New Holland Pilgrims Dole

Brewed by New Holland Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Holland, Michigan USA

Pours a fairly clear copper color with a quarter inch head that reduces to a ring and film. Good enough lacing, however. Mild fruity citrus aroma. Dry and tangy malt flavors - wheat is noticeably present, as is lots of cereal grain. Almost the same start to finish, with an almost lager-like character to it. In fact, it reminds me a little of Molson Brador back in the day. A little spicy hops in the finish. Tart and hoppy aftertaste. Full bodied, mild carbonation.

Pours a slightly hazy, bright copper color with a quarter inch head that fades quickly to a spotty cap and nice ring. Said ring leaves a pretty nice amount of lace behind. Smell; floral and picy upfront, with a fairly strong wheat presence in the nose. There’s a bit of a fruity presence. Taste; fruity melons and some flavors that remind me of rum raisin bread. The wheaty flavors are there, along with a nice spicy flavor as well as a lingering sweetness with an alcohol bite mixed in. Mouthfeel is very thick and slighty syrupy, but not so much that it becomes distracting. I’ve had this on tap at the brewpub before and really liked. I didn’t know how this would hold up in the bottle, but I think New Holland did a fine job with this one.

12 oz bottle purchased at Bello Vino in Ann Arbor, MI (August 2006), consumed at cellar temperature from a Corsendonk Christmas Ale glass. Black yeast-flecks are suspended in the hazy copper-brass thick body which is topped by a smallish quick-decaying head that leaves no appreciable lacing....sweet dried fruits are prominent in the nose, as is fairly harsh alcohol, caramel and dark bready malts....body is quite sweet, rather syrupy, alcohol not really noticeable until about midpalate, sugared almond-nuttiness which also evidences prominently in the aroma as it warms, hop bitterness pretty restrained though there is a drying and some harshness towards the finish....sticky, more than a little cloying, very low carbonation doesn’t help, this is mostly a morass of sugars that is made drinkable by its low alcohol presence but needs a lot more in the way of hops to dry it out and balance the thickness. Another only slightly promising failure from this brewery...

In the bottle at my 2006 Barleywine tasting. This was the 2005 vintage. Quite appropriate aroma of Dole pineapples. This beer sucks. It was a drain pour. Sour and tart. Light body. Golden yellow in color with a thin white head. This does not seem to be a barleywine at all. Yuck!

On tap at barley’s somokhouse in Columbus. - Pours copper with a fair offwhtie head that stayed pretty well and laced the glass. Aromas of caramel, citrus, grapefruit and a little pine. Palate is soft and smooth no sign of the alcohol. Pretty nice brew..

11/08/2006: Sampled from tap at Barleys Smokehouse (Ale House #2)... Hazy dark honey color with a dense ivory-colored head. Aroma is wheaty with lots of butterscotch. Flavor is mostly butterscotch, some toasted wheat, undertones of honey, and alcohol. Slightly bitter finish. Rating: 7 3 8 4 15 = 3.7.

I have a 12 oz bottle of this aging in the cellar, so I will revisit this one very soon!
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Anniversary Trip 2007

5/19/2007: New Holland Pilgrim’s Dole is amber/tea in color and clear with mild carbonation. It is very similar in appearance to the New Holland Existential. The aroma has coconut, sweet bourbon, and caramel. The flavor also has some sweet bourbon as well as vanilla, caramel, and dates. It is dry and woody with some strong, warming alcohol notes. Medium-ful body, smooth and slightly syrupy. This is the new version of the Pilgrim’s Dole that has been barrel-aged (even though the bottle doesn’t say it) before being bottled. It is MUCH smoother and not as hot as the old version. I really like the new Pilgrim’s Dole! Rating 8 3 8 4 15 = 3.8.

Draught sample at New Holland Brewing Company’s restaurant and pub in downtown New Holland, Michigan.

GABF 2006. Orange-amber body. Nose is caramel, some spice, juicy hops, and unripened fruits. Taste is more caramel, spices, sweet malts, light honey, hops, some candied fruits and light alcohol. Sort of a chewy body, some slickness and a bit of warmth after multiple samples. Ends with more fruit notes, hops, light toffee, creamy malts and spice.

Very smooth. Has a lot of complex flavors. Aged cheese, caramel some mild fruitiness, spices, mild hops and wheatiness. High alch content is well blended.