Skip to the beginning of the images gallery

Harviestoun Ola Dubh Special Reserve 12 yr old

What is RateBeer?

X Ratebeer is a community website where craft beer enthusiasts can leave beer ratings. Each beer has a score out of 100.

Rating:

92% of 100

31 Reviews

Style

Strong Dark Ale

Country

Britain

Brewery

Harviestoun

ABV

8.0%

Bottle Size

330ml

Serving Temp

6 to 8 °C

Make Your Selection

Unit price

£4.49

+ Free delivery on orders over £50

OUT OF STOCK: Click to be Notified when this product is back in stock

Details
Brewery Info
Reviews

Details

Famed for the great but more common Bitter and Twisted and Schiehallion, we believe Harviestoun's best beers are their darker Porters and Stouts. It's either in the pure Scottish water of the Ochi hills or something in the Scottish Malts, either way we love 'em. Their icon and mascot is a "fractious mouse" which appears on each of the labels and was apparently the inspiration for the first brew. Ola Dubh (‘Black Oil’) is the unique lovechild of Harviestoun Brewery and Highland Park distillery and a development of their Engine Oil Porter, this deliciously rich, dark, 8% a.b.v. beer is the first beer to be aged in malt whisky casks from a named distillery. Retaining the gloopy appearance of used motor oil, it is deep dark brown, dense and oily. On the nose there are notes of truffle oil and cocoa as well as faint smoke and heathery peat from the whisky casks. Although lighter in body than its appearance suggests, the finish is burnt and bitter with notes of late hop characters and fruity smoky tartness. Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12 year old won United Kingdom's Best Wood Aged Beer at the World Beer Awards 2015.

Brewery Info

Harviestoun are about as Scottish as you can get - based in Clackmannanshire, they’ve been brewing small batch craft beer for over 30 years. They’re extremely innovative, and successful - rather impressively for a UK brewer, they’ve been a well-respected player on the US craft scene since 1999.

One of their most famous brews - Old Engine Oil Ola Dubh - is aged in whisky barrels and they’ve also created a special edition beer - Bitter & Twisted Zymatore - aged in gin and Pinot Noir barrels. For delicious session ales and lovely Scottish heritage, you can’t go wrong with Harviestoun.

Reviews

Write Your Own Review

Only registered users can write reviews. Please Sign in or create an account

Deep dark brown with a burgundy flush and an oily appearance, with an oatmeal tinged head.

80%

Review by Gaelic for ‘black oil’. 01/06/2019

It laps between flavours of honey, toasted malts, vanilla, red fruits and espresso beans before a long oaky finish. Great with Stilton cheese and oatcakes or fruitcake.

For matures

100%

Review by Banton 19/12/2018

Ola Dubh is to stout as coal tar is to light crude. This is a mature persons taste. The deep, rich flavour will stimulate even the most dormant taste buds. Sensibly bottled in small 330ml bottles the strength brings a warm glow instantly. Turn the central heating off before you drink this.

Does what it says on the bottle.

80%

Review by Liam 12/02/2018

Adds notes of single malt to an already excellent beer. Grab one before they're gone as it's a rather unique experience.

A match made in heaven!

80%

Review by Edward 01/02/2018

Take a classic porter and age it to perfection in whisky barrels from one of the most respected & consistent distilleries out there and you are pretty much guaranteed a winner!! This is lovely, but I can't help wondering what the same ageing techniques would do to a fuller-bodied stout...

Special

100%

Review by Phil 19/12/2017

Thick and delicious. This is for a special occasion.

Interesting

80%

Review by Rob 17/12/2017

Loads of whiskey barrell aged out there, this is the only one I've had that I've smelt & tasted the flavour. Really enjoyed, I have the 18 year old one also to look forward to.

One of the best

100%

Review by Danielle 06/12/2017

This is truly one of the bst beers out there. It has such unique taste that is csa used by the aged barrels nd it is so refreshing and dark.

If you like Whisky...

100%

Review by Slack Bathath 28/11/2017

Basically if you like dark beer and whisky then this is definitely for you. At £4.49 It's pricey but as a treat it's worth it.

Excellent

100%

Review by Beer Baron 12/08/2017

A hugely tasty, deep, dark, aged beer. A little like high-quality used engine oil. Aged in old whisky barrels - the flavour of this is very strong. Utterly fantastic - I look forward to sampling the even older (although expensive) ones.

