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Old Engine Oil
Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.


- From:
- Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
- Scotland, United Kingdom
- Style:
- English Stout
Ranked #7 - ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 92
Ranked #5,016 - Avg:
- 4.13 | pDev: 10.17%
- Reviews:
- 881
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 10, 2023
- Added:
- Sep 10, 2001
- Wants:
- 177
- Gots:
- 272
Down your tools and take a swig of this classic craft stout. Beautifully engineered with premium roasted malt for a velvety mouthfeel. It’s proper vintage stuff. All thanks to the meticulous handiwork of our master brewers.
This dark and rich stout was first created in 1999 for a well-known supermarket beer competition, which it won with resounding success. Ever since it’s been a much-loved beer by the brewery and customers alike.
Brewer’s Notes: As soon as you arrive in the car pack you know Old Engine Oil is being brewed from the aroma. The blend of malts and hops produce a balanced bitter-sweet beer with smoky notes and lingering finish.
Hops: East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, Galena
Malts: Lager Malt, Pinhead Oats, Roast Barley
This dark and rich stout was first created in 1999 for a well-known supermarket beer competition, which it won with resounding success. Ever since it’s been a much-loved beer by the brewery and customers alike.
Brewer’s Notes: As soon as you arrive in the car pack you know Old Engine Oil is being brewed from the aroma. The blend of malts and hops produce a balanced bitter-sweet beer with smoky notes and lingering finish.
Hops: East Kent Goldings, Fuggles, Galena
Malts: Lager Malt, Pinhead Oats, Roast Barley
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania
3.64/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.64/5 rDev -11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
11.2oz can into a pint glass. No freshness dating.
Black as black pour with a small tan head. Little lacing. Light coffee and chocolate aroma. On tasting, bitter roasted coffee. There is a light sweetness early on. Finish a bitter roast. Overall, a bit too fierce for this palate.
Sep 10, 2023Black as black pour with a small tan head. Little lacing. Light coffee and chocolate aroma. On tasting, bitter roasted coffee. There is a light sweetness early on. Finish a bitter roast. Overall, a bit too fierce for this palate.
Reviewed by DarkLordScott from Wisconsin
3.63/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.63/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Pours black with little carbonation and a thin head. Aroma is dark, roasted malt. Taste is much lighter than expected with a moderately dark roasted malt profile. This comes across much like a donut; some flavor but there's a hole in the middle.
Jul 21, 2023Reviewed by illusionistlynx from Maryland
3.89/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.89/5 rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Old engine oil is a great name for this beer and is truly evocative. While it's a bit too dry for my taste overall, the flavor is still quite enjoyable. I like the burnt [insert multiple nouns] notes and the finish is very clean. Serve at 50F.
Jun 17, 2023Reviewed by Jmsandberg17 from Missouri
3.72/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.72/5 rDev -9.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
330ml can pours a true inky black color with a moderate amount of very dark tan head that recedes to a ring and some islands in the center. Aroma is charred and roasted malts. Deep, rich malty flavor with a very robust burnt note. Definitely some chocolate in there as well as a heavy molasses flavor. Hops are not very noticeable, and instead the charred malt adds most of the noticeable bitterness. Thick, viscous feel with medium carbonation. Bitterness really sticks with you and lays a somewhat unpleasant aftertaste in your mouth.
Very interesting beer, pretty good, definitely lives up to the "engine oil" name. Probably will opt for other english stouts or porters in the future, but it was fun to try.
Feb 05, 2023Very interesting beer, pretty good, definitely lives up to the "engine oil" name. Probably will opt for other english stouts or porters in the future, but it was fun to try.
Reviewed by LoganFarinhas from Pennsylvania
4.28/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
C: Deep black color, Opaque. Small head with minimal lacing
S:Rich roasted malt with notes of vanilla
T: Very malty rich flavor. You can taste the roasted malt and toffee flavor
F: full bodied heavy in the mouth, creamy and smooth.
Overall: 11.2fl. oz can, poured at 39.9ºF, no canned date or best by, 6%ABV, $4.50 can. Really good beer a little over priced in my opinion but tastes amazing. Probably would it buy it again but not a beer I would drink all the time.
Jan 15, 2023S:Rich roasted malt with notes of vanilla
T: Very malty rich flavor. You can taste the roasted malt and toffee flavor
F: full bodied heavy in the mouth, creamy and smooth.
Overall: 11.2fl. oz can, poured at 39.9ºF, no canned date or best by, 6%ABV, $4.50 can. Really good beer a little over priced in my opinion but tastes amazing. Probably would it buy it again but not a beer I would drink all the time.
