Dragon's Milk Reserve - Vanilla Chai
New Holland Brewing Company

Dragon's Milk Reserve - Vanilla ChaiDragon's Milk Reserve - Vanilla Chai
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From:
New Holland Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
ABV:
11%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.04 | pDev: 8.42%
Reviews:
85
Ratings:
345
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 09, 2022
Added:
Nov 02, 2015
Wants:
  23
Gots:
  78
Combines robust malt character with the luxurious nuance of sweet Chai. Aged in white-oak bourbon barrels, Vanilla Chai Dragon’s Milk is a concert of luscious flavors.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Giggy:
Photo of Giggy
Rated by Giggy from Michigan

4.42/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Great addition to the Dragon's milk series.
Feb 05, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of CaptainHate
Reviewed by CaptainHate from Ohio

4.19/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
12 ounce single bottled on 9/29/2020. Poured into a DFH tulip producing a fluffy light tan head over a reddish brown body. Smell is of dark fruits over malt with a slight hint of booze. Initial taste was of coconut, surely a blend of the vanilla and chai; but that faded as it warmed into a more blended taste of the constituent parts. Booze remained very understated. Mouthfeel was very smooth. This was better than expected.
Jan 09, 2022
Photo of damndirtyape
Reviewed by damndirtyape from Ohio

4.01/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz bottle served in a snifter. Bottled 09/29/20 11:56

Appearance: Very dark, but not quite black. Has some nice ruby red notes at the edges where some light comes through. Thin tan head with some strands of lacing, that I'm surprised stick around given the ABV here.

Smell: Hint of bourbon along with the chai, and just a tiny hint of vanilla.

Taste: Bourbon and chai dominate, with some underlying American Imperial stout bitterness, with a bit of bittersweet chocolate as well, for balance. I'm not getting much of the vanilla - I think it's lost with the other flavor, or it complements it so well I'm not able to pick it out as a distinct flavor. Still, a tasty dessert-like stout.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, not as thick and creamy as I thought it might be. Some warming from the bourbon barrel alcohol content. A little sticky on the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: Quite tasty, but the after awhile I feel that this becomes more of chai spiced beer, and less of a Imperial Stout. The stout is there, but it doesn't stick out much. The beer works, but I am finding one is enough for me - I'm not necessarily wanting another. Maybe with the right dessert I might change my mind.
Feb 21, 2021
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Reviewed by buschbeer from Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 FL. OZ. bottle
Served in a stemless wine glass

This beer pours black and is topped with a few inches of tan head that leaves rings of lacing as I consume.

It has a chai spice aroma. I don't know. That all I can smell is the cinnamon, clove, etcetera.

The chai spices give way to sweet vanilla. I also get some milk chocolate.

Medium bodied with a smooth. creamy mouthfeel

I am not a fan of chai spices. This beer improved as it warmed letting the vanilla and base beer out of the shadows. I am glad I only bought a single. It was worth a try. I would not have it again due to my aversion to chai. I will try to rate it objectively.
Feb 17, 2021
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Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.79/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Black in color with minimal light penetration. There’s a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering half of the top. The aroma is of chai and vanilla. I’m tasting plenty of chai, a hint of vanilla, more chai, and bourbon. The mouth is chewy and warm with alcohol.
Feb 14, 2021
Photo of schoolboy
Reviewed by schoolboy from Ohio

4.24/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
What can I say, it seems like every version of this is a success. I didn't age this one much, but you could - I have with other Dragon Milks. It was from last September (about 4 months).

This one looks pretty normal, with nice head. The aroma is sweet and the taste that follows is nicely balanced between sweet vanilla and malts. All of it hides the alcohol nicely and goes down easy.

