Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
 
Scotland, United Kingdom
Style:
English Stout
Ranked #1
ABV:
8%
Score:
95
Ranked #1,752
Avg:
4.28 | pDev: 9.81%
Reviews:
116
Ratings:
181
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 09, 2023
Added:
Jan 29, 2009
Wants:
  99
Gots:
  28
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of AzfromOz
Reviewed by AzfromOz from Australia

3.75/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Purchased at Plonk in Fyshwick in August 2023, and drunk in December of that year.

L: Having drunk the 16-year-old version last week, this beer's lineage is obvious: in the glass, it shows a solid hunk of impenetrable black beneath a thin, coffee-coloured head. However, there is a slight tinge of burgundy pervading this one, which shows that twins are rarely identical. No carbonation can be seen near the edge of the glass.

S: This one has very strong hints of dark chocolate, and as it warms strong savoury, almost vegemite notes, along with the expected barrel and whisky.

T: The dark chocolate note is more restrained in the mouth and turns to a savoury, umami note as it warms, while the barrel and whisky ramp up so the beer finishes abruptly on a wispy, ethereal whisky note. That whisky note dominates the profile, making this one of the more one-dimensionally flavoured Ola Dubhs I've encountered. Regardless, there's a pleasant alcoholic warmth in the mouth, gullet and stomach after the swallow, and eventually a tingling numbness on the tongue from the wash of the liquid.

M: Mouthfeel is very smooth, as per all the Ola Dubh variants. Carbonation is low, and carbonic prickle is low to medium-low.

O: I imagine this beer would be a scotch whisky aficionados' dream, with the whisky playing an outsized role in shaping the beer's character. I found it a little overbearing at times and that the end note overwhelmed all that had come before it.

Cheers!
#387
Dec 09, 2023
 
Rated: 4.31 by RMW66 from Australia

Sep 06, 2022
Photo of furiousss
Reviewed by furiousss from Netherlands

4.66/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottle, 330ml, 2020 release

Look: Pours black, looks a bit thin. Good layer of brown foam.

Smell: Chocolate, cacao, molasses and some vanilla maybe?

Taste: Cacao, vanilla, malty, oak and whiskey

Mouthfeel: A bit thin, but with this ABV nothing concerning

Overall: Great beer for this style. Nice barrel character.
Jan 02, 2021
Photo of connecticutpoet
Reviewed by connecticutpoet from Connecticut

4.34/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance – zero head over a clear but nearly opaque dark brown body.

Aroma – woody, sweet, molasses, brown sugar, whiskey more prominent than many others in the series.

Taste – woody, light molasses, not as sweet as other versions. Light whiskey in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – smooth and slightly oily but in a good way.

Overall – a fitting end to the “year” series, outstanding beer.
Jan 20, 2018
 
Rated: 5 by OzmanBey from Massachusetts

Oct 23, 2017
 
Rated: 4.61 by StormAles from Canada (ON)

Jul 11, 2017
Photo of Stinkypuss
Reviewed by Stinkypuss from Pennsylvania

3.86/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Pours a very dark oily brown and nearly flat. Not too much sediment just dark cloudy brew. Aroma of scotch, oxidized malt, cocoa, smoke, vanilla and oak.

Taste is lightly peaty with other notes of cocoa, vanilla like oak, whiskey and dark soy. The influence of scotch barrel is still there but the beer is flat and a bit watery. The mouthfeel has lingering cocoa and oaky tannins but the lack of carbonation hurts it. A bit disappointing.
Dec 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Hohnbaum from Kansas

Apr 02, 2016
Photo of Johnct
Reviewed by Johnct from New York

3.99/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Bought a bottle at Julian's in Providence RI. $30 for an 11.2oz bottle. Surprised to see '2009' on the bottle; 7-years old.

Opened it up, and what the fuck is that smell? It kinda did smell like "ola dubh" - black engine oil - at first. I guess the best way to describe the smell is if you took scottish whiskey and mixed it with water and dirt, then let it sit for 7 years. Not particularly pleasant at first, but extremely different and complex. It grew on me.

As for the look, you can assume. 99% flat, no carbonation. Pitch black. Ola dubh. That's about it.

The taste was just as weird as the smell. It didn't taste like whiskey with water, it tasted like...... whiskey flavored water? I don't know. It didn't taste like an old ale. It didn't taste like a barleywine. It didn't taste like a stout. One of the more different beers I've had. Personally, at first I didn't find it too pleasant. Once again, it grew on me. The ABV isn't all that high, so it wasn't as complex as I would like it. Still insanely different. Really hard to describe.

Overall, I don't know. I don't know what it is, what they were trying to do, what it's supposed to be, what to compare it to... I just don't know. I gave it it's rating based on how different and unique it is.
Mar 24, 2016
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4.32/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
330 ml bottle into snifter; bottle #26077, bottled in 8/2010. Pours fairly pitch black color with a small dense tan head with good retention, that reduces to a thin lace cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings around the glass, with some light streaming carbonation. Aromas of big milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, toffee, molasses, dark bread, vanilla, oak, raisin, plum, fig, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, and oak/peat earthiness. Incredible complexity and balance of dark/bready malt and whiskey cask notes; with good strength. Taste of big milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, toast, toffee, dark bread, molasses, vanilla, oak, raisin, plum, fig, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, and roast/peat earthiness. Slight roast/oak bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of milk chocolate, cocoa, coffee, dark bread, vanilla, toffee, oak, dark fruit, peat smoke, leather, tobacco, and oak/peat earthiness on the finish for a while. Incredible complexity and balance of dark/bready malt and whiskey cask flavors; with a great roasted bitterness/sweetness balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a very smooth, creamy, and lightly bready mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with zero warming present after the finish. Overall this is an outstanding old ale! All around awesome complexity and balance of dark/bready malts and whiskey cask flavors; and very smooth to sip on for the ABV. A highly enjoyable offering.
Dec 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by olradetbalder from Sweden

Dec 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.52 by enelson from Illinois

Nov 25, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by spycow from Illinois

Nov 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by GeorgiaBeerGuy from Georgia

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by memphischas from Tennessee

Oct 05, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hellpop65 from Kansas

Oct 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.41 by WTKeene from New Mexico

Sep 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by davidwhatshisnam from New York

May 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by heytomcat from Minnesota

Feb 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by brother_kenneth from Virginia

Jan 19, 2014
Ola Dubh Special Reserve 40 from Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Beer rating: 95 out of 100 with 181 ratings