New Holland Dragons Milk

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

Looks and smells the part, let me assure you. I wanted to like this - the head formation is a tad lively for an English Strong, but the color and consistency seem just right. Mmmmm, smell: oak, leather and earth and a tiny bit winey - great. Taste - wow. I really really want to like this. I do. It does have some woody, earthy elements, but this has to be the most sacharine, or otherwise artificial flavor I've had in a beer in quite some time. I really think New Holland is less than they think they are. Call me almost consistently underwhelmed - unfortunately. Please look at the discrepancy between flavor and other aspects. TAR says artificial sweetner and that's the bulk of what is here for me.

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.

Dark, opaque body with tan head. Aroma of roasted coffee. Bitter flavor. Not bad.

22oz from moejuck - thanks, Joe! I’d been looking forward to this one, having aged it for almost a year after receiving it (I think the bottle’s close to 2 years old). On a chilly night, I was in the mood for something malty, oaky, and warming. What I got was a thin, slightly hoppy, and sour-to-skunked beer with very little trace of malts or oak discernable. This isn’t just one of those dark beers with dark fruits you weren’t expecting; this is just a bit off. I’ve enjoyed some New Holland brews, so I’m not hopping on the hatewagon, but this is pretty disappointing. Rerate, 3/22/08: Bomber from Sam’s, Durham. Very little trace of sourness, and a pleasant oaked quality that compares well with Weyerbacher’s Insanity. Solid brew after all.

solid. has got some real good flavors of dark malts, lots of chocolate and coffee. slightly thin for the style but with a touch of vanilla and wood, this makes a great beer for the drinker.

Pours a dark brown with a diminishing off-white head. Smells of caramell and toffee. Very sweet with toffee aromas. Some alcohol notes. Also hints of toasted, sugared almonds. Very full bodied. Long toasted. nutty finish. Good.

Bottle @ Doug’s. Thanks to Mike. Deep brown, slight read shines through. Thin off-white head. Nose is burbon, vanilla, milk, alcohol. Flavor is burbon, chocolate, vanilla, lots of sweetnes..

Dark Coca-Cola brown with a bit of beige head. Wonderful nose of toffee and chocolate. Lots of toffee. Some dried fruit, nuts, and trail mix aromas going on. The flavor is also a wonderful blend of chocolate cover toffee bits and dates or prunes. Medium body. Silky mouthfeel. Medium carbonation. Balanced finish. This is a really wonderfull beer that should be on you want list.