New Holland Dragons Milk

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

The aroma was chocolate and an espresso roast with a fruity nature and an earthy/oaky presence. Vanilla undercurrents and raisins and other dark fruits team with alcohol for an estery and phenolic character. Caramel and a bit of sweetness also are present. The beer poured into the glass crystal clear black with a ruby highlight. The head was miniature off-white and barely there. The flavor was malty with a moderately strong presence of vanilla and bourbon coupled to oak. The flavor was nutty, toasty, biscuity and fruity. Bourbon was well done and none overpowering, but balanced the chocolate and espresso coffee presence very well. Caramel and vanilla were also along for the ride. The finish was just dry with lasting bourbon light and pleasantly into the aftertaste. The body was medium-full and with hardly any carbonation at all the beer had no creaminess on the palate. A darn nice beer, smooth and well achieved chocolate and bourbon/oak work in concert to create a very enjoyable brew. 24 ounce bottle.

Bomber. Poured a clear, deep chestnut brown with a fizzy cap of beige head. Aroma began with an intriguing blend of soft bourbon and freshly-toasted oak... warm semi-sweet chocolate waves follow leaving offshoots of vanilla.. really enjoyed it. The flavor began with tingly bourbon and bitter herbal notes.. transitioning to grainy chocolate and vanilla on the sweet middle... warm bourbon, chocolate, vanilla, and oak round out the finish... tasty, but had a couple moments of artificial vanilla and some sharper points that detracted from the flow. Medium-bodied with a decent flow. This was some good stuff!

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!

Bottle (650ml). Poured almost opaque deep chestnut, average creamy tan head. Lovely rich deep roast chocolate/caramel malt, yeasty and woody, soft hints of vanilla. Taste is initially a little metallic, which quickly resolves to a little sharp alcohol burn, then the sweet bourbon character rides with the chocolate malt to the forefront - lovely, smooth, rich and strong, this is good stuff! Decently thick body, creamy mouthfeel, the alcohol behaves itself in the finish, - this is a great malty medium-big beer and I’ll look for it again, the only knock is there’s that hint of metal in the taste.

Poured from a bomber. Thick dark brown and cloudy. A thin ring of head remains.. Intense aromas of caramel, molasses, vanilla, bourbon, coffee. Very smooth flavor and the alcohol seems to be well hidden. I will let this warm up to see if the flavor intensifies. Not quite as complex as an imperial stout, but still a good sipper.

bottle. Pours an extremely dark plum with a tan head. Swirling the snifter leaves a film which takes several minutes to recede. The aroma is very vinous. It’s strong of raisins, cinnamon, a bit of oak, predominantely a semi-sweet wine aroma. This is very interesting. It has a remarkable likeness to red wine but mixed with some more beery notes like chocolate and fresh barley. The finish is semi dry. I personally haven’t tasted anything like this before. I could certainly imagine drinking this winter warmer in colder weather than the intense 90+ degrees TN summer.

bottled. Pours a very dark brown w/ copper accents yet really looks stout-ish. Nose is weak but of sweet malt. First few sips are really complex but this soon breaks down to sweet malts w/ vanilla & alcohol profile. Almost has a milk stout quality, & very hard to believe this was barrel aged, but wow! Very smooth; plain & simple.

750 ml. bottle. Deep, almost balck, ruby pour that produces a creamy tan head that develops qucikly and subsides almost as fast. Unmistakable oak aroma up front, but given adequate support by burnt caramel, vanilla, and even a twinge of pepper. Smooth lightly carbonated mouthfeel that yields a ;asting richness - very nice. Brown sugar sweetness is quite dominant, some light spicy bitterness come in for balance.