Black Tulip
New Holland Brewing Company

Tsar_Riga from Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Hazy orange pour, minimal head that fades to nothing almost immediately. No lacing.

S - Strong hits of apple and honey, with a dark brown bread aspect, hints of maple and molasses.

T - Follows the nose, applesauce and honey sweetness, mild acidity, brisk apple juice notes, a bit of apple skin bitterness, then a trailing dance of fruity sweetness over the dry finish.

M - Brisk on the tongue, moderate weight, mild close.

O - This is not the cleanest, brightest version of a Tripel I've had, but it is still quite drinkable.

Mar 29, 2019

ZAP from Minnesota

3.51/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

L-Slightly hazy yellow colored...spritzy carbonation bubbles.

S-Fruity with ripe pears and apples lead the way...slightly floral

T-Sweet honey bread maltiness....fruit impression remain the same as the aroma. Very light white pepper like spiciness.

F-Medium to full bodied. A bit syrupy. Carbonation seems about right.

O-Decent enough but a bit too sweet with the honey like impressions. I just looked at the date on the bottle and it is bottled on 10/18/16 so maybe the age on this softened the spiciness and brought up the sweetness.

Jul 16, 2018

dd53grif from Michigan

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy golden color with a minimal head that disappears quickly. Aroma is vanilla, fruit and a bit of alcohol. Smooth and crisp. A hint of pineapple. Good mouth feel.

Apr 29, 2018

ajm5108 from Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Perfectly fine American style tripel - meaning it focuses a lot of the banana / fruity phenol notes while having very little of the classic Belgian yeast quality that supports and balances it out. Good just one dimensional

Mar 19, 2018

DJinVT from Vermont

4.06/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Poured 6oz into a tulip glass from a 12oz dark brown bottle. Beer is a nice golden copper color with a bit of haze. about 1/2 inch of bright white head that cut out at a pretty quick pace. Aroma of banana/apples (70/30) with a hint of coriander. A lot of other interesting aromas mixed but my novice tasting skills couldn't put a label on them. The flavor was fairly sweet with up front tastes of banana, apples, a good dose of Belgian yeast and a bit of floral hopiness. Sensing spices of clove and just a hint of coriander. Not tasting the alcohol but its making its presence known. Finish is apples and touch of tannin. Quite crisp and dry in the mouth. Definitely would recommend this brew!

Mar 17, 2018

tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of fruits, yeast. Taste is fruity, banana stands out, spices, some yeast, alcohol is making it's presence felt. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Jan 17, 2018

Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.89/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottled 04/11/2017.
This was poured into a chalice.
The appearance was a nice golden copper color with a nice looking transparency about it. Finger's worth of white foamy head that cut off at a decent pace. Moderate sticky lace clung at the sides nicely.
The aroma arranged finely a mixture of sweet red delicious apples, some banana sweetness, crushed cloves, "iced" coriander, light floral hop bits, and a delicate tropical fruity estery underscore.
The flavor was mildly sweet enveloping the apples, some Belgian yeast, tropical fruits, banana and the floral hop qualities. Spices such as the clove and coriander were a bit lighter and seemingly well meshed. Aftertaste was mild, yet semi-apple-like with the clove and a delicate tropical fruitiness.
The mouthfeel was semi-dry with a clenching grip of the spice, semi-harsh, but not invasive. I'd say this was between light and medium bodied making this a bit more of a so-called "session Tripel" if that's such a thing. Carbonation did feel fine. ABV felt as projected.
Overall, pretty nice as a Tripel, a bit Americanized, but the aromas and flavors are what really shined in this one.

Dec 13, 2017

woodychandler from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

My last beer of New Beer Sunday (Week 664). It began as an Atwater Brewery horizontal, but as the day wore on, it morphed into a New Michigan Beer Sunday.

From the bottle: "Elusive, mysterious, and alluring. Hints of banana lie within layers of fruity esters which are balanced by a slight spiciness and a drying sweetness."; "Pairings: Melon, Berries, Semi-Hard Cheese, and Ginger."

Having Pop!ped the last cap of the day & feeling the fatigue that accompanies all of it, I went with a slow, gentle pour followed by an in-glass swirl. This last raised just under two fingers of dense, foamy, bone-white head with moderate retention, slowly falling away to form some decent lacing. Color was Golden-Amber (SRM = > 5, > 7) with NE-quality clarity. Nose smelled like blackened bananas! Lest you think that I am kidding, I was in the S.F. Bay Area in the late-1980s as foodies became prevalent. I remember one columnist asking "Why must I have blackened redfish? Why can't I have reddened blackfish?", alluding to the practice of encrusting everything in black pepper before cooking. This tasted like a banana encrusted in black pepper! Mouthfeel was medium. The taste was even more peppery than the nose with the banana at a close second. Phew! Finish was intensely dry. Hey, I have an idea - next time, let's douse it in brandy, set it aflame & serve it as "Black Bananas Tulip Foster"? Phew.

