Old Engine Oil
Harviestoun Brewery

 

 

 

Copenhagen 30/5 2017. 33 cl bottle from Meny. An old car on the label which seems to be in dire need of some Engine Oil.

Pours opaque dark brown with a dense light beige head. Settles as 2 cm thick layer of dense foam. Moderate lacing.


Aroma is strong. Licorice, strong bitter coffee, roasted malts and a surprisingly bitter streak.

Soft carbonation and soft, creamy palate.

Flavor is medium sweet followed by surprisingly strong bitter licorice. Aftertaste is mostly bitter.

Very fine old engine oil with a nice touch of licorice.

 

 

 

Found a bottle of this at my local liquor store and bought one its really good and I was quite a fan of the taste and smell sat there wishing i had more then one the taste kind of reminds me of Barking Squirrel but better

Transfer from RB

 

Bottle 0.33L.
Dark brown-to-black body with a large, creamy, tan head, mostly lasting with some lacing.
Moderate malty (toasted) aroma with notes of coffee, licorice, nuts and light red fruits; notes of coffee become more intense when the beer warms up a bit.
Moderate bitter and sweet flavour with a long-lasting round finish.
Full body with oily-to-creamy texture; soft carbonation.

A very thin dark brown pour, no head.
Roasted malts, chocolate,same for the flavor.
Thin, watery not much carbonation.
A disappointment, the "Reserve" is superior.

Poured from 11.2 oz bottle into a Nonic pint glass.

Look: A beautiful pour! Nearly black, with a two-inch light tan head that lingered and left plenty of lacing.

Nose: Medium dark roast, a little bittersweet chocolate, a little floral, and a little ripe stone fruit — this is very nice.

Attack: Immediate slight sweetness, then follows the nose very nicely with complexity and depth.

Finish: A perfect bitterness to balance.

Mouthfeel: Thick, adequate carbonation.

Overall: This is exactly what I would hope for were I ever fortunate enough to visit a pub in Scotland. I’m enjoying it all by itself today, but this would pair wonderfully with any Scottish meal.

 

Black color. One finger thick, beige head. Roasted malt and milk chocolate in aroma. Sweet taste with moderate, roasted bitterness. Smooth and easy to drink. Great, old-school porter.

A beautiful black ale, almost IPA-ish, yet richer and smoother. Tantalizing dark roasted malts with hints of cappuccino. Lush mouthfeel with the perfect amount of carbonation. This is a spectacular beer!

Poured from a bottle.

Dark, not like old engine oil though. Lol.

Leah really loves this one! Dark and bitter, smokey and dark chocolate. No sweetness. But Dave doesn't like his chocolate as dark as I do anyway ;)

Very bitter. Pours an almost grey black, little to no head. A wonderful balance of hop and roast character. Dry, with only a hint of chocolate sweetness, then what I think is a heavy hop bitterness on the aftertaste. Gentle carbonation.

7/27/24 - (Bottle - Home) (Chicago, IL) Bottle Notes: Purchased single 11.2 oz bottle on 7/21/24 from Woodman's in Kenosha at store temperature for $4.19 including tax, refrigerated upon returning home until opening this afternoon. Bottle stamp I.3307 15:15 which I interpret / guess to mean bottled November 3, 2023 at 3:15 PM. Black Ale brewed in small batches . 6.0% ABV, Product of Scotland. Viscous Chocolatey Roasty. Brewed and bottled by Harvisoun Brewery, Hillfoots Village, Alva, Scotland. Imported by B. United International, Inc., Redding Connecticut.

Harviestoun's original master brewer Ken Brooker spent much of his early life crafting wooden prototypes for the Ford Motor Company. This black, viscous ale reminded Ken of thick, gloopy car engine oil, so he named it in honor of his second love, the internal combustion engine. Its thick chocolatey flavor leaves a roasty, bittersweet aftertaste to savor.

Appearance: Poured the first ten ounces into a shaker pint glass, aggressive bubbly tan head forced a top off pour. Thin generous lacing in retreat and creamy rich cover over the dark copper base. Looks very good. 4.25

Aroma: Full at bottle open, strong roasted malt, caramel, milk chocolate. Drawing me in, but the strength and malt somewhat intimidating. 4.5

Taste: Tastes consistent with the aroma. Very strong roast malt and caramel sweetness, brown sugar follows. But roast malt front center and all around. Powerful. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Faint gentle carbonation adds slight depth to a medium creamy beer which feels thicker than what it looked like pouring. Drinks at then above ABV, malt sweetness overall though the roast attempts to add balance. Caramel roast malt chocolate finish. 4.0

Overall: Malt forward beer styles can be hit or miss, but this is a clear hit for me. This beer pulls no punches, and while this could be an occasional selection on my end, based on my hop forward beer preferences, I'm glad I finally took the time to enjoy this classic offering and God willing I will return for more down the road, preferably on a cool Fall day. 4.25