New Holland Dragons Milk

Brewed by New Holland Brewing Company
Style: Stout
Holland, Michigan USA

I have no idea how this is different from the oak aged Dragons Milk since this is oak aged. Anyway, 12oz bottle, high gravity series, 19°P & 8.5%ABV. Served in my New Holand flared pint glass. Indra was right, this is some tasty stuff. I forget how the nose started out, but it is now like a rum cake/banana bread with some cinnamon on top, maybe a bit of chocolate. There is some hot alcohol at the end, but just enough to let you know it is a big beer. Thick, viscous body with a clean, albiet somewhat "hot" finish. Every big as thick as a big Impy stout. The barrel cleans up the huge mess of sweetness and the sweetness, in turn, keeps the oak barrel from taking over. This really is a nice beer. I hope that I don’t revisit it and find it a lesser beer once the effects of tonights intoxicants, a great meal, a fair amount of red wine and some hoppy beers, wear off. Good shit.

12oz bottle pours a deep dark brown bordering on black and lets a good bit of light through reddish edges. The initial creamy thin head dissipates to almost nothing after a few minutes and completely disappears after five. Nice charred oak and warm vanilla fills the nose and pushes up the anticipation. Medium-bodied, creamy texture of a milk stout, initially very oaky, then a sharp blast of vanill that fades into alcohol and light chocolate with a bitter, peppery aftertaste. The carbonation is apparent, but soft and not intrusive. As others have said, this is a nice brew, but didn’t quite live up to the anticipation of an oak-aged milk stout.

A very good looking beer, purchased from Vintage Estate in Boardman, though we do get it here, it was a hell of a lot cheaper there. Pours a thin looking but very dark red, may look black without light. the head is frothy and resilient, an eggshell white. Scent is of wood over roasted malt, chocolate. Very stouty, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Reminds me of a maltier Old Viscosity. Vanilla makes an appearance. Taste actually reminds me of Old Vis as well. Can’t say thats a bad thing. Vanilla, wood, smoke, tobacco, roasty malt, chocolate. Very good brew, and goes down quite easy with a little warmth at the end. The mouth is somewhere in the middle in body, but damn the carbonation is just right. This is an excellent beer. I will be buying some more of these. .

12 ounce bottle from Friar Tuck in Savoy, IL. Pours a deep brown with a brown head that dissipates entirely. Vanilla dominates the aroma. Full bodied with soft to medium carbonation and a creamy texture. The flavor. This starts off like a milk stout, but is quickly overpowered by alcohol, pepper, oak, and vanilla. Astringent and green apple finish that approaches acrid. Not very enjoyable and very rough around the edges.

Serving: 22 oz. bottle. Appearance: Very dark brown with garnet highlights and a foamy, tan head. Aroma: Alcohol, oak, coffee, chocolate, and a little bourbon note. Taste: Good doses of oak and bourbon but they quickly leave, covered by chocolate and vanilla. More oak comes at the end. Pretty tasty! Mouthfeel: medium-low, soft carbonation with a medium-rich body and a dry mouthfeel. Overall: I would actually like a little less oak in this one. Still, a pretty decent stout! Rebuy: Probably not. I am glad I tried it and recommend giving it a go, but I am on to better brews.

Eagan, Mn. - Cellars Wines and Spirits - 22 oz bomber. Cola-like brown pour with a thin but persistent khaki colored head with sticky lacing. Sweet aroma with hints of caramel and bourbon. Flavor has some hints of chocolate, licorice, bourbon, a caramel-like finish. Oak presence is felt and done just right with this one - not overdone and sappy. Thick rich mouthfeel.

This is an odd cat that takes some time to figure out as the flavors develop across the tongue. The first thing that hits me is a sweet, sour, and alcohol sensation reminiscent of whiskey or bourbon (probably the oak barrels), followed by a complex woody conglomeration of esters, coffee, dark chocolates, dust/brut champagne, and slight alcohol. The lingering flavor is coffee and esters.

This is a pretty good milk stout. Not too sweet like some milk stouts tend to me. Dark fruit and vanilla dominate. Has a somewhat oily, thick mouthfeel. Flavor when drinking is straightforward, aftertaste is complex, but not great. Tastes a bit like condensed milk. Perhaps a bit contrived, yet tasty.