New Holland Charkoota Rye

Brewed by New Holland Brewing Company
Style: Specialty Grain
Holland, Michigan USA

Pours a transparent dark copper mahogany with a thin, stringy-lacing white head. Aroma of rich smoky dark caramel malt and complex earthy rye with a hint of brown sugar and light fruity notes. Body starts with a good rich malty fullness and a salty smoky character throughout with nice rye balance and noble hoppy bitterness before a smooth semi-dry lingering smoky finish. A very nice roggen rauchbier.

22 oz bottle courtesy of Binnys (Orland Park, IL). Pours a very dark brownish copper, almost a mahogany with reddish fire, largely transparent, but dark enough to make it hard to see through, with a decent brownish head that dies to a small layer, laces a bit. Aromas are smoked meats and wood, a touch of rye bread, ash, caramelized malts. Simpler yet pleasant, a smoked beer for sure with underlying rye and caramel malts. Initial is lighter side of medium bodied by a bit, a bit boozy, with campfire meats, ham, smokey wood chips, ash, with caramel and rye malts falling in underneath. A light bitterness and decent booziness on the backend, bready and rye, with caramel malts, a touch of spice. The smoke isn’t as heavy as I anticipated, instead turning into a fairly malty lager with some decent smoke elements.. a little offbase for me, as I personally would prefer more smoke. Not bad.

Bottle. Deep red-brown body, thin dissipating ring of buff-colored carbonation. Smoky, meaty, leathery nose, not too strong to prevent the sweet grains from being noticed. Smoke flavors melt into sweet caramel and grain, berries, and toffee. Smoke and leather linger in the finish. A half bottle is plenty.

Bomber into glass. Straight up smells like a heavily smoked bacon and the flavor is about the same but not as overwhelming as the aroma. It’s a weird one but interesting.

Tap. Pours to a deep mahogany body with no head. The flavor is deep smoke and chocolate. Aroma has a charred corn husk and light cocoa. Strange at times. Medium body with a subtle carbonation.

Bomber shared with maniac and maltdawg. Pours a beautiful clear chestnut with almost no ring of tan head. Nose is a scottish style peaty smoke with some hammy flavors and deep mollasses, and earthy toffee notes. The rye is evident, but not overpowering, and actually the only part of this beer i don’t care for. Creamy medium mouthfeel. But overall, good brew with great label. Another nice offering from the guys at New Holland.

Bomber bottle and served in NB worthy snifter: Deep mahogany hue with a fading frothy head and minimal lace. The aroma is SMOKE, RYE, and MOLASSES BABY! It hits you right bout the head and says "lets rock" geek-a-zoid. The taste completely follows suit and in this case it is a damn good thing... smoked WOOD, smoked BACON and smoked GRAINS combined with the sweet and fruity undertones to lay layers of complex RYE forced flavors.

Completely in your face and wonderful for it. DIG IT or U R Lost in America, Welcome to My Nightmare 4 this is simply the best beer that New Holland ever did, know that. werd Mikey. I think I just may have Jizz In My Pants, truth.

On tap at Sugar maple. Brown with a thin tan head that’s gone already. Aroma of rye, roasted malt, dark malt, light chocolate and mild dark fruit. Taste of rye, dark malts, sweet toffee, citrus and light chocolate. Mild alcohol bite with a semi bitter chocolate finish and a brief appearance from our friend, the hops. Pretty good brew.