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

For me too bitter

 

 

 

 

Black....with a decent tan head. Surprisingly good retention and some spots of lacing.

Vibrant roasted coffee dominates more than anything else. I like that. Smoky, roasty, just very nice pungent dark coffee! Some nice chocolate malt, malted milk balls, vanillin, etc., to back it up all up.

Intense coffee hits upfront and continues to dominate the palate. Roasted, smoky, earthy, charred--just delightfully strong black coffee. It's backed up by just enough enough malty sweet. Dark chocolate, bittersweet cocoa, vanilla.sugar powder, caramel, hay, spent grains. The bourbon barrel effect is barely detectable, which would usually count as points against it, but in this case, it's so smooth. Hints of bourbon-coconut-vanilla but nothing cloying or boozy. Warm going down but oh-so smooth.

Medium-plus-ish feel? Moderation carbonation, smooth enough; slicky and oily but not densely-greasily so.

Wow, this is a delicious beer. A total coffee bomb. I love it. No BBA IS expectations necessary. It's just a great delicious strong coffee stout. Highly recommend it!

The pour is jet black colored with a tan head of frothy foam. The taste is dark chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, bourbon barrel oak, & vanilla. Cheers! A-

Bought locally, bottled February 16,2026.

Pours black with some red hues, small tan head of foam, short lasting, lacing not that good.

Smell is coffee grounds, dark chocolate, Bourbon, lots of alcohol here.

The taste is bitter coffee grounds, Bourbon, dark chocolate, not close to a smooth taste. Booze is also right there. Dang.

Light carbonation but that's okay. I would not drink this again but I have 3 more bottles.

I find this BBA to be well balanced and not near as syrupy as other offerings. For me the taste is all that matters and the balance between malt, coffee and chocolate flavors blends nicely. The ABV does provide a kick but doesn't taste boozy at all. My new favorite BBA stout, along with Kentucky Bourbon Barrel stout. They are quite similar.

 

 

Black in color with no light penetration. There’s a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering half of the top. There’s aroma of bitter, dark roasted coffee and milk chocolate. I’m tasting coffee, decadent milk chocolate, vanilla, bourbon. The mouth is sticky and boozy.

 

To me, this is someone's clone of Founders Breakfast Stout that got barrel aged.

Received as a gift from a friend. Bottled 12/11/24, so it's pretty fresh - just over 5 months old, which is probably quite young for such a big barrel-aged beer.

Look: It's jet black with a very thin cafe-au-lait head. It looks like there is decent carbonation.

Smell: Bold, rich aromas of roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and an earthy hoppy finish. There are sweet, oaky, charry bourbon notes with hints of cherry cordial and baking spice.

Taste: It's definitely tasty. The finish is long, with lingering roastyness, bitterness, and complexity from the coffee. I'm also surprised at how much lingering sweetness there is; it almost tastes like artificial sweetener. I think that this is a combination of sweetness from the bourbon barrel, coffee, chocolate, and the base stout itself. Based on the nose, I was expecting more hoppiness but it seems to get a bit lost in the mix. For these reasons, I rated the nose higher than the taste and I think that the beer suffers overall as a result.

Feel: Nicely carbonated for being a bourbon barrel-aged stout. The mouthfeel is a bit thin for my expectations.

Overall: It's good, however it leaves a bit to be desired for me. I'm not sure what's with the saccharine-like sweetness, maybe they used especially wet barrels? I think that the quality of the coffee used here is evident, which I certainly appreciate.

From the label:
DRAGON'S MILK RESERVE
is a treasure trove for the adventurous spirit. each entry in the Reserve series is crafted to push the boundaries of our signature bourbon barrel-aged stout. An epic journey awaits...

This edition of Coffee Chocolate is powered by our friends at Madcap Coffee, headquartered in Grand Rapids, MI. Our brewers worked with the team at Madcap to select their Bolt House Blend, a blend of Central and South American coffees for the limited brew. The deep, chocolatey, and syrupy notes from the artisan coffee pair perfectly with hand-selected Ghanaian cocoa to create a delicious and unique take on our legendary stout. Cheers to victory!

It pours very dark brown with a tan head. It has good head retention. It has coffee flavors with vanilla and chocolate. There are some cocoa elements in the background.

 

I am admittedly not a big fan of the normal dragons milk BA stout, but this stuff is great!

The coffee nose is bright and fragrant. Somewhat similar to the fragrance of a founders Breakfast Stout. Very fresh and authentic coffee aroma upfront. Which pairs great with the subtle but present bourbon notes

Mouth feel is not too thin, not too thick. In general an extremely drinkable and well rounded flavor. Not too sweet either, which I worried about when purchasing. There is chocolate, but it’s tame and has its place in the mix

Overall this is a very well thought out coffee forward BA imperial stout. Very easy to drink and I’ll definitely pick up more if I have the chance.

The coffee will probably fade quickly
with time, but in this case that might be interesting to try bottle that is 1-2 years old. – The hallmark of any worthwhile BA stout, the flavor profile changes and stout lovers can appreciate those nuanced changes over time, for better or worse. I think I will buy one and (try to) not drink it for a couple years.

Poured from 12 oz bottle dated 1/23/24 into the test glass
A - Dark brown color, the pour yeilds a thin mocha cap. With a blink the cap turns to ring for the duration.
S - Espresso, a bit of vanilla, bakers chocolate, and a hint smoky oak
T - Chocoalte forward for an instant, then coffee on display. a nice scicy thread in there, deceptively like smoked Ancho
A kiss of barrel treatment.
M - Medium in body, with just enough slickness. Carbonation is minimal. The slide across the palate is fun. A dry finish with Espresso linger
O - A very good offering. The coffee, chocolate and bourbon barrel all dance in harmony. Excellent

No rough edges here at all, this is smooth, sweet, and decadent. I'm getting more chocolate, Hershey's syrup and truffles, than coffee but there is enough of the latter to give this a nice mocha latte with vanilla vibe. The barrels are muted but the mellow warmth fits this well. Gently carbonated with a full, creamy body, this has a wonderful mouthfeel. Easily the best I've had from this line, thanks Craig!