Raspy Engine
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

Raspy EngineRaspy Engine
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From:
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
English Porter
ABV:
5.3%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.73 | pDev: 7.24%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
23
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 17, 2019
Added:
Jul 21, 2016
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
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Rated: 3.67 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Nov 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.78 by andrenaline from Canada (ON)

Feb 11, 2018
Photo of thehyperduck
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)

3.74/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
330 mL bottle from the LCBO; best before Feb 2019 and served slightly chilled. This bottle was sitting in my cellar for pretty close to five months.

Pours opaque cola brown with burgundy highlights, topped off with one cm of frothy tan head that wilts within the next five minutes. A foamy collar and thin, soapy cap are retained, along with a modest smattering of lace. Fairly subdued aroma; there's light hints of cocoa powder, coffee and molasses, with notes of dark chocolate and of course the titular raspberries - although they don't come off as particularly aromatic. Suggestions of herbal, earthy hops and roasted malt.

The raspberry has some interplay with the underlying porter flavours, but again - the berries are playing a relatively minor role here. Instead, it's the roasted malts, with their flavours of coffee and dark chocolate that seem to carry the profile along. Molasses sweetness and raspberry juice can also be discerned. The back end features some restrained bitterness, with hints of earthy hops, burnt malt and raspberry seed astringency. Nearing medium-bodied, with lively enough carbonation to give the palate a tickle, but not enough to overcome the brew's slick, smooth texture. I don't know if I'd call it sessionable, but finishing one bottle is an effortless task.

Final Grade: 3.74, a B grade. Harviestoun's Raspy Engine made for an enjoyable quaff, and I'd say it's worth a spin if it pops up in your neck of the woods. The contributions from the raspberry are a bit understated, but other than that, this is a pretty tasty porter that supplies all the usual, yummy dark malt goodness that I've come to expect from the English style. I don't think I'd run out to buy more, but if I bump into it in the future? I may indulge myself again.
Nov 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by Brewxer from Canada (ON)

Oct 01, 2017
Photo of polloenfuego
Reviewed by polloenfuego from Canada (NB)

3.54/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep brown almost black with a thin head. Spotty lacing upon break. The smell is mild raspberry, dark malts, and some chocolate. All are mild and it takes quite a bit to get them. The taste is again mild raspberry, roasty malts and a hint of chocolate. It takes a while for any of these flavors to define though. The feel is thin, good carbonation and a dryish finish.

This a bit of a letdown. It's not bad, but the flavors don't define well enough to give it any oomph.
Sep 14, 2017
Photo of ludachris
Reviewed by ludachris from Canada (ON)

3.74/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Chestnut brown with ruby highlights. Close to opaque. A finger's worth of loose tan head falls quickly to the sides of the glass.

The raspberry is immediately apparent and is presented as more dessert-like than field fresh. Slightly syrupy with soft roast and dark chocolate accompanying it. A tad toasty with a dash of caramel. I get hints of dry cinnamon as well. It's delicate and round with the raspberry character most prominent.

Fresh raspberries and raspberry syrup with a well rounded sweetness are at its core. Soft chocolate and caramel accompany it to the finish. The fruity sweetness pulls forward and is met with a clean, dry, subtle roast. A bit of toastiness and a bit of caramel linger in the background.

Medium bodied with a low-moderate level of carbonation. This adds a bit of slickness and accentuates its sweet qualities.

The raspberries took the main stage with all of the classic Porter qualities encompassing it. All in all, it's rounded and nuanced with a good sense of balance.
Sep 03, 2017
Photo of ChrisCage
Reviewed by ChrisCage from Canada (AB)

3.87/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
A- This one pours with fizzy caramel creme colored head, that has a bit of retention, but eventually settles down to a thin film over the brew itself! The tones of the beer are opaque cola with black coffee tinges around the ring when held against the light. Lacing is alright with small clumps of foam trying to cling to the side of the glass, and Im betting there is a lot of fine carbonation throughout upon a small swirl. Stout looking for sure!

S- Very nice dark chocolate malt bitterness, subtle raspberry in the background, coffee and/or mocha notes....it reminds me of a dark chocolate covered cherry really on the nostrils. There are perhaps notes of bread yeast, Earth and the finish is of dry unmalted grains. Nice I'd say....

T- I get a whole lot of dark chocolate, black coffee, and creamy yeast right upfront, and after the swallow, I do detect fresh, sweet & tart raspberry goodness....just like it's picked off the bush and thrown in! I'm also getting a heavy roast malt char that bitters up the entire taste and the finish is somewhat dry, yet with modest fruit sweetness that lingers ever so well on the palate. A nice easy flavor profile....

M/O- The mouthfeel is actually quite light for the style and there is probably a heavier portion of carbonation that starts aggressive and finishes velvety on the palate. I find the drinkability factor high on this one and think the alcohol is very well hidden....I would buy this one again and think for the dead of summer during a heatwave, it is actually quite refreshing, which I wasn't really expecting! Overall a nice experimental brew and props are given!
Jul 31, 2017
Photo of jazzyjeff13
Reviewed by jazzyjeff13 from England

3.5/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A 330ml bottle with a BB of May 2017, so it's a little out of date. I can't remember where I got this - probably a supermarket. A variant on their Old Engine Oil with whole raspberries added for a fruity twist.