Nov 13, 2017

jwilcox767 from Ohio

4.19/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - Cloudy light tan/orange hue, finger of head that sticks around.
S - Typical Belgian yeast up front, a little bit of spice, vanilla.
T - Great tropical notes on top of the typical Belgian tripel yeast and hop profile. Hard to pinpoint the other elements.
M - Excellent, medium/full bodied. Warmth from the alcohol.
O - A great take on a Belgian tripel by an American brewer. I'll drink it anytime and I have no idea why it is currently 'only' an 87...

Sep 14, 2017

CraftPicks from Indiana

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sweet banana front. Bread middle. Dark spice back. Dry. Light medium body and carbonation. Clear golden color. Low head. Good lacing. Consistent experience from beginning to end.

Sep 09, 2017

Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a single-serve into a tulip.

My only gripe with New Holland's takes on Belgians is how clear they are. This one is no exception--it's uncommonly clear for the style. Still, it's a very nice looking beer. A beautiful copper-gold color, with a fast-dissipating head, but some awesome lacing.

The aromas are pretty complex for an American take. Floral notes are immediately apparent, with apple, light-fleshed stone fruit, tropical esters and vanilla. Classic white pepper aromas also present. Not intense, but pretty balanced.

The flavor is--pretty dang smooth, and pretty darn spot on. It may not "look" like a tripel, but it sure tastes like a native-son. The classic Belgian sweetness is there, but white pepper, some solid but not bitter hops, and phenolic notes (clove/allspice) show up too. The booze is "there" but more as a "warmth" than a bite. Not offputting. Pretty tasty.

The mouthfeel is probably the best aspect. Medium bodied, well-carbonated, and crisp and light at the finish. Eminently drinkable, especially considering the 9% ABV.

I'm probably not as "HIGH" on this one as some others are but, then, I'm a Belgian style "snob." That said, for an American take, this is a damn-fine representation of the tripel style.

Aug 19, 2017

JamieDuncan from Maryland

4.37/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I do not tend to write many reviews, but wanted to comment of this beer. New Holland did a pretty good job here. Not sure why everyone is crushing this one. I think it is a pretty strong offering and believe that if it was from Belgium everyone would rate it up. There is an obvious bias toward IPA and Stout in US but this is pretty good offering if you are a fan of the Belgians.

Jul 14, 2017

bbtkd from South Dakota

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New Holland Black Tulip, 9% ABV, Tripel. Pours medium viscosity and cloudy pale orange, with a one finger white head. Nose is malty with a bit of citrus, banana, and sweetness. Taste follows, with a bit of a bitter hop close. Excellent mouthfeel, overall excellent.

Jun 15, 2017

hoptheology from South Dakota

3.87/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Beautiful clear golden color with a firm fluffy cap of 1/2 finger.

Lots of yeasty aromas out front, with some slight medicinal alcohol, lemon rinds, hydrogen peroxide.

Flavor is much better with rich yeast, banana, clove, bubble gum, and cleaning alcohol. Slight phenolic and blueberry character.

Heavy carbonation hits and leaves with some dry alcohol burn.

Overall this is a solid beer worthy of a whole 4 pack purchase. Well executed.

Apr 03, 2017

dillivered from Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have to go with the bros on this one. With the possible exception of a beer I sank into a nonsensical pile of drunken 'Mmm's over somewhere in Boulder right before my memory stopped accepting new entries, this is in fact my favorite beer in the world. To each their own, so, don't knock me until you've sipped it yourself.

4.5 across the board. I'm only leaving room for the future yeast unicorns I hope to one day wrangle. I'm no loyalist. If something can top the experience I have draining these delicious Black Tulips, I will proceed to move Black Tulips down my list. Until then, this stuff is my god. Please note the lower case 'g', fanatics, thank you.

Look: It looks like an innocent American "Lite" beer, but with a nice rich ring of foam consisting of near microscopic bubbles around the glass. Right after the pour, the foam is thin but fairly persistent. With a beer like this I don't think you want too much foam, it would be in the way, so it's perfect as far as I'm concerned. As you drink, it recedes to the edges.

Smell: Intoxicating. New Holland Brewery says hint of rock candy and bananas, and they mean it. It starts with the smell and...

Taste: You get the bananas and rock candy from nose to swallow, almost right up to the end. Others mentioned things like lemon grass, and I think that is probably accurate. What I will say is that it is not a wheat beer kind of fruity, and it is not an IPA kind of floral. It is just unique.

Feel: It feels like the petal of a Black Tulip. That is the best way I can put it. If you have ever touched a tulip petal with your finger, translate that into a liquid gliding over your tongue. That, to me, is an absolutely precise description.

