New Holland Dragon's Milk - Beer Review

Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout

I had planned for a long time to review the occasional beer on this site.  Although scotch is by far my true liquor love, beer certainly has its place in my world.  I thought it might be nice to ease the transition by reviewing a bourbon barrel aged stout.

So there's still some whisky in there.

Sort of.

Since I'm up front in my scotch reviews about my bias towards more strongly flavored whiskies and my love of the peatier malts such as Laphroaig, I'll get my beer preferences out of the way.  I'm a dark beer guy, a lover of stouts and porters, although I certainly enjoy a good amber or brown ale.

I'm also not a hops lover, although I can appreciate them if they're done right.

So, with that out of the way, let's take a look at Dragon's Milk.

This was enjoyed in a glass, poured from a bottle.


Tasting Notes

Nose: Woah.  Miles of vanilla.  Creamy nose.  Toasted grains.  No hint of hops.  Something like dark chocolate but of the less bitter variety.

Palate: The heavy, heavy vanilla and toasted, malty grains lead the charge and mingle with some smokey wood.  The mouth feel is rich and thick and creamy, although it feels somewhat under carbonated.  There are some surprising notes of cherry behind the deep, earthy attack.

Finish: Long and oaky with more of the vanilla.  A flash of apricots comes in at the end.  Don't ask.  I'm not sure where it came from.


Review

Wow.  I've actually never had a beer with as much vanilla flavor poured into it.

Personally, I love a good porter and stout for their ability to mingle intense, dark flavors.  I think that might be why many scotch drinkers I know also have a penchant for the darker, heavier beers.

That said, this vanilla may have toed or even crossed the line.  It was so strong that it left me feeling as though this beer was somewhat one dimensional, and it tended to overpower the other flavors.  It also imparted a little bit more sweetness than you want in a (porter/stout) and left me without the deeper bitterness I was hoping for.

Despite this flaw, this beer has many wonderful qualities.  It has a very nice, thick, creamy mouth feel, and I enjoyed the dark, malty flavor and undertones of smoky oak.  I was also pleasantly surprised by the fruit that announced itself on both the palate and the finish.

Overall, this is a very good beer and will be not on my short list of favorite beers but somewhere on my alternatives list.



Beer Review Score: 89