Dragon's Milk Reserve - Raspberries
New Holland Brewing Company

 

Pours a dark black with a solid head but little lacing. You can smell the raspberries across the room, but surprisingly its not overwhelming the taste. If you like fruit in your stout, this is pretty good. Personally I don't like to mix the two but I could see making a beer float with this and a scoop of vanilla ice cream...

 

 

Poured out of a 12 oz bottle into my snifter glass, this beer pours a very dark brown, practically black color with a nice, creamy looking, dark tan head that's about an inch thick when first poured. Settles eventually to a very thick surface coating with a thick ring surrounding the inside of the glass and some nice lacing. Very strong aromas of oaked bourbon, raspberry, and hibiscus are all very strongly present in a very nice manner indeed along with roasted malt and hints of chocolate and black coffee. The taste is very much the same, with the bourbon oak very apparent right up front, but certainly not overpowering. This is followed by sweetness from the aforementioned raspberry and hibiscus, both of which also make their presence nicely known. Rounded out with a bit of additional sweetness from some chocolate notes and also some black coffee bitterness and some earthy hops. Also just a bit boozy from the 11% ABV level here. A really complex and tasty flavor profile here that's just incredibly well balanced. I'm very impressed. Has a slightly crisp and slightly prickly, just slightly oily, also smooth and creamy, medium to full bodied mouthfeel with light to moderate carbonation. Has a raspberry and oaked bourbon after taste that likes to linger nicely on my palate after each sip. And that's just fine. Just a great beer here all around!

Eric

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review of a 2014 vintage 22 oz bottle served in a Belgian snifter in July 2017.

Pours very dark but not opaque with a short tan head that has quite limited retention. The body has reddish-brown edges under light.

Aroma: a subtle addition of raspberries? ... definitely not!; this smells of raspberry jam and fresh pressed raspberries with just faint hints of alcohol, oak, chocolate and brown bread.

Flavor: the barrel aging is much more evident here, particularly the bourbon, but there's still a load of raspberry jam and raspberries. Lightly sweet.

Mouthfeel: medium-full body with medium-light carbonation. Smooth with some warming.

Overall: a delicious variant of an excellent stout with loads of natural raspberry flavor and well hidden alcohol. Dangerously easy drinking.

 

 

 

2014 vintage, current date 4/5/17. Poured into a tulip it has a big head of 2 inches foamy beige and a black body. Smell of chocolate, tons of raspberry juice, vanilla, some bourbon, caramel, and some strawberry. Taste is sweet raspberry, bourbon, dark chocolate, vanilla, slight caramel, coconut, and a little bit of citrus. Mouth feel is full, body is moderate, and carbonation is moderate to full. Aged fantastic, helped balance out the overwhelming amount of raspberry and gave rise to some coconut.

 

 

 

 

Had on tap. They did not mess around when they said it was brewed with raspberry. Big tart raspberry on the nose with plenty of dark chocolate as well. Aroma translates to the palate. Tastes just like the dark chocolate and raspberry ghiradelli Squares. Surprisingly thin mouthfeel for 11% makes this beer super drinkable. Overall, a very unique and interesting stout. 92 points!

 

 

 

 

Printed as "vintage 2014".

The quality of the raspberry note was surprisng.

 

 

New Holland Barrel Aged Dragon's Milk: Raspberries, 11% ABV. Pours black and medium viscosity, with a one finger tan head, not much lacing. Nose is bourbon and some raspberry. Taste is tart raspberry, bourbon, slight bitter close. Heavier carbonation, decent mouthfeel. Overall excellent.

Review is of 2015 vintage

Pours a pitch black body with a tan 1/4th inch head. Lacing was above average and head retention was average.

Smells of raspberry syrup or jam, pretty sweet. Molasses is also present, black malt and burnt oak too. As beer warms, some whisky/alcohol become apparent.

First taste are definitely of stout characteristics. Burnt malts, prunes/dates, and charred oak. Raspberry jam and bourbon come through sweeting up the beer. Hops aren't present and alcohol was definitely detected but not overbearing.

Mouthfeel was nice and viscous, ample amounts of carbonation. Head died rather quickly unfortunately.

Overall this was a good raspberry stout but the fruit flavor came out kinda medicinal in my opinion. I do like the sweetness mixed with the whisky flavors but it just doesnt stand up to other berry stouts like lindley park.

The appearance is pretty much black with a hint of reddish-brown as well.
The aroma is really raspberry forward along with some chocolate, oak and bourbon notes. Raspberry dominant.
The tastes are really raspberry forward along with bourbon spiciness, chocolate and some oak.
The palate is medium-full with a cloying sweet maltiness along with bourbon spice.
Overall a decent variant of the original but not one of the better ones I've had.

12oz bottle. Served in a snifter glass.

Pours a dark brown body, mostly black hued, one finger mocha head, long and great retention. Bits of frothy lacing. Smells of chocolate covered raspberries, dark fruit tempered by the roasted malt, slightly sweet and smoky bourbon, light vanillin, touch of oak. Flavour is similarly interesting, with dark fruit and chocolate covered raspberries; milk chocolate sweetness, bourbon, bits of oak. Mouthfeel is medium-lighter bodied, not as substantial as it would ideally be but it is plenty. Good depth, nice raspberry and chocolate on the finish. Overall, a very tasty raspberry stout. People seem to dislike fruited stouts for some reason, but this is nicer and a lot more accessible for the palate than say, Lindley Park.