Pilgrim's Dole
New Holland Brewing Company

Pilgrim's DolePilgrim's Dole
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From:
New Holland Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
Wheatwine
ABV:
12%
Score:
89
Avg:
3.99 | pDev: 11.03%
Reviews:
414
Ratings:
968
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 18, 2022
Added:
Dec 19, 2003
Wants:
  85
Gots:
  150
A barleywine-style ale made with 50% wheat malt (a wheatwine) aged in bourbon barrels.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Franziskaner:
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.48/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Dark brown in color with just a faint trace of white foam barely covering any of the top of the beer. Faint aroma of pale wheat is present. Brussels lacing. The body is somewhat thick,but is much less formidible than the Founders Sweet Repute I had just finished. The taste is dark wheat and fades very quickly. This is an easy going Wheatwine if there is such a thing.
Mar 29, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of KaBoots
Reviewed by KaBoots from Florida

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25
Bottle dates 10/30/17. Drinking 06/18/2022. All in all a pretty splendid English style Barley/
Wheat wine style. Dark brown in color, if anyone cares. Smells of very strong malt. Basically, it's super sweet and tasty.
Jun 18, 2022
 
Rated: 4 by mpk2020 from Illinois

May 03, 2022
 
Rated: 4.19 by shreead from Michigan

Feb 09, 2021
Photo of JohnG190
Reviewed by JohnG190 from New York

3.84/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Slightly hazy amber with a thin cap of tan foam. Toffee and dried fruit on the nose. Slightly sweet maltiness on the front of the palate with a bit of alcohol burn. Caramel and raisin finish, hint of barrel but no bourbon to speak of. Very balanced and well crafted. Full bodied with slight carbonation. Overall, not a style I generally gravitate toward, but tasty.
Jan 31, 2021
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

4.24/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) bottle; bottled on 10/05/18.
A: Pours a cloudy amber to brown color with less than one finger, short-lived, light tan head, barley a rim, but subtle legs. Very lively on pour, though.
S: Slightly and pleasantly pungent. Aromas of caramel/molasses, raisin, date, prune, toffee, honey, vanilla, and pepper predominate.
T: Sweet. Flavor largely follows the nose, but earthy with tobacco and leather notes late. Balanced, but with a modest peppery bitterness with the earthy notes.
M: Full bodied with solid, lively carbonation. Solid and chewy.
O: Delicious. Today is the Immaculate Conception and this is clearly designed for celebration of the days to come. Complex, fun and flavorful.
Dec 08, 2020
Photo of NCAHappyHour
Reviewed by NCAHappyHour from Kansas

4.11/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Starts off wonderfully - beautiful dark hue; good nose; and wonderful mouthfeel. So thick in your mouth and leaves a wonderful coating. Very smooth...but maybe a little boozy? This is a nice beer to enjoy in front of the fire or out on the deck on one of the first crisp nights of autumn.
Nov 25, 2020
Photo of StoutElk_92
Reviewed by StoutElk_92 from Massachusetts

4.63/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.75
Bottled 10/31/16

Pours hazy maroon red brown with a creamy khaki colored foam head. Smells rich and sweet, malty, fruity, oaky, nutty, with dried dark fruit notes, raisin, fig, dates, prune, plum, grape, apple, dark caramel, toffee, molasses, vanilla, toasted bready wheaty malts, some chocolate, graham cracker, bourbon, marshmallowy charred oak barrel, mapley brown sugar, and mild earthy piney hops. Tastes heavy and rich, slightly boozy, sweet, with notes of bourbon oak barrel, marshmallowy vanilla, dark caramel, toffee, molasses, toasted bready wheaty malts, chocolate, graham cracker, mapley brown sugar, dried dark fruits, raisin, fig, dates, prune, plum, grape, apple, and some earthy piney hops. Feels slick, medium bodied on the lighter side, creamy with smooth moderate carbonation. Overall a nice bourbon barrel aged wheatwine ale.
Jul 25, 2020
 
Rated: 3.5 by BdM from Netherlands

May 09, 2020
Photo of officerbill
Reviewed by officerbill from New York

4.21/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Dark reddish brown with a thin tan head.
flavors of dates, raisins, plums, cherries, brown sugar, caramel, molasses.
the aftertaste is almost too sweetly sticky, that's about the only drawback; otherwise this is an outstanding example of a wheatwine
My ratings don't do this beer justice, it is one of the best of the style. If you find it, buy it. You won't regret it.
Apr 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4.03 by j0hnc2468 from New York

