My latest Vue Weekly review appeared on stands yesterday (you can read it here). I test drive Harviestoun’s Old Engine Oil. The tasting itself was straightforward – this is a rich, thick, warming meal of a beer. I picked up complex blendings of chocolate, coffee, dark raisin, molasses, caramel and plum. The roast is light and the finish tart and sharp. The beer has a gentle acidity that introduces a new dimension.
Where things got complicated, as I discuss in the review, is what to name the beer. Harviestoun calls it a porter. I have seen others label it an old ale, including the BJCP Style Guide. Which is it?
Neither, in my opinion. It seems to straddle the two styles. I pontificate (and could be WAY off on this) that maybe it is more like a traditional 18th century porter – bigger with a touch of sour acidity that the style lacks today. Ultimately I don’t care, as the style debate is fairly academic and, as I have suggested before, styles should only serve as general road markers for us. Old Engine Oil is what it is: one satisfying sipper of a beer.
January 21, 2011 at 4:20 PM
I’m interested in trying at least one-on my income-of the Ola Dubh offerings & I suppose I ought to start from the beginning by having the Old Engine Oil. I seem to remember reading the the Ola Dubh is based on the ‘Oil’. Not sure why I’m holding off/restraing myself, I was just in Keg’n’Cork last night to get my ticket for their beer tasting next Thursday. *sigh*No I didn’t grab an Ola Dubh, I did however snap up a bottle of Beer Geek Brunch Weasel from Mikkeller..
When I initially heard about them, I considered his beers essentially a fad & resigned myself to letting the Mikkeller bandwagon pass me by. Curiosity finally got the better of me recently when I was reminded by a video review that it Is an Oatmeal Stout…with coffee! And the rarlatively rare or certainly expensive, Kopi Luwak/Civet variety. Coffee drinker that I am you’d think I’d have pounced as soon as the beer hit North America. But I’ll finally(after all my procrastination)be opening the bottle this evening.
January 22, 2011 at 3:49 PM
I thought I’d pass along a link to a Beer Geek Nation video review. The beer(a stout)reviewed is from another Scottish brewery, Brew Dog. Coincidentally enough though, the young man alludes to the Old Engine Oil, both in terms of head & an element of the aroma. I must admit, my curiosity was aroused(partially because I haven’t tried a Brew Dog beer & a stout is certainly a good starting point imho).
http://www.beergeeknation.com/?p=1984
January 24, 2011 at 11:06 PM
Hi Darrell,
Thanks for the link. To be honest I have some issues with how he reviewed The Riptide, but that could just be me being uncharitable. I can’t quite figure out his reference to Old Engine Oil. It isn’t a stout, so comparing it to Riptide is confusing.
The Old Engine is a complex beer, a quality shared by good stouts, but it lacks the roastiness and overall thickness of a stout.
Interesting video blog.
Jason