A: Poured into a tulip. A very deep reddish-brown hue that appears virtually black in the glass. Yields a decent head of creamy tan foam that lasts for a minute or two before subsiding to a patchy surface layer.

S: Aroma of dark malt with hints of roasted grain, subtle cocoa, faint molasses, raspberry overtones, ale yeast and a touch of earthiness. Decent but subdued.

T: Tastes of roasted malt with notes of burnt grain, mild coffee, a hint of molasses, subtle raspberry juice, ale yeast and faint earthiness. A restrained, malt-driven bitterness upon swallowing.

M: Mouthfeel is smooth, tingly and dry, with light carbonation and decent body. Would benefit from being a tad thicker and creamier. Aftertaste of bitter roasted malt, subtle coffee, ale yeast and a twinge of raspberry.

O: Pleasant but not outstanding. Looks alright, while the aroma and flavour showcase roasted malt character and mild raspberry notes. Body is OK. Neither the flavour nor body are as rich as might be expected - perhaps this bottle is just a bit too old. That said, it's still a well-crafted brew that is worth sampling if you have the chance.
Jul 30, 2017
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330ml bottle - their Old Engine Oil Porter infused with wild Scottish raspberries (the whole berries, they are quite clear on that). Oh, and clever punny name, I gotta say.

This beer pours a clear, very dark brown colour, with prominent orange-cola basal highlights, and two fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly tan head, which leaves some approaching thunderstorm cloud lace around the glass as it slowly but surely abates.

It smells of musty raspberries, bittersweet cocoa powder, gently roasted caramel malt, and some faint earthy and floral green hop bitters. The taste is bready and doughy caramel malt, some free-range char, thick raspberry puree, a bit of coffee-flecked chocolate pudding, a mild earthy nuttiness, and more well understated leafy, musty, and floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is quite tame in its barely-there frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and genuinely smooth, with a nice airy creaminess sneaking in once things warm up a smidge. It finishes off-dry, the fruity, malty, and cocoa flavours all glad-handing and making it look so easy.

Overall, this is a rather agreeable and enjoyable new iteration of the venerable base brew - the raspberries doing well to not interfere, but enhance the whole experience. Tasty, easy to drink, and very dessert-worthy in its complexity.
Jul 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Jul 29, 2017
 
Rated: 3.49 by TerryW from Canada (ON)

Jul 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.47 by byronic from Canada (ON)

Jul 19, 2017
 
Rated: 3.65 by Bf_89 from Canada (ON)

Jun 25, 2017
Photo of Jtee
Reviewed by Jtee from Canada (ON)

3.23/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
From a 330ml bottle served at 16 degrees Celsius into a snifter. Best before date: 02/2019.

Look: The beer pours an opaque black with 2.5cm of dense, brown head that settles into a partial film in 2+ minutes. Nothing to write home about.

Smell: Faint intensity with sweet raspberries and some roasted malts. Not complex at all. Every few sniffs I get something really funky that I can't put a finger on... sulphur?

Taste: Medium intensity and quite bitter. Notes of roasted malts, raspberries, and faint tobacco. Slightly medicinal with a low mineral character. The finish is about a medium in length and leans towards bitter.

Feel: Medium-light body with moderate carbonation. Thinner than I would have liked. Tiny bit of warmth.

Overall: I was excited to see a raspberry porter from Scotland. The raspberries are well-incorporated and add a nice layer but unfortunately this beer didn't live up to my expectations. I imagined something robust with more weight. I have another bottle that I now plan to age until the best before date just for the heck of it.
Jun 20, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by steverx8 from England

Jun 19, 2017
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.78/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
330 ml bottle served reasonably cold into a pint glass. Another LCBO purchase for $3.20 CDN.

Appearance - Dark cola brown, some clarity, modest half finger of light beige head sits on top. Short head retention not much lacing.

Smell - Raspberries, floral notes, bit mostly raspberries. Some hints of chocolate in the background. Very fruity, undeniable raspberry and very authentic smelling if that means anything. Basically, I believe the brewer when they said they added whole raspberries to the beer.

Taste - Some dark chocolate, stale coffee, some earthiness and some raspberry. Fruitiness amps up a bit a after a few sips and as the beer warms. Some mineral characteristics to the whole beer.

Mouthfeel - Smooth and slick, light-medium bodied but packs a punch flavor-wise. A drying finish.

Overall - Certainly not a bad porter, and it improves as it warms, but Raspy Engine doesn't quite blow me away flavorwise although the aromas and feel are very, very good. Worth a bottle or two while the presumably limited supply is available, but beyond that, I don't think this would make my regular rotation.
Jun 03, 2017
 
Rated: 3.43 by dcmchew from Romania

Apr 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.37 by Beer-Ed from Netherlands

Mar 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.03 by Jerseyislandbeer from Jersey

Mar 18, 2017
 
Rated: 4.07 by TwiggyCZ from Czech Republic

Jan 10, 2017
Raspy Engine from Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 23 ratings