New Holland Dragons Milk

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

Thanks to Kevin for sharing this treat. Pours a brown body, some red highlights. Smells and looks like a stout, not a strong ale. Aromas of cocoa, wood, malt, nuts. Flavor is dominated by the oak notes, with some nice roastiness as well. Really tastes like a sweet stout due to the finish, with is slightly dry and medium in length. A surprise for me, my favorite of the tasting session.

Short review because of short notes: Bomber into pint glass. A very rich thick brew, vanilla and milk chocolate mostly. Rich and creamy. If you like sweet stouts (or you liked Rogue chocolate stout) you will probably live this. It was almost too much though for me. I didn’t really want an entire bomber of it, maybe just a 12 ounce or a pint.

pours a nice chocolate color with an alcohol nose. flavor is roasted sweetness with some hops in there as well. palate is nice.

Very dark brown pour with a small, foamy, tan head. Strong aroma of oak and caramel malts with a slight sour note, some dark fruit and a bit of breadines. Strong initial oak flavor, roasted caramel malt, and dark fruit. There’s a bit of sour character that must come from some spontaneous fermentation in the barrels. Wonderfully complex flavor. There’s so many different flavors popping out at different times. Velvety smooth, full body. Truly one of my favorites. A great beer to sip on a cold winter day.

2nd August 2008. Very dark brown - black beer. Soft silky palate, low carbonation. Creamy malt with a rich fruity undertone. Pleasant oak and vanilla and minerals on the finish. Not too dry like so many barrel aged beers. Smooth and complex.

Thick black pour with a medium tan head. the aroma is very nice and inviting. Smells thick, sweet, and creamy. Quite a different character. Very full feel as it coats the mouth with a milky smooth sensation. Vanilla icing and a sweet milky flavor. Some oak character rounds out a nice beer. 2004 aged bottle sampled in Nov 2005 It’s a different beer after a year. Tangy and sour. A slightly discernable roasted malt is noticable underneath a fruity (cherry) sourness. Has some odd sour character that I did not expect. not sure if its from alcohol, or the aging in the oak. It’s not unplesant, just not expected. Not changing my rating, it will stick from the original sample as I think that is the best representation of what the brewer wanted the beer to be.

I haven’t drank bourbon for 30 years---but I immediately picked up the sour burbon smell and flavor. Add a black/red color and some nice roasted malt flavors and you have a winner!

Well I have to go against the grain with this review. I tried this initially as part of our weekly tastings, and decided to give it another chance. Second time around my mind is changed. The color is dark and powerful looking, with great off-brown lacing. The nose is that of very strong chocolate, vanilla, and some alcohol. The flavor is very smooth, with a nice chocolate vanilla balance to the alcohol and bourbon sharpness. The finish is fairly long lasting and exhibits a little hop character. All in all a good beer that definately improves as it warms, but I like to drink from 50 degrees down.