I know I briefly reviewed the whole line-up of Ola Dubh beers a while back. If you didn’t read that and want a brief 411, Harviestoun brews an Old Ale called Old Engine Oil, which is magic. They decided to play around a bit, and age this beer in a variety of whisky barrels from Highland Park Distillery. They used a variety of different barrels, but it’s important to note here, the beer is exactly the same, what changes is the amount of time the whisky spent in each barrel (with me?). So the Ola Dubh 12 was aged in a barrel that had whisky in it for 12 years. The 40 was in a barrel that had whisky in it for 40 years. Got it? Same beer, but the longer the whisky was in the barrel, the more flavour it imparted to the oak. Incidentally, “Ola Dubh” means “Black Oil”, and if you want to sound like a true Scot, it’s pronounced “Oh-la Doo”.
But why did I decide to review this today? It’s been sitting in my stack for quite a while. Well, if you follow along the blog, you’ll know that Burn’s Night is fast approaching. Tomorrow, as part of their multi-day Burn’s festival, The Monk’s Table is hosting a tasting of Ola Dubh, hosted by none other then Jordan St John, from http://www.saintjohnswort.ca/. No better way to pique your interest in these interesting beers then review one. Check out my post about stuff coming up for contact details etc.
Ola Dubh 12 - Harviestoun
From a foil-wrapped neck-adorned bottle with a manufacture date of February 2010, the beer pours a nearly black brown, with beams of dark crimson if the light hits it just so. A dense 1″ tan head drops to a thick fuzzy layer, like the top of a well made espresso. Aroma is dark and fruity, with port and molasses, and also coffee and burnt sugar. There are hints of oak, but it’s very background. Taste is immediately sweet dark malts, dried fruits, leather molasses and a bit of woodiness. Finish is cocoa and coffee and burnt sugar, like some sort of dream dessert. There is a bit of whisky astringency in the finish, and a bit of musty leather, but mainly the tastes are Old Engine Oil. Not that I’m complaining. It’s a lovely drink, with some subtle whisky characteristics. No doubt, you can still drink this like a heavy beer, it’s full on the tongue with a nice sweetness that hides the 8% abv well. The finish is lingering, but not overly cloying; the whisky tastes help with that I’m sure. I probably wouldn’t drink more then one of these, possibly two around a campfire at the cottage. So nice though, big and complex; could make a beer fan out of a whisky die-hard. If there still are bottles around, it would be worth picking up a few of these, it could be the best bang for your buck in the Ola Dubh line.
Cheers! And mind you head down to the Monk’s Table tomorrow night, you won’t be disapointed.
