Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special 16 Reserve
Whiskey barrel aged old ale, 8%
Scotland
Old Engine Oil, produced by the Scottish brewery Harviestoun, is definitely among my top ten favorite beers produced by humans on planet Earth. It looks and tastes like it sounds: dark, slick, and chewy. The body's density and combination of burnt, bitter, and slightly sour flavors can be too much for the mainstream domestic beer drinker. However, since I am a professional, I pine for a more extreme version of this delightfully acidic, oily sludge of a brew.
Harviestoun Ola Dubh is Old Engine Oil after it has been matured in whiskey casks. Highland Park single malt scotch barrels, to be exact. Harviestoun turns out 12, 16, and 30 year batches. If your beer preferences lean toward light lagers that lack strong flavors, Ola Dubh is not for you. Now, please excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin because this beer is most definitely for me.
Special 16 Reserve creates a thin layer of frothy tan head as it pours into a snifter glass. Very little carbonation is present in the thick, midnight black body.
Aromas are of oak, espresso, booze, and more booze, similar to smelling a half full whiskey bottle that has been topped off with burnt coffee.
In the mouth, the brew's consistency is reminiscent of milk, only a murkier, heavier version of chocolate milk, with a tremendous amount of slickness. It showcases the high viscosity of barrel conditioning and the slight tartness typical of old ales.
Brews of the Old Ale style — and most fine beers in general — tend to undergo a miraculous temperature-influenced flavor transformation. At 58 degrees, there are notes of well-toasted bread and good whiskey with a strong and persistent espresso aftertaste.
At 65 degrees, the alcohol presence becomes more intense, inciting a tingling whirl of booziness on the tongue and implanting a ball of smoky warmth into the esophagus. A woodsy bitterness becomes more apparent, mixed with flavors of dark fruit and unsweetened chocolate.
A beer with such complexity, in process and flavor, is a rare treat. The 16 Year version retails at around $12 for a 12 ounce bottle. Of course, all the Ola Dubh varieties can be cellared for long periods of time if stored upright at 40-50 degrees. Just think of it as an investment.
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 3, 2009.