Harviestoun Ola Dubh 12
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Tasting Notes
The aroma opens with dark chocolate, roasted barley, and a pronounced wave of whisky oak — dried fruit, vanilla, and a hint of smoke lifted from the Highland Park 12-year casks it's aged in. On the palate, flavors of espresso, dark toffee, and bittersweet cocoa dominate, underlined by a warm spirit character that's integrated rather than boozy. The body is full and coating without being syrupy. The finish is long, slightly tannic from the oak, with a lingering roast and whisky warmth that fades slowly.
About the Brewery
Harviestoun is a Scottish craft brewery based in Alva, in the Clackmannanshire region, founded in 1983. They're well regarded across the UK for their Bitter & Twisted golden ale and for Old Engine Oil, the base dark ale from which Ola Dubh is derived. Their barrel-aging program, conducted in partnership with Highland Park Distillery, is among the more serious and long-standing in British brewing, lending the brewery a reputation that extends well beyond Scotland.
Food Pairings
Aged hard cheeses like a sharp cheddar or Manchego work well because the beer's roast bitterness cuts through the fat while the oak notes find a complementary nuttiness. A bitter dark chocolate dessert — say, a flourless chocolate torte — mirrors the beer's cocoa character without competing with it. Slow-braised beef short ribs pair usefully because the meat's richness stands up to the beer's body and the whisky oak echoes any caramelized pan fond. Smoked salmon on dark rye bread bridges the beer's subtle smoke and its malt depth without overwhelming either.
Style Guide
Foreign or Export Stout is a stronger, more robust evolution of dry Irish stout, historically brewed at higher gravities so it could survive long sea voyages to tropical markets. Compared to standard dry stout, it carries more residual sweetness, a fuller body, and a notably higher ABV — typically in the 6–8% range — while retaining the defining roasted barley bitterness and dark malt character. It sits between session dry stout and the heavier Imperial Stout, sharing the roast-forward profile of the former without reaching the extreme alcohol intensity of the latter. When aged in whisky casks, as this beer is, it takes on an additional layer of oak, vanilla, and spirit character that pushes well beyond the base style.