Dragon's Milk Reserve - Coffee And Chocolate
New Holland Brewing Company

Dragon's Milk Reserve - Coffee And ChocolateDragon's Milk Reserve - Coffee And Chocolate
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From:
New Holland Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,241
ABV:
11%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,799
Avg:
4.17 | pDev: 7.67%
Reviews:
109
Ratings:
473
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 19, 2024
Added:
Oct 23, 2015
Wants:
  36
Gots:
  124
Aged with coffee and chocolate. Rich, indulgent chocolate flavors are seductively punctuated with dark and roasty bitterness.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by creepinjeeper:
Photo of creepinjeeper
Reviewed by creepinjeeper from Missouri

4.66/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12 oz. bottle poured into Solemn Oath snifter

Look - Pour unleashes a light brown fluffy head that settles into a thin ring rather quickly. Little dots of oily lacing line the side of the glass.
Smell - Hints of bourbon, chocolate, coffee and roasted malts. A treat for the nose as well as ........
Taste - Milk chocolate and coffee and a little bit of vanilla. The bourbon is there, but no overwhelming "heat". It's almost as if it's been in your cellar for a little while.
Feel - Sweet and sticky on your tongue. Carbonation does not get in the way. Coffee bitterness in the finish and slight bourbon burn.
Overall - This way pretty amazing. I am almost sorry I didn't save this for Black Friday enjoyment. Dragon's Milk is an excellent example of a year round BA stout. They should consider making this one year round as well. There's more to beer magic than just being a limited release.
Nov 20, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of DanO1066
Reviewed by DanO1066 from Maryland

4.26/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4pk of 12oz bottles (Bottled 11/22/24) picked up at The Arundel Preserve Wine & Spirits: Almost black body with a dense dark-tan head settling into a nice ring, whisky cap, and nice lacing; chocolate on the nose; vanilla mocha anyone?; smooth 'stout' body; nice blend of bourbon & mocha
Mar 19, 2024
 
Rated: 4.51 by JamieDuncan from Maryland

Mar 14, 2024
Photo of bubseymour
Rated by bubseymour from Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Very coffee forward, but nice flavors and balance.
Mar 14, 2024
Photo of BuxMontBeerLover
Reviewed by BuxMontBeerLover from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Purchased at Bound Beverage, Warrington, PA. $19.80/4pk, 12oz bottles.

Pours a deep dark brown, bordering on black color. A dense, one-finger, beige colored, tight bubbled head on the initial pour. Sticky lacing left on the sides of the goblet during the review.

Wonderful deep roasted coffee aroma.

Wow, a delicious, decadent stout. Flavors of dark, roasted coffee, creamy dark chocolate, roasted malts, caramel with a bourbon barrel flavor to round out the flavor profile. The bourbon barrel aging is very well done. Not over-powering but adds a slight booziness to the brew. The 11% ABV is well hidden behind all the other flavors.

Fine bubble carbonation, creamy, viscous consistency.

Overall, one of the best stouts I’ve had the pleasure to review. Simply a tremendous example of how to perfectly blend coffee, chocolate and bourbon-barrel aging to make what I’d consider a top-10 stout. New Holland has produced a true winner with this variation of their already delicous Dragon’s Milk…Cheers!
Mar 10, 2024
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This solid imperial pours a dark
and muddled blackish brown with a nice head of khaki foam that
settles to a thick ring, thin dusty layer, and sports some nice lacing.
Nose of rich coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla, light oak, and rich
bourbon. Flavors hit the target with rich bourbon, mellow oak,
dark chocolate, cream, dark roasted malts, rich coffee, and
vanilla. Mouth feel is medium full leaning towards full, medium
light carbonation, smooth, rich, lightly warming, lightly coating,
and finishing with a nice bitter malt and bourbon ending.

Overall, a SOLID imperial and a nice addition to the DM family.

Cheers
Feb 29, 2024
 
Rated: 4.61 by Jacob313 from Michigan

Feb 27, 2024
 
Rated: 4.25 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Feb 27, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by bpfrush from Wisconsin

Feb 25, 2024
 
Rated: 4.13 by uncleotis from Illinois

Feb 18, 2024
 
Rated: 4.5 by PapaGoose03 from Michigan

Feb 02, 2024
Photo of ilikebeer03
Reviewed by ilikebeer03 from Texas

4.06/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Drank 12/30/23. Bottled 12/19/22
Pour is a deep brown/black with a little cap of mocha colored foam that fades to a little cap in the middle and ring around the glass.
Nose is mocha, chocolate, coffee, waves of soft bourbon-vanilla.
Taste follows - big wave of mocha, followed by a heavy hit of milk chocolate, then coffee, bourbon, vanilla.
smooth creamy mouthfeel with low/moderate carbonation. easy to drink; not overly sweet.
Dec 31, 2023
Photo of Radome
Reviewed by Radome from Florida

4.14/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

L - Color is an extremely dark brown. When held up to the light, barely any makes it through, just a glimmer of orange-red. The head is a thick, tan cloud of tight bubbles that persists well.

