Old Engine Oil Engineer's Reserve Blackest Ale - Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.

Jamesthebrit

Michigan

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Hard to believe this is a porter not a stout. Pours black and thick with a head that is thick and creamy and brown.

S: Smells surprisingly sweet, oaky and very roasty.

T: Chocolate, oak, alcohol really comes through. I think the alcohol seems to overpower some of the other flavors here. Otherwise pretty solid.

M: Sits pretty good. Gets a little sour as the bubbles take affect. Heavy body. Some good lingering notes.

Overall a really good beer but I'm not sure it's as good as the unaged version. The alcohol seems a little unbalanced but it is still much better than the average brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2012 18:03:07 | More by Jamesthebrit

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a snifter.

4.0 A: Black color. One and a half fingers of frothy light brown head. Retention is very good given the ABV and a short ring of lacing is left.

4.0 S: Lots of sweet malt chocolate, but also a large earthy component with a touch of mineral. Caramel sweetness and supple roastiness. Well put together. Booze is hidden well.

4.5 T: Much like the nose. Sweet malt chocolate, caramel, molasses. Vanilla, supple roastiness, and mineral. Booze is well hidden again.

4.0 M: Heavier medium body. Good moderate carbonation. Light to moderate creaminess. Good here.

4.0 D: I find this to be the best of the series, beating out the regular OEO and all of the Ola Dubhs. More than solid all around.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2012 23:19:55 | More by DavoleBomb

soju6

Missouri

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a black color with a thick head that fades slowly to nice lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt and chocolate, with some coffee and dark fruit to round it out. Very inviting rich aroma.

T: taste is similar to the aroma, with roasted malt and chocolate up front there is a bit of coffee and dark fruit to round it out with a mild bitterness and a dry finish.

F: Body is quite full, smooth and creamy. very well balanced. No hint of the 9% ABV.

O: Overall a very good beer that is not overpowering. Nice choice when you want something different.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2012 21:34:05 | More by soju6

drpimento

Wisconsin

4.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured at a good temperature and with a medium size, tan, foamy head that soon settled to some swirls and a ring plus some lace. Color (with the help of a bright light) is a clear, almost opaque brown black red. Aroma is a heavenly, volatile blend of coffee, malt, cocoa, dark ripe fruit, vanilla. Flavor's like nose, has good interplay between malt sweet & bitter, carbonic tang, and hop bitter plus a bit metallic. Body is good, full and decent carbonation. Finsih is like flavor, fairly long, and the barest hint of alcohol. Very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 00:29:28 | More by drpimento

JamesS

Indiana

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Pours a wonderful thick black with wonderful thick head and great lacing throughout. Great chocolate and roasted grain aromas with a nice earthiness underneath. Excellent flavors with great thick and sweet and coffee like roasted malts and a wonderful chocolate flavor with a great slight earthy hop undertone. Extremely smooth and great going down with no discernible alcohol heat. Best... Beer... Ever.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 18:38:28 | More by JamesS

TheSupremeAJ

Pennsylvania

4.63/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served off the hand pump @ Trapp Door in Emmaus, PA into a 10oz glass.

A- Pitch black (really is "Blackest") with a very creamy thin tan head. This beer is truly barely opaque.

S- Rich, dark chocolate, molasses and raisins. Alcohol is well hidden considering the 9%ABV.

T- Home run of a porter we have here. The sweetness and bitterness is played nice. Roasted cocoa and dark malt are exemplary.

M- Perfecto off the cask. This beer is meant for casks.

O- This beer is a very good example of a cask english porter. Very flavorful, robust, and truly a treat. FYI- $9 for a 10oz pour; $4.50 on T-Fr from 4pm-6pm during Happy Hour. Happy Hour @ Trapp Door is rocks.

Serving type: cask

05-15-2012 23:12:33 | More by TheSupremeAJ

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked this up at Bier Thirty last week, I think I paid about $7ish. Poured into my slim tulip... short lasting dark brown head.. big bubble lacing is okay at best... the brew is pretty much black except for the most remote ruby highlights near the stem.

Nose shows a bit boozy light dark malt.. not nearly as "black" as I would expect..

