New Holland Dragons Milk

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

Dark, dark garnet, almost black, with a thin, persistent head. This beer is creamy and smooth, with notes of malt, chocolate, milk, dark fruit, vanilla, oak, bourbon, and hints of both coffee and anise. Perhaps the most aptly titled name for a beer.

12 oz bottle, 2002 version (fresh): Dark Brown, hints of burnt orange. Small lingering milky brown head. Burboun, soy sauce aroma, with copious amounts of caramel and perhaps some chocolate. Spicy, fruity, milky. Wonderful clean finish, unique and great brew. 8/4/8/5/17

12 oz bottle, 2005 version (fresh): opaque dragon’s blood – like charred black cheery juice. Creamy off-tan head, diminishing into a thin ring. Soy milk aroma with melted Baker’s chocolate, charred cedar and a hint of coconut…intensely creamy/milky palate – light bitterness and hints of wood and earth. The flavour profile doesn’t seem to be as deep as I remember, but the mouth feel is right on, perhaps a testament of the oak aging…but this one missing the fruit and sweetness of that I remember the first version. 7/4/7/5/16

Many more thanks to BBB63 for the beer. The pour gave a nice sized head on a solid black body. Aroma is very wooden, caramel, roasted malts, nutmeg, and coffee. Flavor is quite unique. The barrel aging has really calmed down whatever bite there was to this, and given it that desired wood finish. Really, there is a little carbonation then its all smoothness on the tongue. Then it starts to reveal a subtle citrus flavor, heavy chocolate and coffee sweetness and a good warming feeling. Top notch brew, quite a unique offering.

Dark brown black with tan head. Earthy musty aroma vanilla cola aroma.. nice dry bitters on back of tongue and the back of mostirils light coffee roastedness mute acidicness from the barrel aging...

Figured I would take a page out of my dad’s playbook and rate a Michigan beer for the #300. Dark dark brown with a lage firm and fluffy tan head, wonderful looking. Lots of berries dominating the aroma, but chocolate, and oak wood made a good showing. Chocolate in the taste with dark dried fruits, oaky bitterness, and suprisingly no alcohol to speak of. Very tasty offering from New Holland.

At the MBG Fest had the Blackberry Dragon's Milk. Had the normal (if that's the word) Dragon's Milk back in March 2003 when visiting the brewery. My comments are based on the fest version since I have no notes other than an overall rating for the original. THE OVERALL RATING IS BASED UPON THE AVERAGE OF BOTH... Opaque as the heart of darkness, this evil little dragon, off with it head. Strange I wondered, how such a foul beast breath could be so wonderful. He must have swallowed a berry farmer and the harvest then decided the burn the forest down, hence the smoky, woody and roasted hints I smelled when venturing closer. Alas, I drew my mighty sword (and pen) and set to deposit this creature to the bowels of hell. The beast blood spilled forth and landed squarely upon my mouth, how odd, the farmer's berry patch has tainted the dragon's blood, a weakness is spotted. With quick wit and sharp cuts, the creature has fallen! Hordes of commoners rush to thank me with strange plastic cup in one hand and wooden coins in the other. A fest is declared, the main course, Dragon meat. While the meat had a pronounced slighty sticky mouthfeel, it was truly delightful. (May have been even better aged and cured with a great oak cask). Cheerio!

Woody aroma to this ale....which I must admit reminds me of a flemish ale. But I do like it. Pours a very dark brown with an off white head....lacing is very good. Gives a medium mouthfeel....kinda sour on the front. I sense some woody notes and wine on the end. It’s very unusual...but drinkable.

Bottle. This one fights description. It’s somewhat like a scotch ale, smokey and strong, yet hops are present. The oak really comes through in the nose. Good stuff, I don’t know if I would want more than one at a sitting, but I like it. It makes me want to sit in a big throne, crown all cock-eyed on my head, deciding fates of the masses.