones, as well as a sharp alcohol nip. It pours a deep, opaque sable with a thick tan head. Flavor is strong and smoky, with some bitterness but not too much. It is very smooth, yet goes down somewhat like strong liquor - you know exactly where it is in your esophagus. Perhaps this comes from being aged in single-malt whisky barrels.

Pitch black, light creamy head, strong whisky and lighter chocolate, coffee, vanilla and oak aroma’s. This beer smells good!! Taste is even better, first of all...whisky, smooth, sweet, light carbonation, excellent beer, bittersweet aftertaste. One of my favourites.

Dark beer and whiskey combine to create one of the greatest beers ever. I was recommended this one at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur, GA after they had run out of the Dogwood Winter Ale that had be aged in Jack Daniel’s casks. I enjoy the rich coffee, whiskey and chocolate flavors and smooth finish of this beer.

Pours deep dark brown with a moderate foamy/bubbly brown head. Strong malty aroma with lots of lactic chocolate and oaken vanilla notes. Flavor is lactic and creamy with nice oak/vanilla notes, followed by some smooth and warming peaty whiskey undertones, as well as just a hint of smokiness. Palate is full creamy, smooth, and lightly carbonated with a long finish. Hard to drink this one slowly. Delicious and well balanced, although a bit pricey, well worth it at least once.

Pours opaque black with a very thin brown head. The aroma has some interesting fruity aromas very similar to a brandy, also some burnt aromas, some chocolate, some alcohol, and hops. The mouthfeel is quite nice - decently carbonated despite the very thin head. It starts sweet on the tonge with lots of chocolate. Some hop bitterness and some fruit (almost like prunes) in the middle. The flavor of alcohol, more hop bitterness, more chocolate, and some smoke flavors lie in the finish. An excellent strong scotch ale / wee heavy (though this site categorizes it as an old ale)