Flavor is more dark.. but odd. Something that I associate with fermented out molasses.. background char that is sweetened a bit by dark raisin... some pronounced cocoa with warmth.. Palate dies off pretty quickly.

Body seems thinned out by EtOH.... carbonation is pretty solid but goes away quickly on my tongue..

Not sure that I would identify this as any type of "porter"... Strong ale, probably... or a damn boozy porter, I guess too.

3.5/3.5/3.5/3.5/3

Okay... glad I got a chance to try it, but I want Harvieston to bring back the Special Reserve... I would like to try that again.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 05:36:43 | More by JohnGalt1

acevenom

Louisiana

5/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Poured into a pint glass. Pours black with a two-finger length dark tan head that dissipates slowly. There is excellent head retention. Some lacing is left behind on the glass as the head dissipates. There are aromas of dark roasted malts, coffee, bitter chocolate, and molasses. There are lots of big flavors in this beer. Sweet dark roasted malts, bitter chocolate, coffee, molasses, hops, and some dark fruits can be tasted in this beer. The alcohol is very well-hidden in this one. The flavors remind me so much of a good RIS, but I have to remember this is a porter. The body is medium and this is smooth and creamy. There is just enough carbonation to make this very drinkable. It goes down very easily. Despite the fact that this is such a big beer, it still feels like a porter. Overall, this is an excellent beer. I liked it better than the regular Old Engine Oil, which is also an excellent beer. This porter is big and bold, but doesn't forget it's a porter. This is a home run.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:55:14 | More by acevenom

HamGlade10

Oklahoma

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours pitch black, nice tan head that lingers. This is a very drinkable brew. Very smooth, silky, not overly thick. Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate flavors, slight bitterness that lingers. This is a brew meant for a cask. Overall, a great beer, not overpowering, alcohol is very well hidden.

Serving type: cask

04-20-2012 18:24:01 | More by HamGlade10

Cyberkedi

Georgia

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Aroma has notes of chocolate, roast coffee and caramel. It pours a deep sable with a thick tan head. Scrumptious flavor has chocolate, quality coffee and malt notes plus hints of licorice and caramel. Lip smacking! Thick, smooth mouthfeel has a good amount of fizz and leaves a smoky, slightly sweet finish. You don’t have to be an engineer to appreciate this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 02:19:55 | More by Cyberkedi

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle purchased as part of a mixed six for $5.50.

Poured into my trusty Southampton pint glass.

Looked molasses brown from the bottleneck, looks black as night in the glass. Tight crema for head that's tan in color. Really wants to stick to the inner wall of the glass, but only does in little tangles. 4.0

Robust English porter aroma carries a rich and complex maltiness that is dark in roast and large in size. Hints of cocoa powder and dried fruits peek out at me through the nose. The ever slightest nuances of hops. Some ground coffee notes fill it out. 4.0

Fully roasted malts with a ton of grain, measuring out ample servings of peat, dark fruits, and bitter char. Coffee and chocolate flavors are darker still than in the aroma. More bitterness in the finish from an earthy English hop, but it's pretty subdued and blended with some mild sweetness from the grain bill. Detectable heat on the tail-end, as well, but balances out nicely. 4.5

Impressively smooth and velvety. Medium-full bodied with expressions of alcohol that, all in all, are decently masked. Carbonated to style and to my preference. In essence, dangerously drinkable. 4.5

I had the regular version of Old Engine Oil awhile back and really wanted to try this when I saw it hit shelves in my area. Only passed over it once before finally submitting to picking it up. Decent price. Better than decent beer. An English porter that I adore. 4.5

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2012 20:15:31 | More by thecheapies

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

4.03/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

lNice imperial porter...

Presentation:33 cl brown capped bottle. Oval label with shiny copper frame, and the faded image of old cars among the borders. Front already starts to describe the brew, and the back notes expand the ingredients, and intent. Shows a faded code on the neck and 9% Alc. by Vol. Served in a snifter.

A - Black pour with deep dark brown edges, rich creamy head, good retention, nice surface memory and lacing.