Strong hints of Whisky

80%

Review by MrDeek 22/06/2017

I got this as park of the Beer Club.
It shocked me at how prominent the whisky flavour is, it took me a few sips to get used to it, but when I got my head around it, I really enjoyed it.

A GOOD COMBINATION

80%

Review by Ninja Terrier 13/04/2017

I was a bit unsure how the strong dark beer would blend withe the whiskey flavours, but it has worked really well and produced a very distinctive brew worthy of the Harveistoun name.

Ola Dubh, Ola Yeh

100%

Review by Snapey 27/01/2017

Rich and silky smooth, it's style says dark strong ale, it's basically a porter, cocoa, coffee and spicy flavours, slight bitterness and smokiness and milder whisky flavour than others i've had but i'm not a whisky drinker and i'm fine with that. Perfect on a cold night as it is warming on the way down, a very nice beer overall.

Damn good.

80%

Review by Sam 06/01/2017

Not in my opinion the best example of a barrel aged beer, as more breweries are starting to perfect this style, this just falls behind slightly. By all means, there is nothing wrong with it, but side by side with others of this style, it just lacks in some of the key flavours. If you haven't had any barrel aged beers before, I would recommend starting with this one.

A good combination

80%

Review by Ninja Terrier 17/12/2016

I was a bit unsure how the strong dark beer would blend withe the whiskey flavours, but it has worked really well and produced a very distinctive brew worthy of the Harveistoun name.

Whiskey

80%

Review by Tworopes 08/09/2016

A beer that would be better enjoyed on a dark cold winters evening rather than late summer when i had it! All the flavour you would expect with the addition of whiskey notes.

Interesting

100%

Review by DrinkingEnthusiast 24/06/2016

Lovely flavour, smooth and with a well weighted mouth feel

Whisky hint

100%

Review by Beerman 24/05/2016

Dense, rich and quite bitter with a hint of whisky. Very enjoyable beer

!!!!

100%

Review by Ady Gray 10/05/2016

Wow, just wow. This is a peach; dark, truffles, whiskey. Fantastic

lovely

100%

Review by David 01/05/2016

Dark strong and not very long.

Acquired taste

60%

Review by Donk 13/02/2016

I like a nice oat stout, and I like a nice whisky, but this didn't quite do it for me. I'm not sure if it was the taste of slightly burnt oats or the smell of the limited-edition champagne Marmite, but this is a really challenging beer that is something of an acquired taste.

Super-rich and dark in colour, complex taste but very smooth despite all this. Impossible to recommend unconditionally, but fascinating concept and taste, and well worth a try.

Splendid

100%

Review by Johnny 29/01/2016

Lovely whisky notes. Beautiful flavours. You must try this.

Well worth it

100%

Review by Gramercy Riff 19/11/2015

Outstanding. The whisky hint is there but very subtle and well balanced by other flavours. One of the most enjoyable beers I've tried in a long time. Expensive but not outrageously so.

special occasion beer

100%

Review by irv 08/11/2015

cos its worth it

Not cheap but worth it!

100%

Review by Scott 14/10/2015

Strong, dark, thick and rich. A delicious, whisky tinged, beer. Absolute treat for those cold autumn evenings!

Deep

80%

Review by 101proof 26/07/2015

A rich, dark, tasty drink that has a great aftertaste that lingers. Hints of toffee with a smoky finish

Fantastic

100%

Review by Beeraker 07/07/2015

This beer was part of a selection brought for me as a present, I have never tasted a dark beer so good out of a bottle. Such a rich flavour with a unique whisky hint makes you wish for more and more.

Dark and whiskey revelation

80%

Review by Markiemark 30/04/2015

What a thick and tasty beer, really different. Also strong but not sweet. Don't try if you don't like whiskey however as this is quite strong in the flavour

Outstanding black ale

100%

Review by BigBadBeer 05/04/2015

Rich, dark, chocolate and treacle, the flavours come in waves with a lovely smokey finish

Rare malt

100%

Review by Jack Swans 23/02/2015

The use of the whiskey barrels to mature the beer creates an unique beverage. It is beer, only better! Will Beerhawk invest in the top of the range?

Dark Whisky Porter

100%

Review by Ay Pee Horne 05/12/2014

Rich, dark, treacle flavours, infused with a top-end whisky. What's not to like?!? I'll be waiting for Beer Hawk to get in the other vintages, the 16, 18 and dare I hope for it... the 30 or 40 year old. Absolutely first class beer.

Fab

100%

Review by Math 31/08/2014

Husband really liked this. He was quite sad that I,d only bought him one bottle. So I,ll be back for more!