Old Engine Oil (Harviestoun)
This is not about a summer brew at all. This is about a very special, highly viscous, decadent, roasted, chocolaty, oily, lactic, and black brew. I was introduced to this black ale while I was living near Kansas City, MO. It was at a chain pub with a decent bottle list. Mr. K ordered it. When the waitress grabbed his bottle that had a touch left in it, I thought he was going to chase her down. It's that good. Waste not a drop of this nectar of the gods.
The distributor's page does not list the locations where this brew is sold. It's not something you'll find in your standard liquor shop, but I've been able to find it around in different states. A contact at Harviestoun noted, "If you ever want to find out where you can get our beers in the USA, please just drop us a line (Facebook & Twitter are where we're most active). We're only a wee operation, but I always do my level best to respond to fans looking for our brews."
In looking at their site I found that they have an "Engineer's Reserve" version...I need to find this now!
I was having a stout kind of evening in my cool basement. This thick brew was the highlight of the evening. It's a fave, and I've had it sitting for a while. One of the many special brews in my booze lair. I drank a small pour to share the rest with Mr. K. I savored every drop.
General Thoughts
Look and Smell: This brew was a super dark brown, almost black. It smelled like a dark chocolate roast and rich coffee. It had a chocolate-colored head that settled quickly. A ring of oil-slick (hop oils I assume) bubbles stayed around the top as I drank it down.
Taste: This competes with Fort Collins Brewing Company's Old Viscosity for the title of most viscous beer. It's right up there with Dark Lord in thickness. I got a coffee roast aftertaste. Very roasted. At the peak I got a bitter bakers chocolate followed by a little lacto-creaminess.
This is such a good beer. A quintessential brew. No herbs, spices, or fruits. No strong citrus, pine. or floral hops in scent and flavor. Pure bittering. A well-done beer.
From the Harviestoun site:
The distributor's page does not list the locations where this brew is sold. It's not something you'll find in your standard liquor shop, but I've been able to find it around in different states. A contact at Harviestoun noted, "If you ever want to find out where you can get our beers in the USA, please just drop us a line (Facebook & Twitter are where we're most active). We're only a wee operation, but I always do my level best to respond to fans looking for our brews."
In looking at their site I found that they have an "Engineer's Reserve" version...I need to find this now!
I was having a stout kind of evening in my cool basement. This thick brew was the highlight of the evening. It's a fave, and I've had it sitting for a while. One of the many special brews in my booze lair. I drank a small pour to share the rest with Mr. K. I savored every drop.
General ThoughtsLook and Smell: This brew was a super dark brown, almost black. It smelled like a dark chocolate roast and rich coffee. It had a chocolate-colored head that settled quickly. A ring of oil-slick (hop oils I assume) bubbles stayed around the top as I drank it down.
Taste: This competes with Fort Collins Brewing Company's Old Viscosity for the title of most viscous beer. It's right up there with Dark Lord in thickness. I got a coffee roast aftertaste. Very roasted. At the peak I got a bitter bakers chocolate followed by a little lacto-creaminess.
This is such a good beer. A quintessential brew. No herbs, spices, or fruits. No strong citrus, pine. or floral hops in scent and flavor. Pure bittering. A well-done beer.
From the Harviestoun site:
Old Engine Oil is a strong and dark, but wickedly smooth. Chocolate dominates the palate but is nicely balanced by a hoppy bitterness. Old Engine Oil is a delicious post-prandial beer with a bittersweet aftertaste.
Harviestoun's founder Ken Brooker spent much of his early life crafting wooden design prototypes for Ford. The viscous nature of this beer reminded Ken of car engine oil, so he named in in honour of his second love, the internal combustion engine.
