This particular brew can be purchased for about $8.99 for a 1 pint 6 ounce bottle. Bottled by New Holland, this beauty weighs in at a brain-mauling 10% ABV. That's right. You heard me.
History
According to their website, New Holland Brewing Company started in 1996 in Holland, Michigan. They did not begin brewing their first beer until a year later in '97. From there they would spend the next few years building up a reputation before shipping out larger amounts of beer to customers and beer festivals where prized brews such as their Mad Hatter would win gold medals. If one makes a trip out to Holland, Michigan, they can find the New Holland brewery and pub. Given the number of stellar beers that they have turned out over the years, it does indeed sound like a trip worth making.
Taste
As usual, we start off with color, scent, and mouthfeel. Well, this brew does not try to hide it's nature. When poured, it has barely any head, but the color is incredibly dark. I almost want to say that it is kind of foreboding. If I had to make this kind of similarity, I would say compare the color to a freshly poured glass of Coca-cola. Seriously. This is an ale that knows what it is doing coming right out of the gate.
While the ale gives off not too much of a scent, what scent there is has notes of dark oak and a little bit of a chocolate aroma. Again, since there is not much scent to be had, it is barely noticeable at all.
Now we hit the mouthfeel. The beer gives a great tame tingle across the tongue. By the time it moves to the back of the throat, the tingle gives way to a mellow kind of mouthfeel, leaving everything kind of smooth. WARNING: Do not let this go straight to the back of the throat. Due to the 10% ABV, you will pay for it. I know this isn't whiskey, but don't let the fact that it is a beer fool you.
Now for the actual taste. So far, this beer does a lot to not tell you who it is right away. Low color. Barely noticeable scent. Very tame mouthfeel. Where is this all going? To a very rich taste, that's where. The taste gives a very good deep chocolaty tone. The fact that it is barrel-aged with some vanilla hints makes it very deep and smooth. This is not a beer for frat boys. That would be casting pearls before swine. This beer is strong for a reason. It gives a very simple-yet-complex taste for those who don't mind their darker side.
While the ale gives off not too much of a scent, what scent there is has notes of dark oak and a little bit of a chocolate aroma. Again, since there is not much scent to be had, it is barely noticeable at all.
Now we hit the mouthfeel. The beer gives a great tame tingle across the tongue. By the time it moves to the back of the throat, the tingle gives way to a mellow kind of mouthfeel, leaving everything kind of smooth. WARNING: Do not let this go straight to the back of the throat. Due to the 10% ABV, you will pay for it. I know this isn't whiskey, but don't let the fact that it is a beer fool you.
Now for the actual taste. So far, this beer does a lot to not tell you who it is right away. Low color. Barely noticeable scent. Very tame mouthfeel. Where is this all going? To a very rich taste, that's where. The taste gives a very good deep chocolaty tone. The fact that it is barrel-aged with some vanilla hints makes it very deep and smooth. This is not a beer for frat boys. That would be casting pearls before swine. This beer is strong for a reason. It gives a very simple-yet-complex taste for those who don't mind their darker side.
Food
Well, the Dragon's Milk brew is something else. I can't really pair it up with a food. The label on the rather imposing bottle lists "red meat, smoked food, balsamic, rich cheese, and dark chocolate" as appropriate pairings. I decided to go with the dark chocolate. However, when I tried both, something seemed to be missing. I decided the fire up the hookah I had around the house, used some mint hookah tobacco, and began enjoying all three items. Let me tell you something about perfection because this is it. It was one of those rare pairings where everything somehow managed to complement each other perfectly. The chocolate brought out the richer tones in the ale and the hookah gave a nice sweeter underlying note to the beer and chocolate.
Music
Well, as a bit of backstory, this was the beer that inspired me to create Song and Drink. When I had this at a restaurant outside of Chicago, my mind immediately played "Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple. With the low strong notes that maintain a presence despite their simplicity, it only made sense to enjoy the Dragon's Milk Brew with this song. (And yes, it did go well with the hookah smoke.)
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (Offsite)
To sum things up, this beer is for those who know what they are doing. Rich and simple notes play out on the tongue, but the initial presentation had left a little more to be desired. But I can't fault them much for that, since this beer did nothing short of amaze beyond that. This heavy brew clocks in at a well-respected 9.0 out of a possible 10.
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple (Offsite)
To sum things up, this beer is for those who know what they are doing. Rich and simple notes play out on the tongue, but the initial presentation had left a little more to be desired. But I can't fault them much for that, since this beer did nothing short of amaze beyond that. This heavy brew clocks in at a well-respected 9.0 out of a possible 10.
Until next time, make sure that the only flat notes are in your music, and not your beer.
All images are copyright of their respective owners. Sources Cited: www.Newhollandbrew.com
All images are copyright of their respective owners. Sources Cited: www.Newhollandbrew.com
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