Old Engine Oil – home and away
Everyone knows that things are generally bigger in America. Food portions, cars, members of the public. For various reasons, beer is also stereotypically bolder and stronger over there – as us cultured Britons simper through our cask-conditioned 5% ‘strong bitters’, our Stateside cousins regularly power through monstrous double IPA’s and Imperial maple stouts infused with bacon, cherry and walnuts. In short, we have Masterchef, they have Man vs Food.
Harviestoun are one of Scotland’s old brewing powerhouses, having been founded back in 1984 by Ken Brooker. Although they have a range of stronger beers – such as the Ola Dubh series – their most popular UK lines are the session-tastic Bitter & Twisted and Schiehallion. Having said that, Old Engine Oil tips the scales at a healthy 6% – and has long been well-received here. For the American market, however, Harviestoun have beefed it up considerably, raising the abv to 9%.
We were kindly given a few bottles of this new beer (Old Engine Oil Engineer’s Reserve), so decided to put it up against the original to see how they compared. Both are, as expected, black as night, with the Original having a bitter, burnt coffee aroma. It always reminds me of chocolate ice-cream on the initial taste, before the ashy bitterness comes out on the finish. The alcohol is there at 6%, but really well masked.
The Engineer’s Reserve, however, has a sweeter, woodier aroma alongside the coffee and dark chocolate. It really is very inviting. Plenty of burnt, roasty malt comes out on the flavour, but there’s that rich sweetness in there as well, with yet more wood on the finish. If the Original is balanced, the Reserve is fantastic, hiding the 9% brilliantly.
Both are lovely – I could be the typical beer blogger and say my preference was for the balls-out, mightier Engineer’s Reserve. I can certainly see why it has been dispatched to the USA, beer fans there would love it. But I think, on reflection, I prefer the regular Old Engine Oil. It’s a classic, has a great story behind it (relating to Ken’s old car-based career), and although it may not have the legs of the Reserve, it’s every bit as pleasing, if not more-so.
Many thanks to Ewan at Harviestoun for the review samples
2 Comments
Richard Morrice
July 27, 2012i had the great pleasure of telling Ken Brooker, who was on holiday in Greece at the time, that he had won the Tesco Beer Challenge with this beer. He was by the pool expecting the call and clearly everyone else was too because as he shouted out that he had won a great cheer went up!
He had promised everyone a drink or two if he won and judging by the shouts of delight it was a big round for Ken to buy.
Most curiously I guessed the name that he had chosen for this brand new beer.
Happy days!
Richard
July 27, 2012I used to work with a woman who went to the London School of Economics back in the 1960’s, and remembered the day a friend of hers called Michael told her he was going to leave and start a band. Better-known as Sir Mick Jagger, it worked out well for them – and (Sir?) Ken Brooker…