S - Nice roasted nose, very malty with chocolate and coffee notes leading to a fruity bitterness…

T - …which hold their own very well in the palate. Rich roasted notes, chocolate and coffee, and that bitter/sweet note is slightly punctuated by a touch of charred wood. Fruity, slightly sour dash in the horizon over a floral hoppy insinuation.

M - Medium/full body with medium carbonation, which punctuates nicely a very creamy and smooth ride.

O - Quite a nice rich porter.

Notes: Solid through and through, maybe nothing special but hits all the notes of the style with great dexterity. A tad too expensive with the import and all, but a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2012 17:05:29 | More by Daniellobo

CityBoy1986

Mississippi

3.88/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

11.2 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

They're not kidding about this being the "blackest;" there is only a slight lightening of colour near the edges. The nose consists of chocolate, with some roasty and smokey hints. Just a bit of booze.

When tasting, the smokiness definitely takes centre stage. Mouthfeel is thick and creamy.

Overall, it's worth a try, at least. I won't be adding it to my regular line-up as I could see myself tiring of it after a couple. However, it's a very decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 01:49:50 | More by CityBoy1986

champ103

Texas

4.4/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very glad to come across this. I am a huge fan of everything Old Engine Oil.

A: Pours an impenetrable, opaque black color. A two finger tan head rises with good retention and lace. Looks awesome.
S: Earthy and slightly slick hops up front. Quickly followed by milk chocolate, smoke, and roast.
T: Follows the nose. Light hops up front. Though a great balance of chocolate, roast, and peat/smoke. I love it.
M/D: A medium to full body. Moderate carbonation. So smooth and velvety. Like silk. Incredibly easy and enjoyable to drink.

After falling in love with everything that Harviestoun puts out, it is no surprise that I love this as well. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 01:51:10 | More by champ103

Dope

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: A black pour with a big, dense chocolate brown head. Retention is excellent. Lacing is quite heavy as well.

S: Smoked meat and roasted malt up front. Touch of chocolate.

T: A ton of hickory smoke. Bitter coffee and roasted malt along with a touch of chocolate. Smoked meat pervades in the aftertaste.

M: Fairly thick mouthfeel. Somewhat creamy.

O: A pretty decent porter but way overpowered on the smoke. I much prefer the normal old engine oil.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 05:51:13 | More by Dope

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.43/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a Guldan Draak flute. Pours a very dark red brown, appearing pitch black in the glass. Nice half finger fine light brown head slowly dissipates into a film and ring with little lacing. Pleasant aroma of roasted and dark malt, molasses with hints of chocolate and coffee. Taste is dominated by roasted malt with light dark fruit, coffee and chocolate. Finishes roasty with a moderate suggestion of smoked meat that similar to Rauchbiers, but with more of a burnt quality. Not very complex, but flavors are well integrated and very pleasant. Medium to heavy bodied with creaminess. Light on carbonation, but enough to contribute to a good mouth feel. Alcohol is well hidden. A very nice smokey porter that is a pleasure to drink and savor.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2012 04:54:47 | More by LiquidAmber

BeerNemesis

New York

4.15/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Old Engine Oil (Engineer's Reserve) | 330 ml. | 9.0% ABV | 2011

Brewer: Harviestoun Brewery Ltd.
Style: English Porter
Glass: crystal mug

Appearance:
Black as, well, engine oil, with an enticing cocoa head.

Aroma:
Roasty and chocolatey

Taste:
Deep roasted, almost burnt, malts hit you up front. A wave of warming alcohol soon follows. Grassy and spicy hops make an appearance towards the finish and into the aftertaste. The bottle says Harviestoun used Fuggles, Kent GOldings, and Galena.

Mouthfeel:
Delightfully smooth, rich, and thick. Engine oil indeed!

Harmony:
This is an amped up version of Old Engine Oil--and i like it. The extra alcohol gives it a manic quality and a pure intensity. I still prefer the deep, mellow flavors of the original.

Would I get it again?:
Yeah, though Old Engine Oil is preferable.

Bottled: ?
Served: January 28, 2012

Price = $5.99 at Whole Foods NYC

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 00:25:40 | More by BeerNemesis

shand

Florida

3.95/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 11.2oz bottle into a snifter.

