Thanks go out to pghlee for saving a growler of this from the recent cask at The Brick Store. He saved this for some of the stragglers that couldn't make it on the previous day for the cask tapping. Jet black, still pour with no sign of life in terms of carbonation or head or lace. Perfectly still. The beer is actually nowhere near as viscous as the pour might suggest. I'd even go as far as to say it is relatively "light" compared to what it could have been. The nose reveals the spirits, but...
Notes on beers brewed by
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12
Motor oil pour as usual with no lace, but a nice ring and thin film of mocha head sitting on the surface. Nose is big on the whisky aroma and it is light and tempting - very easy. Obviously a malty monster with plenty of mild raostiness. This is my favorite of the three cask aged Ola Dubh beers, it seems the most balanced and smoothest. Still quite earthy in the finish (that I do not care for much), but this feature seems to be the most reserved in this beer as opposed to the others in the...
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 30
I got lucky here - long after Dave had taken this off at The Brick Store he handed me a couple of glasses and took me back into the cellar. There we picked up the "empty" cask and poured the last couple of pints from it by tipping it up and massaging the last drops of beer from the vessel into the glasses. I thought I had missed this opportunity, but not so. VERY grateful and appreciative. Thanks Dave. Black pour with a few reddish highlights - not much. Head is not really a factor here, but...
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 16
$8.49 from Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. 12oz bottle. Almost black out with some brown highlights. Some spotty lace but no head to speak of. A little alcohol in the nose and some hints of whisky, but it's not big. Nice aroma, it promises much and the nose is the best part of this beer for me. A malty beer as expected for the style, but for me there is WAY too much peat and smoke. I understand that this beer is from Scotland, but for me this is out of character and style. The Old...
Bitter & Twisted
Very, very light color for the style with a golden color and good carbonation. Some decent lacing but not very special. Hoppy bitterness up front, this drinks and looks very much like a decent Pilsner. Very, very odd indeed in terms of the style. Peppery bitterness in the nose and reflected in the taste. Finishes rather dry with a hop twang. Don't really understand this as an ESB, but there you go. EDIT: Changed from ESB category on 2/4/06.
Old Engine Oil
Really good jet black color with some attractive ruby red highlights. Nice creamy, thin, spotty head with a little lacing. Lovely light alcohol and malt aroma. Mouthfeel is also surprisingly light for the style and the althoguh I would prefer some more body, the lightness adds to the drinkability of the beer. Taste is also light, but not so much that it detracts from the beer. Some smooth, sweet caramel in the malts and a little drying character in the finish. This is a bit like a "light" old...
Old Engine Oil Special Reserve (Aged In Malt Whiskey Casks)
Delicious. A fantastic combination of malt, dark fruits and alcohol with a little chocolate thrown in on the top. There's a lot of richness about this beer which actually reminds me a lot of the Celebrator Doppelbock. Black, thick pour with very little head to speak of after the initial large rocky top that results from an aggressive pour. Large fruit in the nose and lots of alcohol. This drinks much bigger than its 6.00% ABV. It's big and full in the mouth, with a definite spirit (liquor)...