Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Special Reserve

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

Bottle 12fl.oz.
[ Courtesy of Summer Secret Santa ]. Clear dark red brown color with a average to large, creamy, good lacing, mostly lasting, light brown to beige head. Aroma is light heavy malty, dark roasted, burnt, caramel, chocolate, smoke and vanilla notes. Flavor is heavy sweet and bitter with a long duration. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft, finish feel is light alcoholic - whisky. [20091113]

33 cL bottle. Pours dark brown to black with a huge and chocolate brown head. Aroma is chocolate, vanilla and wooden notes to a strong malt base. Sweet, chocolate and vanilla wooden flavoured. Light roasted bitter to acidic note coming through. Rather dry and hardroasted malt flavoured. Lingering acidic roasted malt finish with a light whiskey alcohol note.

Bottle, 8.0%. Good aroma, roasted coffee, some cream. Black colour, red shine. Small stable brown head. The flavour is very creamy with a good coffee note, some sweetness. Good alcohol note in the finish to balance the flavour and sweetness.

Sample from 11.2 oz. bottle. Pours dark brown with a small tan head. The aroma has rich dark chocolate, whiskey, wood, and port wine. The flavor has a strong alcohol component that works well with the roasted malts, chocolate, and wood. Pretty smooth and full bodied. I enjoy this quite a bit more than the Brewdog beers because this still resembles a beer. The whiskey can be strong, but when balanced with the other flavors it makes for a nice beer.

Pours pitch black with very faint mahogany edges when held to a light source and a 1.5 finger foamy coffee-colored head that slowly fades into a lasting ring. Minimal lacing. Aroma has a prominent whiskey presence but there is a somewhat nice balance of roasted coffee and chocolate maltiness. Slightly toasty with some toffee and hazelnut notes but again, mostly whiskey. Whiskey dominates the flavor up front followed by some sweet roasted chocolate malt, toffee, coffee bean, some more oaky vanilla whiskey and a dry finish. The alcohol presence is very prominent, mostly from the whiskey but the heat is pretty well masked making it quite drinkable.

11.2oz bottle thanks to Robin ! Nice lacing, small head. Nose is very sweet, oak, alcohol and ripe fruits. Some coffee and chocolate. Very intense. This is definitely going to be a sipper. Feels a bit like a scotch ale. Taste is sweet, toffee, lots of oak. Hints of vanilla. Some coffee and chocolate. Finish is warm and dry. Hints of dust and paper. Really good stuff. Nice sipper, quite complex and very particular. Great beer !

11.2oz bottle. This stuff is great! Pours dark black. Tastes of dark chocolate. Almost like a good imperial stout but thinner.