Beer: Old Engine Oil
Brewery: Harviestoun Brewery
Style: English Porter
ABV: 6.0%
Primary Consumer(s): Ally & Kerensa
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OVERALL RATING:
Sight: Pitch black, with a thin tan head.
Scent: Like that of creme brulee–sweet, vanilla, and caramelized sugar. There is a note of alcohol in the aroma as well.
Flavor: A fascinating combination of hops in the form of pine, hiding beneath roasted malts and a sweet caramel coating. We also tasted notes of citrus pith and chocolate.
Feel: Thin but creamy, with no carbonation due to it being a cask beer.
Concluding remarks: Soulful. Balanced. Delicious. Drinking the Old Engine Oil Porter is like walking through the forests of Scotland (Harviestoun’s homeland) while eating a caramel-dipped dark chocolate-covered orange and finishing the night with a bottle of red wine. In other words, the best day (and night) ever.
CASK CAVEAT: The only reason we didn’t give this Porter a full 5 Pint Glasses is that we tried it from a cask; we eagerly await an opportunity to try the Old Engine Oil in another form, with perhaps a bit more carbonation.
PORTER CAVEAT: Have you picked up on the fact that you just read a Porter review during Stout month? No, we didn’t get confused, but the Blind Tiger did: they had the Old Engine Oil listed on their menu board as a Stout. We won’t hold it against them, though, because we are ever-so-glad we got to experience this beer, so much so that it was still worthy of a write-up (despite it being two months late).