Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout
New Holland Brewing Company

 

Bottled on September 11th, 2023 - enjoyed on November 24th, 2023 - poured from a 12oz bottle into my snifter.

Opaque black bean body with a dense wheat/almond cap receding to a lasting collar and surface slick. Fine lacing; very good retention; light glassy sheen of legs.

Baker's chocolate, molasses, and brown bread from the malt joined by tobacco and vanilla from the barrel. Fairly one-dimensional yet inviting.

Rich malty palate entry with licorice and char joining the flavors that follow the nose. Medium finish never quite dries out, though there is some faintly acrid acidity from the barrel. A touch boozy hints of cherry and tar. Low bitterness throughout.

Somewhat hot, medium-bodied, but smooth rather than sticky.

A decent, affordable barrel-aged stout, though it lacks nuance/balance compared to the best versions of the style.

A dark brown bottle which contained 22 ounces has been emptied into a clear glass liter mug. That should be enough. The liquid gets the close enough to the black coffee brown color description. There's a very thin tan head. The aroma brings coffee, roasted malt, tannins and just a little alcohol. Although the tannins are there to taste, they're reserved enough to let other flavors emerge. The potent alcohol is nicely incorporated into the overall and is really only noticed during the finish. Those two concerns, either of which could ruin a decent Imperial Stout, are definitely set aside. That makes this a remarkable brew. It's always an impressive brewing feat to get this much alcohol in a beer, with only a little notice of it. Especially when it's Bourbon barrel aged, there's a good chance it's going to taste like a boilermaker made with a Stout. Most beer lovers don't want that and this doesn't. There's almost some dark chocolate and coconut sweetness to it and of course, that black coffee taste reference many Stouts give. Most of these flavor levels are modest and the body could be just a little fuller, if there is to be a criticism. Although the glass lacing isn't copious, it's stratified to mark each episode liquid left the vessel. Sometimes it's a shame there's so much alcohol in a beer, because at the end of the glass, it seemed like a good idea to have another. But, it wasn't.

 

The OG. The pater familias. The alpha and the omega.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But if this isn't up your alley, please understand that you are wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

 

First taste amazing, drank out of a bottle unable to admire the look. The feel was nice and smooth as it traverse down. Really love the tast would have ranked higher if it were colder pretty sure, it has a nice stout taste, again very smooth.

 

 

 

 

Ok this beer is actually very good but has some flaws that keep it from being outstanding

The look is nice, with dark coloring
the smell also nice with chocolate tones and espresso
the taste is what betrays it flaws. The alcohol is noticeable while you rink it

Overall: Avery good beer, I will drink it in the future if my supplier wouldn't be so greedy

This is a solid barrel aged stout thats easy to find. Not one of the absolute best but a tasty stout. Great color but with a quickly dissipating head. Nose is as you'd expect. Coffee, chocolate, oak, vanilla which all shows up on the palate. I like a little of the sweetness from the barrel aging to offset the strong coffee notes in this one. This is a good, easy to find, barrel aged stout and a regular in my beer cellar.

 

 

Too sweet for me

Almost like someone dumped coffee/chocolate in my beer. Bit of a boozy note whether you like that or not.

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle dated 4-19-23 into a snifter.

Look- Black, visible particulate, creamy light brown head, above average head retention and lacing.

Smell- Chocolate, coffee, vanilla, slight bourbon, slight oak, medium strength of scent.

Taste- Chocolate, vanilla, coffee, sight bourbon, between low and medium strength of flavor.

Feel- Between thin and medium body, average carbonation, between low and medium bitterness, mildly mouth warming, mildly creamy.

Overall- Black with visible particulate and above average head retention and lacing. Bouquet was chocolate, coffee, vanilla and slight bourbon. Flavor was chocolate, vanilla, coffee and slight bourbon. Body was between thin and medium body with mild mouth warming properties and mild creaminess. Overall this beer provided an average drinking experience. It had pleasant bouquet and flavors, but the three months in the bourbon barrels was not enough.

Unbelievable chocolate up front, very creamy!
Just love it!!

strong chocolate flavor, smooth texture, great!