TASTING NOTES: Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year

I believe its time for a special brew, on this occasion its Harviestoun's Ola Dubh. What they have essentially done is bumped up Old Engine Oil, then aged the brew in Highland Park whiskey casks of varying ages. Available are, 12, 16, 18, 30 and 40 year cask aged beers. The latter being harder to come by and featuring a heftier price tag. I opted for the 18, somewhere in the middle of the range and not much more expensive than the 12, £3.99 for the beautifully presented 330ml bottle.

In regards to the brewery I don't think I've had close to a bad release from them. Their beers, fresh on cask are some of the most sessionable and flavourful ales available. Notable releases would be Bitter and Twisted, and Schiehallion (a superbly fresh hoppy cask lager)

This was served just under room temperature in an Innis and Gunn glass, 330ml bottle.

Pours with a rich, deep, crude oil body. Fluffy tan head with great retention, some patchy lacing up and down the glass

The nose on this brew is huge. Unctuous rich, smokey, peaty malt backed up by some ester sweetness. A touch of acetone and slightly musty malt. An almost rich meat stock aroma, think bisto.... in a good way. A hint of savoury on the nose doesn't detract from it. It works

Taste, a little disappointing to put it bluntly. The body is quite thin, far thinner than the pour would lead one to believe. Spicy, malty roasted malt. Creamy caramel malt and a touch of acidic bitterness on the finish.

I really wanted this to blow me away but it hasn't. Huge aroma but let down but a thin body and not enough balls and flavour. Worth a visit perhaps but warrant the £4 price tag it does not. Alot of work has gone into making this but I'm just not convinced its paid off.