Mar 03, 2020
 
Rated: 4.04 by redleg64 from Michigan

Mar 01, 2020
Photo of TooManyGlasses
Reviewed by TooManyGlasses from Canada (AB)

4.24/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Single 12 oz bottle purchased at the Knickerbocker in Grand Rapids, Michigan March 2018 - bottled October 30, 2017.
Poured into my New Holland High Gravity Series glass - a dark amber with copper tones - scant khaki head.
Aroma of over ripe orange, pineapple, burnt caramel, and bourbon booziness.
Taste is upfront boozy - caramelized candied orange, dark fruits, oak - a bit of spicy bittersweetness on the swallow.
Sticky sweet mouthfeel - full - boozy, warming alcoholic burn
Really good - reminds me of an amped up Nugget Nectar.
Jan 20, 2020
 
Rated: 4.54 by MacStinson from Michigan

Dec 22, 2019
Photo of rex_4539
Reviewed by rex_4539 from Greece

4.65/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5
L: Quite clear deep red color, no head, no lacing, no carbonation.

S: Sweet, bourbon, hints of alcohol.

T: Sweet, plum, malty, hoppy, bourbon, alcohol. Delicious!

F: Full bodied, as much flavor as any beer could provide.

O: A world class beer. You will be stunned by the richness of this one.
Oct 06, 2019
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.82/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Found in back of beer reefer – where I bought it and for how much is not recorded. Reviewed 9/15/19.
“BOTTLED 10/15/18 12:51” marked with yellow dots on the neck and shoulder of the bottle. Stored at 42 degrees and served at 54 degrees in a hand-washed and dried Jester King snifter.
Appearance – 3.75.
First pour – Light amber, clear.
Body – Dark brown, opaque. When held to the light, red-amber and translucent.
Head – Large (Maximum 6.2 cm, aggressive center pour), tan, medium density, average duration, diminishing to an irregular three to ten mm crown and a thin rocky cap.
Lacing – Fair. Wide partial ring of tiny bubbles with a couple of holes. Fairly remarkable for the high ABV.
Aroma – 3.5 – Sweet toffee.
Flavor – 4 – Sweet with a distinct caramel/toffee flavor. No alcohol (12% ABV) flavor or aroma, no dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, approaching syrupy, soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 4. Think English barley wine but a bit sweeter. Very decent, on the cusp of good.
Sep 15, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

2.92/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3
Bottled 9/11/15; drank 1/24/16 @ the Yarchives.

See-through orange/purple appearance.

A rough pour yielded a small khaki head; nice lace.

Oak, booze heat, plum & caramel notes in the nose.

Medium thick mouthfeel.

Booze heat, candle wax & plum flavors up front; baking soda, caramel & oak notes on the finish.

4 months in, this is a boozy mess.
Jul 18, 2019
Photo of Tilley4
Reviewed by Tilley4 from Tennessee

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Sticky...sweet....rich...

Drinks like a Christmas pudding.... lots of dark fruit and a little booze... really unique and tasty...

Had this tonight and it's the beginning of summer so I'm thinking this would be even better on a cold December evening by the Christmas tree...

I would recommend this to those who like English barleywines...
May 28, 2019
 
Rated: 3.58 by MutuelsMark from Kentucky

May 14, 2019
Photo of Tsar_Riga
Reviewed by Tsar_Riga from Minnesota

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Dark copper-brown body, mostly transparent but dark, with a light tan head, persistent, with a thick curtain of tight bubbled lacing.

S - Strong booze, sharp spicy wood notes, vanilla and oak, and caramel.

T - Smooth malty booze, vanilla and caramel of bourbon, bright hit of spicy pepper notes, and a mildly bitter finish.

M - Somewhat prickly open, sticky and full weight, minor warmth in the finish.

O - A well integrated big, burly wheatwine with nice barrel notes, with a few years on it. Enjoyable.
Mar 31, 2019
Pilgrim's Dole from New Holland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 89 out of 100 with 968 ratings