Harviestoun is a Scottish brewery, located at the foot of the Ochil Hills in Alva. Their beers have won various awards over the years, and four from our selection feature in a book called 1001 Beers to Try Before You Die.
We started with the lager, moving on to the golden ale, then the pale ale followed by the amber ale. We finished with both stouts side by side. Ola Dubh is a barrel-aged version of Old Engine Oil, so we wanted to see how they compared.
Brewer’s website: Harviestoun Brewery Craft Beer Scotland
The beers
Schiehallion: Craft Lager 4.8%
This is a lovely lager, with sweet aromas and a grapefruit bitterness on the finish.
Brewer’s note: When you name your beer after a mountain like Schiehallion (She-hal-ion) your beer better be breath-taking too. Ours has an elegant head, fresh crispness and a lingering grapefruit finish. All thanks to a lot of uphill work from our master brewers.
Bitter & Twisted: Golden Ale 4.2%
This golden ale had a citrus aroma and light carbonation with hints of lemon in the flavour.
Brewer’s note: Saint and sinner in one bottle. Crystal malt for sweetness, aromatic fruit from the hops and oats to give the brew somebody. Not to mention a naughty, tingling lemon finish. All thanks to the devilish imagination of our master brewers. The mixture of malts in the mash tun gives off a great aroma, and the smell that escapes from the copper when the initial bittering hops are added is fantastic. Bitter & Twisted is a well-rounded beer and one that can be enjoyed on its own or with food. Great for any occasion.
The Ridge: Pale Ale 5%
This one was a little more bitter, with grapefruit notes and lots of hoppiness.
Brewer’s note:
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is where two titans collide, the mighty America and the even mightier Scotland. This beer combines ingredients from both countries to create an earth-shattering combination. All thanks to the seismic talents of our master brewers.The brew team use English bittering hops, and American aroma hops to create an intensely hopped yet refined pale ale. The grassy aromas from the Apollo hop create a clean and spicy finish. There are undertones of resinous pine combined with a pleasant malty background.
Haggis Hunter: Amber Ale 4.3%
This was our favourite of the four lighter beers with delicious toffee flavours.
Brewer’s note: Haggis Hunter is a hoppy, amber ale, brewed using pale and crystal malt. The biscuit base compliments it’s citrus and floral aromas and spicy, grassy undertones. All thanks to the tenacity of our master brewers.
Old Engine Oil: Craft Stout 6%
We tried this alongside the Ola Dubh. They were both such good stouts that it was hard to pick a favourite, but they were the best of the night. The Old Engine Oil had lovely chocolate and coffee aromas and a creamy flavour.
Brewer’s note: Down your tools and take a swig of this classic craft stout. It is beautifully engineered with premium roasted malt for a velvety mouthfeel. It’s proper vintage stuff. All thanks to the meticulous handiwork of our master brewers. This dark and rich stout was first created in 1999 for a well-known supermarket beer competition, which it won with resounding success. Ever since, it’s been a much-loved beer by the brewery and customers alike. As soon as you arrive in the car park, you know Old Engine Oil is being brewed from the aroma. The blend of malts and hops produces a balanced bitter-sweet beer with smoky notes and a lingering finish.
Ola Dubh 18 Year: Barrel-Aged Stout 8%
Ola Dubh uses Old Engine Oil as the base beer and is then left in whiskey barrels for at least six months. We tried the 18 which is aged in barrels used for the 18-year-old whiskey. You can also get 12, 14 and 16. The aroma of the Ola Dubh was amazing – I could spend all day smelling it. The whiskey notes really came through on the aroma without being overpowering. The flavour was more complex than the Old Engine Oil and definitely had more booziness. But both were excellent beers.
Brewer’s note: Ola Dubh, meaning ‘Black Oil’ in Gaelic, is craftily created by taking our Old Engine Oil and maturing it in 18 year old Highland Park whisky casks. The process is far from simple, but the result is a beautiful brew with complimentary whisky notes and a chocolate, roasty and bittersweet aftertaste. All thanks to the labour of love of our master brewers. Ola Dubh is a labour of love. Everything about it is extreme. The brew team fill the mash tuns to the brim with roast barley, pinhead oats and malted barley. It ferments more slowly as the the yeast struggles to move around in such a viscous beer! The base beer is Old Engine Oil which they then put into Highland Park Whisky casks and it stays there for at least 6 months. During this time the flavours from the wood enter the beer to produce Ola Dubh. It is ready only when our Master Brewer, Stuart, deems it ready!
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