Dragon's Milk Reserve - Maple Oak
New Holland Brewing Company

Dragon's Milk Reserve - Maple OakDragon's Milk Reserve - Maple Oak
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From:
New Holland Brewing Company
 
Michigan, United States
Style:
American Imperial Stout
Ranked #1,143
ABV:
11%
Score:
93
Ranked #3,785
Avg:
4.19 | pDev: 6.44%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
109
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 11, 2023
Added:
Sep 26, 2018
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  6
Dragon’s Milk Reserve: Maple Oak is the first of the Reserve series to receive the double barrel treatment, aging in both Kentucky bourbon barrels and bourbon barrels that previously held Vermont maple syrup. Our signature stout was also brewed with pure maple syrup for the first time ever, providing a delectably sweet complement to notes of roasted malt, vanilla, and oak.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of BigIronH
Rated by BigIronH from Michigan

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2019 vintage. Lots of burnt barrel and sticky maple sweetness.
Mar 11, 2023
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2022-07-09
12oz bottle served in a WABL sample glass. Bottle is dated 06/27/19. @superspak sent it to me in NBS BIF #15.

Pours very dark brown, translucent around the edges, with a tiny Y shaped dusting of head in the center and a medium-thick ring around the edges. Tiny amount of extremely fine, very slow active carbonation. Smell is boozy, bourbon, anise, some maple sweetness. Maybe a hint of char.

Taste is definitely boozy, anise tones down a little bit, I get more coffee and burnt toffee out of it. Maple is there, but not super pronounced (maybe it'll become more noticeable as the beer warms up). Surprising amount of roasty bitterness to balance the sweetness.

Mouthfeel is thick and smooth. Overall, very nice beer.
Jul 09, 2022
 
Rated: 4.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Oct 18, 2021
Photo of Stooven
Reviewed by Stooven from Illinois

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
This might have felt compulsory for New Holland given Founder's CBS, but it's a worthy addition to the maple/aged stouts. Might be a little sweeter and less rich than CBS, but wow nonetheless.
Oct 03, 2020
Photo of sjdevel
Reviewed by sjdevel from Utah

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
LOOK --- BLACK - 1 finger head - low retention - decent lacing - could use a bit more carbonation but a beer of this magnitude with ABV and barrel aged will be on the lower end
SMELL --- amazing maple syrup and butter on pancakes - some caramel - coffee - chocolate
TASTE --- AMAZING flavor - a great deal of oak, maple, chocolate, coffee, toffee, and tobacco - very powerful - very good
FEEL --- a bit thinner than expected - but high ABV - still full and thick
OVERALL --- One of the best brews that I have had -very flavorful- this is right up there with another of my Michigan favorites: CBS - I will be on the lookout for this (and other Reserves) in the future
Sep 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.65 by GenoMcCoy from Texas

Aug 23, 2020
Photo of mschrei
Reviewed by mschrei from Illinois

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Bottled 6/20/19. Pretty tasty. Sweet, but not overly so. Lots of roasty dark malt. Barrel presence is subtle yet ever present. Not syrupy, not thick, nor oily in any fashion. Great booze kick. I don’t remember how many of this I bought. If it was a four pack, I’m surprised none of them left much of an impression, because this is a very good beer.
Jul 18, 2020
 
Rated: 4.06 by Taphouse_Traveler from Florida

Jul 14, 2020
Photo of CraftFan5
Reviewed by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

4.24/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
20 June 2020 - Beer #124

Corona Day #100

Price: $6.99 at Hop City in Birmingham, AL

Appearance: 4 - clearly brown on the pour. Very white head, nice lacing.

Nose: 5 - interesting, at first I thought it was all bourbon, but it's really the maple that hits you. The barrel itself is mild.

Taste: 4 - definitely tasty. All the flavors are there, but they're complementary to a blah stout.

Mouth: 4 - chewy but a bit on the thin side

Overall: 4 - a very nice everyday barrel aged stout, if such a thing exists.

Stay safe out there, my friends.

Cheers!
Jun 27, 2020
Photo of Samlover55
Reviewed by Samlover55 from New York

4.39/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
I had this relatively fresh and then again a few months later and it definitely lost some of it's punch. Fresh it was an amazing blend of maple and bourbon.
Jun 07, 2020
 
Rated: 4.44 by jayhunter357 from Massachusetts

May 23, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Apr 23, 2020
 
Rated: 4.18 by KShophead from Kansas

Mar 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.22 by dubnation from Kansas

Mar 08, 2020
 
Rated: 4.25 by Scott17Taylor from Iowa

Mar 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.78 by Lisquid from Pennsylvania

Mar 06, 2020
Photo of TreyIsWilson
Reviewed by TreyIsWilson from Michigan

4.02/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A - Pours pitch black with a two finger creamy tan head. Nice amount of soapy lacing.

S - Aroma is maple, vanilla and oak.

T - The taste is maple, oak, dark chocolate, vanilla and roasted malts.

M - Medium body with medium carbonation. Soft mouthfeel with a dry finish.

O - Pretty solid. Nice maple flavor throughout.
Mar 04, 2020
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

4.19/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Black in color with no light penetration. There’s a fingernail of brown around the rim and covering half of the top. I smell maple syrup, oak, barley, and vanilla. I taste vanilla, maple, oak, and alcohol. The mouth is thick, chewy, and warm with alcohol.
Feb 15, 2020
Photo of mothman
Reviewed by mothman from Minnesota

4/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle. Tan head. Dark brown, black color.

Light bodied for an 11% stout. Maple is fairly light. Bourbon is fairly light. Lots of sweetness. Chocolate and lightly roasted malts. Caramel.

It’s decent, especially for the price, but I doubt I’d buy another 4 pack.
Jan 18, 2020
Photo of jzeilinger
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania

3.91/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
A - Dark brown pour.with a light caramel layer of foam, nice head retention.

S - Light chocolate char with a little shot of maple.

T - Light roasted malt char and moderate maple. Finishes on the sweeter side with lingering maple and residual sweet chocolate roast.

M - Thick and silky.

O - Solid. Would I purchase again? No.
Dec 29, 2019
Dragon's Milk Reserve - Maple Oak from New Holland Brewing Company
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 109 ratings