Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve Blackest Ale

While waiting in line for TJ’s 9th Anniversary Party in Paoli, the servers brought out tasting glasses of Harviestoun Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve Blackest Ale. The beer pours a dark brown color with a thin speckled brown head. The aroma consists of chocolate, dark fruits, licorice, coffee, and vanilla. The taste is smooth and plenty sweet with lots of chocolate and toasted malts. Hints of fig, vanilla, licorice, and coffee all come out before leading to a dry alcohol finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was an excellent beer and a great way to start the day, not to mention that it was free as well.

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.