It's black. I'm not sure if I'd say blackest, it's not a Zhukov or a Hunahpu, but I sure can't see through it. The aroma is roasted with a huge coffee component. The taste isn't nearly as roasty, with sweet caramel flavors dominating the flavor. Dark fruits struggle though a bit on the opening, with a bit of that roast hitting the tongue in the middle, but the sweetness really rides through, on the edge of cloying. It's really quite good though, I'm just thankful it isn't in a large-format bottle. The mouthfeel feels a little bit thin at first, but it does a nice coating and drying thing at the end. The drinkability is decent. Overall, it's a pretty good beer, but I don't really think it's better than the base Old Engine Oil.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 04:27:01 | More by shand

teromous

Virginia

4.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: It appears just as the beer is described on the label; old engine oil. It's black in color, with a decent tan foamy head. It sticks somewhat to the glass, but not a lot.

S: I get some roasted scents, but it is overwhelmingly boozy.

T: I'm happy to say that it doesn't taste like strong alcohol. The beer tastes somewhat like a bourbon, but without the huge alcohol flavor. There are burnt flavors, along with chocolate, and oak. It tastes very good.

M: The beer relies heavily on bitterness and an oak body. It's a stronger side of a medium body, and has excellent mouthfeel.

O: I would drink it again and I would recommend it. It's a fine porter with a lot of body and flavor. The only negative that I found with the beer, was the strong alcohol scent. It's odd that it was hidden in the flavor (in a good way).

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 00:54:03 | More by teromous

nickfl

Florida

3.73/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours with one finger of medium brown foam on top of an opaque, black body. The head settles quickly and leaves average lace on the glass.

S - Dark, sugary notes of molasses, licorice, and smoky caramel.

T - Smoky caramel and dark brown sugar up front. Some more intense dark sugar in the middle with notes of cola and licorice. Finishes with smoke, green hops, molasses, and lingering sweet caramel.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - The aroma is full of promising rich malt character and while those characteristics come across in the flavor profile they don't have the sort of complexity I might have expected. The sugary character is cloying in the end and while there is some hop character for balance it could use a little bit of roast to help push back against the sugar.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 01:13:36 | More by nickfl

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a black color and a thick consistency. There was a small amount of foamy, tan-colored head that quickly dissipated. Good lacing.

S: An interesting smell of coffee, chocolate, and a burnt quality as well.

T: Tasted of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, light hops, and the aforementioned burnt quality. A solid flavor, very subtle and underplayed, as a lot of British beers are.

M: An average amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Medium-bodied.

O: On the whole, an enjoyable, easy to drink brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 13:33:08 | More by avalon07

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11.2 ounce bottle. Served in a pint glass, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch tan head. Head retention is decent, and there's a lot of lacing left behind on the glass. The brew smells like roasted malt, chocolate, coffee and some molasses. It tastes like roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, coffee, dark fruit and some burnt/charred malt. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and coating, and has a good amount of carbonation. I can't tell this is a 9% ABV beer at all, the alcohol is hidden very well. I think this is a good overall brew, I'd certainly buy this again in the future. Definitely worth trying!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 23:42:46 | More by bluejacket74

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark as oil pitch black with a nice thicket of mocha tan head forms fine even lacing down the sides of my glass. This is basically an imperial version of their standard Old Engine Oil, I would call it just that an Imperial Porter. Aroma is creamy with dark chocolate, sweet underlying molasses, mild fruit complexity some hints of raisin. Herbal spicy hops are evident. Flavor is big with dark chocolate, roasted malt complexity, a hint of coffee. A touch of alcohol with dark ripened fruits blended in really a very smooth big dark beer can't tell that it would be 9% abv. Mouthfeel is medium bodied mellow carbonation this beer works well, I'm glad it wasn't aged in whiskey barrels I've had enough of their beers aged in whiskey. They need to send more of their standard and seasonal lineups stateside, seems like they know how to brew a really good beer. Overall my kind of big dark beer roasted malts big flavors with almost no harsh qualities, highly enjoyable definitely grab some. Only 4.99 a bottle really worth it for the abv and flavor quality.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 20:17:39 | More by WVbeergeek