S - Aromas are as appetizing as the name promises--chocolate, coffee, bourbon and oak, strong, charred grain.

T - Good flavors for the style. I get chocolate milk, espresso, low levels of bourbon whiskey and oak. The underlying flavors of a strong imperial stout are always present. It is a nice combination of flavors.

F - Medium to thick body has a smooth, creamy mouthfeel and is surprisingly clean and dry in the finish. Low carbonation. Medium hops bitterness. Alcohol is evident, but mild for this ABV.

O - This is a tasty beer, exactly as advertised for a Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout with coffee and chocolate. Very nice.
Dec 02, 2023
 
Rated: 4.23 by Iggy88 from Ohio

Nov 07, 2023
Photo of 1BrewBacca
Reviewed by 1BrewBacca from Georgia

4.29/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Beautiful pour with not only a nice head but retention I haven’t seen in a while. The label nailed it, bourbon, coffee, chocolate. At 11% ABV rye feel ranks “one and done”.
Overall couldn’t decide on 4.25 or 4.5 so I played it on the conservative side. Another Great Dragon’s Milk Stout.
Nov 06, 2023
 
Rated: 4.25 by Dovers from Wisconsin

Sep 30, 2023
Photo of Ozzylizard
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Dragon’s Milk Reserve – Coffee and Chocolate – from New Holland. Single 12 oz bottle. On room temperature shelf at Riverside Liquors, Grand Rapids, MI. Acquired 13/09/23, $ 7.41 (Including tax), $ 0.617/fl oz. Reviewed 20/09/23 (Review 3153). Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Printed on shoulder in yellow ink “BOTTLED 12/20/22 11:30”. Stored at 34 degrees at home. Served at 55.5 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature was 59.1 degrees F.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Medium Amber (SRM 12), clear.
Body – Deep Brown (SRM 30), opaque. Under direct light same. When rear-lite, same.
Head: Average (Maximum 2.0 cm, aggressive center pour), initially buff but lightening to wheat, high density. Quickly reduced to a 0.2 - 0.3 cm crown and a thin, partial cap.
Lacing – Good. Wide band of near-microscopic bubbles.
Aroma – 3 – Weak malt. No yeast, no hops, no bourbon, no barrels, no chocolate, no coffee. No ethanol (11 % ABV according to the label).
Flavor – 3.25 – Begins slightly bitter with very weak mocha. No bourbon and no barrel up front, although a bit of bourbon appears in the aftertaste. No yeast, no hops. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Moderate gastric warming, initially rough but quickly smooths out.
Palate – 3.25 – Medium; creamy; soft carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Quite mediocre impy stout. Best thing about it is the lacing.
Sep 20, 2023
Photo of sjrider
Reviewed by sjrider from California

4.29/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Bottle pour - dark as a moonless night with short chocolate milk head leaving scattered lacing. Nose is roasty malt with hints of cocoa and boozy barrel wood. Taste follows with espresso and more chocolate sweetness. Finishes with a bit of lingering alcohol creep, espresso bitterness and barrel wood. Maybe my favorite Dragon's Milk so far.Tasty!
Aug 28, 2023
Photo of mpruden
Reviewed by mpruden from Ohio

4.86/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Poured from a 12-oz bottle into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint glass.

Appearance: Very dark brown with a 1” tan head that dissipated within a couple minutes to a foam ring leaving nice lacing.

Nose: There’s a lot going on in this only-mildly-intense nose: coffee, chocolate, brown sugar, a bit of dried fruit, and alcohol.

Mouthfeel: Medium and creamy.

Attack: Everything that was in the nose, wonderfully blended!

Finish: Light bitterness from the dark roast, and the alcohol warms going down.

Overall: This is simply wonderful — absolutely my favorite Dragon’s Milk edition so far. I hope New Holland continues producing it — can’t think of anything I’d rather sip Saturday mid-morning an hour after breakfast!
Aug 26, 2023
Photo of MonDak_Joe1953
Reviewed by MonDak_Joe1953 from Minnesota

4.16/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottle. Stamped on neck is 'BOTTLED 12/19/22'.
Dark cola brown colored body, which looks to be clear from the back lit edge. One thin finger of light tan head, and this retreats to a thin cap and ring. Partial webs of lacing follow down with the body.
Aroma of dark roasted malts soaked in oak bourbon barrels, and the addition of fudge chocolate and bitter black coffee.
Taste is rather sweet. Rich fudge chocolate is joined by the black coffee (which has a bit of bitterness for balance). Dark roasted malts and a hint of floral hops. Almost gets to be marshmallow in the aftertaste (extra sweet with caramel and vanilla). Oak bourbon barrel provides a support with lots of vapors.
Smooth and creamy mouth feel, but a little bit thin. Warms the stomach but hides the higher ABV% quite well. Good carbonation that provides support.
To those who will savor a barrel aged stout with additional flavors this one is worthy. The 12oz package is appreciated. Sip slowly.
Aug 15, 2023
Dragon's Milk Reserve - Coffee And Chocolate from New Holland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 473 ratings