Reviewed by kflorence from Texas
4.28/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.28/5 rDev +3.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours a beautiful, opaque black in color with two fingers of off-white foam on top with good lasting abilities. Carbonation looks average, the smaller bubble variety, although it's a bit hard to see. Generous lacing as you drink, although it slides down and eventually disappears. Viscous-looking, as advertised.
Predominantly roasty/smoky aroma with some nuttiness and spice. Some lemony hoppiness to round it out. A bit sweeter on the nose as it warms; almost cola-like. On point.
Tastes of burnt barley and oats, cacao, a hint of nuttiness and some lovely spiced bitterness coming through towards the swallow. Actually a lot more hoppy that I would have expected, almost a bit piney. A mixture of bitterness from the hops and the burnt grains and cacao linger on the tongue after the swallow.
Full bodied with light, zesty carbonation and ample chewiness. Finishes rather dry. Not quite viscous, but quite drinkable, a perfect mouthfeel for the style.
Quite pleased with this find. Never heard of this beer or this brewery before, but was looking for something darker for the winter months. This was labeled as a porter on the can, but it does come off a bit more like an English stout, perhaps a bit heavy for a porter. Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. It's probably the best dark beer I've had in years. Cheers!
Dec 28, 2022Predominantly roasty/smoky aroma with some nuttiness and spice. Some lemony hoppiness to round it out. A bit sweeter on the nose as it warms; almost cola-like. On point.
Tastes of burnt barley and oats, cacao, a hint of nuttiness and some lovely spiced bitterness coming through towards the swallow. Actually a lot more hoppy that I would have expected, almost a bit piney. A mixture of bitterness from the hops and the burnt grains and cacao linger on the tongue after the swallow.
Full bodied with light, zesty carbonation and ample chewiness. Finishes rather dry. Not quite viscous, but quite drinkable, a perfect mouthfeel for the style.
Quite pleased with this find. Never heard of this beer or this brewery before, but was looking for something darker for the winter months. This was labeled as a porter on the can, but it does come off a bit more like an English stout, perhaps a bit heavy for a porter. Regardless, I really enjoyed this one. It's probably the best dark beer I've had in years. Cheers!
Reviewed by HarlotBronte from District of Columbia
4.16/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.16/5 rDev +0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
L: Pours a jet black with a half inch brown head that recedes to a splotching of bubbles.
S: Roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, char
T: Charred barley, coffee, cocoa. Deep and rich.
F: Medium-full bodied with good carbonation.
O: Outstanding example of the style.
Oct 19, 2022S: Roasted malt, cocoa, coffee, char
T: Charred barley, coffee, cocoa. Deep and rich.
F: Medium-full bodied with good carbonation.
O: Outstanding example of the style.
Reviewed by Iamaskier from Idaho
4.11/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.11/5 rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Nearly jet black body with a huge pillowy head. Smell is faint and sweet; cola, a hint of grassy hops, a bit nutty. Taste is upfront cola, then burnt bread and a hint of cacao, then a pronounced leather on the finish with black coffee notes. Feel is creamy and smooth. It’s damn nice to have a bitter beer that relies on malt rather than hops these days.
Sep 14, 2022Rated by BFCarr from New Jersey
3.94/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.94/5 rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasty and a bit unusual.
Sep 10, 2022Rated by naikwot
2.74/5 rDev -33.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.74/5 rDev -33.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Roasted malt, a little coffe, a little bitter. Creamy yet pretty easy-going. Not impressive yet quite enjoyable.
Aug 16, 2022Reviewed by BubbleBobble from New York
4.26/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.26/5 rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Pours near black from the can, big 3" foamy tan head that slowly dissipates, moderate lacing. Nose is baking chocolate, blackstrap molasses, Australian black licorice, loose change. Taste is roasted, bitter dark chocolate, no remaining sweetness or sugar. Finish is ultra dry and bitter with just a small touch of heat as it warms. Mouthfeel pleasantly full with very slight carbonation. Overall, an excellent, clean stout.
Jul 17, 2022Reviewed by C-Stockwell from Rhode Island
4.33/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.33/5 rDev +4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
L: solid pitch black with a slight khaki head.
S: dark roast coffee, chocolate, malt, molasses, and maple syrup
T: black coffee, chocolate, bitter, and malt
F: nice, fine carbonation
Overall, an excellent black ale.
Jun 15, 2022S: dark roast coffee, chocolate, malt, molasses, and maple syrup
T: black coffee, chocolate, bitter, and malt
F: nice, fine carbonation
Overall, an excellent black ale.
Old Engine Oil from Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Beer rating:
92 out of
100 with
1908 ratings
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