Ola Dubh Special Reserve 25
Harviestoun Brewery

This one pours a very dark black color, with no head or lacing.

This honestly smells like pen marker, unfortunately, with some licorice, tobacco, and chocolate.

I’ve really liked a lot of other iterations of Ola Dubh, but this really isn’t doing it for me. It’s real ashy and unfortunately ink-like, like a Sharpie, with smoke, heavy peat, and not enough roasted or chocolate character.

This is light bodied, very lightly carbonated, and honestly not all that drinkable.

This was a real disappointment, these beers are usually very, very tasty.

Can from State Line. Near black pour, thin ring of fine, brown bubbles. Roasty aroma, anise, cola. Taste is sweet, roasty, licorice, bitter. Slippery feel.

Poured into a cheesy plastic hotel glass. 2025 vintage, Pours pitch black, opaque in the glass with a thin, dark khaki head that dissipates to patches with light lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, molasses, cocoa, peaty smoke, very close to the 12, 18 and 30 I've had before. Flavor follows, with dark toasted malt, molasses, dark chocolate, moderate Scotch whisky. Malt flavor depth in this version perhaps a little lighter than I remember, but still fine. The peat from the Scotch is more noticeable in this version. Another great enjoyable aged old ale with good Scotch character from this classic brewery. Small 8 oz. can is a departure for this series.

 

If you like Scotch you may love it. Seemed well made, but not really one for me.