Harviestoun Ola Dubh (16 Year Old)

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

premessa: chi non ama il whisky, lasci perdere. aroma di tostato e caffè sovrastato dai sentori di legno e whisky torbato. in bocca molto morbida ed equilibrata, pulita, si evolve in un crescendo di sapori in cui compaiono anche cioccolato e liquirizia, seguiti da un finale legnoso impregnato di highland park. veramente ottima.

0.33 l bottle from Alko. Sweetish and oaky aroma with licorice an coffee. Roasty and peaty flavor with licorice and coffee. Less oaky and more harmonous that Ola Dubh 12. Still a bit too peaty and oaky.

(Bottle #60293 from Alko Arkadia) Poured almost black with fizzing, quite quickly disappearing and light brown head. Aroma contained whisky, liquorice and roastedness. Medium bodied and dry palate with quite high carbonation. Flavours were roastedness, ash, whisky, liquorice, chocolate and bitterness. Aftertaste contained whisky, bitterness and ash.

Smokey, chocolatey nose. Pitch black color, slight tan head. Smokey/chocolate. Slightly smothe texture.

Bottle from Utobeer market stall. Pours a dark brown with a beige head. Aromas of chocolate, caramel, smoke, malts, sultanas. Flavours of bitter chocolate, sultanas, dark fruits. Quite peaty. Warming alcohol mouthfeel. Gentle, hoppy finish. Nice.

Pours pitch black and completely opaque with a thin .5 finger brown head that quickly fades into a lasting ring. Not much in the way of lacing, just some sporadic small spots. Strong roasted malt aroma with a decent amount of malt whiskey that doesn’t overtake the other aromas. Dark chocolate, roasted coffee bean and roasted nut notes. Again, the aroma is dominated by a deep roasted maltiness but there is a good bit of oak and whiskey to balance things out. Again the flavor is dominated by a deep roasted maltiness with lots of complexity and bitter dark chocolate flavor. However, they whiskey presence is much more prominent in the flavor than in the aroma. Lots of hot whiskey alcohol warmth but fortunately the other flavors still shine through. Not one-dimensional at all. Plenty of roasted coffee bean, burnt toast, hazelnut and dark chocolate notes. Sligthtly sweet because of the strong alcohol, whiskey and chocolate malt components but is overall nicely balanced with even some subtle hops, resulting in a big beer that is quite drinkable. Recommended.

pours an impenetrable black with a ring of creamy foam and just a bit of lacing. Lightly peaty aroma, wonderful dark malt sweetness. Yum! All of the peaty notes from the 12 but a bit more tempered and balanced: earthy peat, malty molasses sweetness. Thin body and light carbonation. Tasty and more refined than the 12, definitely more quaffable. Would have liked a little more engine-oil thickness in this one.

Intensive aroma of wood barrels, hints of coffee and bitter chocolate. Black color, foamy brownish head. Flavor is malty and sweet, sherry notes, wood barrels and hints of alcohol and coffee. Dry, quite bitter end. Lovely brew.