Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year Special Reserve

My buddy Matt brought over a bottle of Harviestoun Ola Dubh 18 Year Special Reserve to share with me. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of whisky, chocolate, vanilla, toasted malts, oak, and bacon. The taste is surprisingly smooth with a dark chocolate flavor up front, but that quickly gives the spotlight away to the whisky flavors. Hints of vanilla and oak shine through, and a bacon flavor comes out in the finish. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. The smoothness of this beer was more than impressive, and the hints of bacon flavor were quite the treat. I’d say that this is how a beer should be aged in whisky barrels.