Harviestoun Old Engine Oil ABV 5% • Vol 330 ml • bottle • UK • Expensive • Flavour 7.5 Other beers from Harviestoun Other beers from UK

Another speciality thrown up by Tesco supermarket's Beer Challenge, this apparently won the Winter 2000 competition. Since it's an unusual but very pleasant beer, this fact is easy to understand; what's harder to fathom is the mindset of the marketing bods that first gave it such an unattractive name and then tried to claim that it's "derived from a traditional Celtic recipe"! Its only resemblance to old engine oil is its colour: it's dark almost to the point of ebony, with ruby highlights in the light. It's not bottle-conditioned but pours lively, with little head, giving off scents of liquorice and chocolate. The palate is full and malty, with dark burnt fruits and the promised liquorice and chocolate in abundance, with a slightly wine-gum-like quality offset by a bracing coffeish hop bitterness. The finish is dry and tangy with hints of strawberry fruit. A welcome new departure for a brewery known for their lightness of touch, it's a difficult beer to classify, with many of the flavours of a stout but the texture and drinkability of an 'old peculier'-type ale. Far too good to waste on an engine. Review submitted by: Des de Moor ADD A COMMENT TO THIS BEER

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Review updated 08 January 2001

Comments

Winner of the Winter 2000 Tesco Beer Challenge, this beer is roughly in the style of an Old Ale which surprisingly I have not seen in Tesco before. Given that this is a winter winner and now is June - strange.
Beer pours very dark, almost black with a rich creamy head which subsides to a respectable ring of tan foam. Aroma is nutty, creamy and toffeeish. Beer is immediately deep tasting and roasty, with up front bitter chocolate, hints of mocha coffee and treacle toffee are also evident, backed up by subtle hoppiness. A good malt base rewards the drinker with a silky smooth mouthfeel throughout, with carbonation held a little lower than normal to enhance this aspect. Beer is satiny smooth to the end and finishes surprisingly clean with roast malt, coffee, chocolate and a bitter smack to round it all off.
Conclusion: Wonderful rich and complex beer. Delicious, satisfying
Peter

No discernable bitterness in my bottle, otherwise as described above. Americans familiar with Michelob Classic Dark will like this beer unless they miss the bitter aftertaste of the Michelob product. It seems to have survived the trip from Scotland to Minnesota USA well. Give it a 9
Carl Christensen

Down a country road, no directions, but to 'look for the Corsendonk Sign'... next to a beaver pond. A country inn, the keeper, white haired and bearded, a seer. Framboise on tap, a wall of beer, a 300 lb. mounted carp on the wall. 'Hey , Larry, give me the best dark, rich, thick, satisfying ale', and he did, really. And then he offered me a job. I thought, whoever comes to Krumville?
Dona My Love

I loved this. My type of beer - full of interesting twists and turns and a wonderful balance between hops and malt. I also enjoyed the fact that it seems impossible to place into a simple box - is it a stout, an old ale, a mild or a brown ale? Mmmmm. Chocolate, roasted barley, coffee, apples, etc, etc. A lovely beer!
Silk Tork

After changing the filter and putting several bottles in my V8, I was rather disappointed at the rapid rate all my bearings failed an the large amount of steam produced. I can only guess that this was due to some sort of coincidental mechanical failure... I'll be using it again once the engine is rebuilt, and will report back.
'Arpen Badger

WHERE CAN I BUY IT BY THE BOX I LIVE IN KENT AND NEVER SEEM TO BE ABLE TO GET OLD ENGINE OIL HELP HELP PLEASE I LOVE IT email me andrewandrita@aol.com
andrew

Down a country road, no directions, but to "look for the Corsendonk Sign"... next to a beaver pond. A country inn, the keeper, white haired and bearded, a seer. Framboise on tap, a wall of beer, a 300 lb. mounted carp on the wall.
"Hey , Larry, give me the best dark, rich, thick, satisfying ale", and he did, really. And then he offered me a job. I thought, whoever comes to Krumville?
Dona My Love

Like Andrew, I love this beer but can't buy it in the Northampton area. Mind you, am not adverse to a trip to York for a fresh supply!! Old Peculier is a very good alternative.
Jan

im new to drinking dark beers and I realy love OEO. Its not as strong as I thought it was. I drank a Youngs Double Chocolate last night, and this is much better and less bitter. I love it!
RyanOC

Too Strong,all out assault of the senses-I would recommend this to a smoker who has dulled their sense of Taste.
Wurzal

Dare I say that this brewery's products are not as good since they moved from Dollar to Alva? Comments?
G.Smart

Very pleasing to an old American beer drinker. I dare say one of the best brews I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.
John D Campbell Ohio USA

330ml bottle. ABV is 6%. Black colour, impenetrable for light. Moderate tan head. Looks like old engine oil, smells like old engine oil too - just add dark and roast malts, oak, leather, liquorice and dark bitter chocolate. Lovely roast malts flavour, oily texture. Elements of oak, dark bitter chocolate and substantial hops, maybe some dried fruits and English liquorice too. Great roasty bitter aftertaste with elements of peaty smoke. A great beer! 8.5/10
Sigmund

I was given a bottle of this delicious brew by a friend for Christmas --- a stocking stuffer of sorts. Dog-gone-delicious, smooth, chocolatey and coffee malty experience. I'm salivating thinking about it. I'm thinking about it a day later still. Did I mention 6% ?
Nate - Sacramento, CA

Very good beer. One of my very favorite brews!
John Campbell USA

Better than Guinness!! Lovely taste, goes down a treat. Pity it only comes in that small bottle. A little expensive but what price quality.
Robin Guild (Lancashire)

Dangerously drinkable. It's on Victoria Wine's stock list, and currently available on their "3 for £4" offer. This is certainly true in Edinburgh, though for those elsewhere in the UK, it might be worth asking if they can order some. This works, incidentally, if the manager is a decent sort: worked for me with O'Hanlon's Stout, anyway!
Tomas Mac Loughlainn

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