Highly recommended. You can't go wrong with any of the Dragon's Milk variants.
Jan 27, 2021
Photo of Rapscullion
Reviewed by Rapscullion from Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2020 Reserve 3 with Vanilla and Chai spices.
Poured from bottle Jan 2021.
Inky black with a respectable tan head.
Nose is an immediate hit of chai spice, led by cinnamon. Vanilla and caramel play background notes.
Palate leads with dark roast malt and esspresso followed by a hot hit of bourbon and an unpleasant chemical tang. Sweet vanilla, roast chestnut, dark chocolate and nutmeg come through on the finish.
An interesting beer but not integrated to my palate. The spices and bourbon are too strident, significant alchohol burn and chemical note spoil the beer. I will put the other 3 bottles in the cellar and see if it improves with a bit of aging to allow it to marry and knock off the harsh edges.
Jan 10, 2021
Photo of robwired
Reviewed by robwired from Kansas

4.73/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
First, the label says, "2020 Reserve 3," New Holland's third iteration of its 2020 Dragon's Milk Reserve releases.
Nose: Cinnamon and chai spice.
Taste: The chai is prevalent with a licorice hint.
Mouthfeel: Smooth medium thick.
Experience: Poured from the 12 oz. 355 ml bottle, a slight but respectful head persists per sip in a Rastal Teku glass. A caveat: Must like chai spice. However, the bourbon barrel aging makes its presence known delightfully. So does the 11% ABV without alcohol burn.
Summary: Stay home. Enjoy. Don't drive.
Jan 07, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Birdlegs from Washington

Jan 04, 2021
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Reviewed by Roguer from Connecticut

4.32/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Good head production and retention. Very attractive beer.

Lots of Chai on the nose, blending with a nice roasty stout base. Notes of chocolate, espresso, brown sugar, caramel, plum.

Smooth on the palate, with tasting notes mostly matching the nose. A bit sweet up front, but quickly becomes dry. Nutty finish.

Full bodied.

This is a really well balanced beer. Chai can easily be overpowering, but it's well done here.
Jan 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4.17 by travelguy from Ohio

Jan 01, 2021
Photo of blazerkor
Reviewed by blazerkor from Nevada

4.26/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
The smell is a mix of bourbon, stout chocolaty coffee and a little vanilla, no chai spices.

Oh wow, what a complex mixture of tastes. There's the bitter stout taste up front followed by a bit of warming bourbon and then sweet vanilla.

The mouthfeel is full and smooth with little carbonation. The after taste is vanilla and a ton of chai with the stomach warming of bourbon and the 11abv.

It's such an interesting beer. A bit too sweet but not cloying. It's definitely the second best stout I've had tonight but it was still very good... I still taste the bitterness and chai. It gets a 5.2 out of 6.
Dec 29, 2020
 
Rated: 3.85 by QuintusHorace from California

Dec 25, 2020
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Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pitch black pour with micro-thin lacing.

S - Light chocolate roast along with bourbon and chai with a little bit of vanilla.

T - Chai is the main event from start to finish along with oak, bourbon, roasted chocolate, and some delicate vanilla. The flavors swirl and blend on the palate with Chai being foremost while on the back end there's a nice lingering bourbon, chocolate, vanilla.

M - Thick, slick, and some stickiness on the lips.

O - I'm not a fan of Chai but this one is growing on me.
Dec 22, 2020
 
Rated: 3.83 by NappyB from Illinois

Dec 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4.13 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Nov 27, 2020
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Rated by BFCarr from New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I get mostly vanilla and spice. Good stout, especially for cold weather. Boozy, spicy and rich.
Nov 27, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by cp45 from New Jersey

Nov 27, 2020
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Reviewed by BEERMILER12 from Maine

4.07/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: Pours a near pitch black color with 2 fingers of head that fades down to a thin cap that leaves good lacing

S: Roasted malt, vanilla, chai spices, bourbon, and oak. Some caramel as well

T: Follows the nose. Starts off with a mix of roasted malt, chai spices, bourbon, and caramel. Picks up some vanilla and charred oak. Finishes with lingering chai spices, bourbon, and char

M: Medium-full bodied with moderate carbonation

O: A solid iteration of Dragon’s Milk that hits hard with the chai spices. Vanilla and bourbon sweetness help out a little, but the spices have their day. Still makes for a solid accompaniment to the base. Worth a drink
Nov 26, 2020
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Rated by bronxbommers from North Carolina

4/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Very good stout especially if you like vanilla and chai tea
Nov 22, 2020
Dragon's Milk Reserve - Vanilla Chai from New Holland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 345 ratings