Harviestoun Brewing Company
Alva Industrial Estate, Alva, Clackmannanshire
Phone: (0) 1259 769100
Website: www.harviestoun-brewery.co.uk
Harviestoun Brewery was started in 1984 by Ken Brooker, a former employee
of Ford Motor Company for over 20 years, and Eric Harris on a farm just
outside Dollar in the midst of beautiful Dollar Glen in Central
Scotland. Ken and Eric pieced together a
brewing setup and installed it in a 200 year old building on the farm.
Former Vaux brewer Stewart Cail later joined the team and is still the head
brewer.
About 5 years after brewing started, a new 10-barrel brew plant was installed that was acquired from Devanha Brewery in Aberdeenshire after it ceased brewing operations. After the brewery was informed that their landlord was doing surveying work for turning the property - officially named Dollarfield Barns - into houses, a new location for the brewery was sought. The new location at Alva, about five miles from the original brewery, houses a totally new purpose-built 50-barrel plant.
My wife and I visited
Harviestoun in May, 2005 and Ken Brooker was kind enough to give us a much appreciated
thorough tour of the new brewery in Alva. I am still eternally grateful to Ken for his great
hospitality. Little did I know at the time that Ken was about to retire
after having found a buyer he felt would properly carry on the business. Harviestoun is now owned by the Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh. To date,
both breweries have carried on with their respective product lines. What the
Caledonian buyout has brought is an investment in the marketing side for
Harviestoun. Harviestoun now has a fine website (something Ken never seemed
to want to be bothered with) as well as some handsome new pump clips and
bottle labels for their beers.
The Brewery uses solely UK malts and whole hops from the UK, Germany, Slovenia, the Czech Republic and the US. All beers undergo a single step infusion mash and a proprietary yeast strain is used.
Harviestoun's Bitter & Twisted (named after Ken by his wife) was CAMRA's 2003 Champion Beer of Britain bringing the prize to Scotland for the second year in a row (2002's Champion was Caledonian's Deuchar's IPA). The wonderful and unique Schiehallion cask-conditioned lager is also a long time favorite and big seller. In addition to its well established lineup, a number of seasonal and special batches are available throughout the year. Most Harviestoun beers are much more heavily hopped than traditional Scottish ales due to Ken's devotion to hop-dominated flavor. This tradition has carried on even after his departure.
Harviestoun's newest venture is a product called Ola Dubh ("Black Oil"), a tweaked version of Old Engine Oil matured in whisky casks from the Highland Park Distillery on Orkney (one my personal favorite whiskies). It is presently only produced in small batches and is only available in the United States.
Products:
- Bitter & Twisted - 3.8% ABV
- Bitter & Twisted is a world class pale bitter beer ranking with on par (some would say above par) with Deuchars IPA from Caledonian as among the finest bitter ales in the world. Beautifully balanced and highly drinkable.
- Schiehallion - 4.8% ABV
- Outstanding malty, hoppy cask lager, floral and bitter. Multi award winning cask product. This was the first cask conditioned lager in modern day Britain once again showing Ken Brooker's ingenuity.
- Old Engine Oil - 6.0% ABV
- A smooth, full-bodied, hoppy stout. Said to be brewed with an unbelievable amount of Roasted Barley, this pitch black ale is joy to drink and very unique.
- Ola Dubh - 8.0% ABV
- An Imperial Stout/Porter like beer aged in malt whisky casks from Highland Park Distillery on Orkney. A dark (like used motor oil) beer with bitter burnt notes, late hop character, and a fruity and slightly smoky finish. Brewed in small batches and available in three forms: aged in 12 Yr., 16 Yr. and 30 Yr. Highland Park casks.