Some concessions. While this is my favorite beer and all of its quirks are god to me, you may not like the strength of the fumes in your nose if you're sensitive to alcohol. I am not sure how to explain that, but it is a "high gravity" ale and the alcohol tingle in your nose could distract you, but to be honest it doesn't compare to the alcohol burn of liquor, so if you don't have a problem with liquor you are just not going to complain. There is a bitterness that will linger on your tongue, but those of you who enjoy heavy hops probably will not be distracted by that. There is a bit of a tang to it that could distract those who don't like any hint of citrus in their beers.

Black Tulip... Is my beer god.

Feb 02, 2017

EMV from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Delerium Tremens tulip

L: Pours a cloudy medium golden color. Three fingers of foamy white lacing leave a boatload of lacing.

S: Ripe fruit and Belgian yeast... peach, banana, clove, and apricot. Phenolic and spicy.

T/F: Very complex flavor... lots of fruit and spice, with pineapple and apricot. Lemongrass, clove, and coriander. Great carbonation. A bit zesty on the tongue and medium in body. A reasonable dose of hop bitterness and citrus at the finish.

O: Probably the best American Tripel I've tasted. Great quality and depth of flavor, and this beer really hit the spot.

Dec 17, 2016

azurel from Michigan

4.13/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

2016 version of New Holland Black Tulip
Poured into a tulip, pours a cloudy golden color, egg white thin head that dissipates quickly.

Aroma is wet hay, horse blanket,underlying sweetness, spice, pear, banana. Typical of style....

Taste is sweet, spicy reminiscent of clove, pepper, sense of pear, banana light alcohol on the finish.

Mouth feel is full, carbonation is fine spritzie... A decent Belgian triple....

Dec 11, 2016

GuyFawkes from Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

2015 vintage; drank 3/23/15 @ the Yarchives.

Poured from the bottle into a glass.

See-through pale orange appearance.

White head; strong lace.

Banana, clove, mild black pepper & faint orange citrus notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Banana & mild honey flavors up front; apple cider notes on the finish. Black pepper bite settled on my lips over the course of the session. Flavorful & not very boozy. I don't love the style but this was nice!

Dec 08, 2016

Smk54 from Ohio

4.41/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber into tulip glasses. Hazy deep copper color with off white head that quickly dissipated into lots of rings of lacing. Strong champagne yeast notes. Lots of malt. Smooth. Maybe the smoothest ale I've ever tasted. Caramel and coffee. I do not get sweetness, but there is certainly no bitterness.
This is a real treat. I hope to pick up some more soon!

Feb 19, 2016

Raime from Greenland

3.9/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New Holland Black Tulip.

New Holland has always been one of my favorite breweries. Still think Mad Hatter is one of the best IPAs of all time. Usually these guys do a pretty solid job on almost everything they pump out of those tanks. Tonight has been a rather disappointing, though not terrible time for beer. Enough talk, can't wait to feel the 9% ABV of this one creeping through my veins.

Look - From the twelve ounce bottle directly into a pint glass. Pours a murky copper with a finger and a half of thick slighlty off white head that sticks around for quite some time thus far. Brew appears to be slightly murky in nature. Carbonation is high, rushing like soldiers on a battlefield in midevial times towards their enemies and moving with enough haste to give Usain Bolt a run for his money. Lacing is sticky on nature though quite spotty.

Smell - Classic Tripel wet hay and horse blanket nose on the get go. Followed by some fruity esters that appear to be plum and ripened apple in nature. Smidge of cherry esque sweetness amd a touch of darkness to round things out. Almost smells like a Dubbel meet a Tripel and they had sexual intercourse and produced this thing. Guess somebody forgot the condoms.

Taste - Big dosages of sweet, and I mean sweeeeet banana esters ln this taste profile. Some sweet and nearly dark breads make an appearance as well and I'm given something that almost comes off as cherry in nature. Alcohol is ever present as you'd expect for a brighter higher than your average bear ABV beer. The horse blanket and hay aspects also make themselves noticed. Tastes like a farmer grew some bananas and covered them in a horse blanket on the rainy days. Boom, gimme a medal.

Feel - Body is moderate and highly creamy due to the fact the head retains so well. Carbonation remains very light and the beer swallows easy with a moderate level of alcohol being prevelant. Letting the beer sit reveals more sweetness, though it never once becomes cloying to the taste buds or in general.

Overall - I liked this one. Definitely one of my favorite Tripels. One thing I noticed about this beer is that you need to plug your nose while drinking it to really ignore that monster dextrine dosage as it goes down the gullet. Tastes better than it smells but it doesn't smell too bad either. The alcohol is present as expected for the ABV, But I could have another assuming I don't need to go anywhere anytime soon. Wouldn't call it sessionable, but good drinking at the least.

Oct 17, 2015

Tripel_Threat from Michigan

3.79/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured from bottle to two tulips for a split. Golden in color, with a light ring of head that's gone in no time. Active carbonation. Aroma and taste square with the style, hits all the right notes. However, there is a strong boozy heat flavor that is overpowering at first that vanishes after a little while.

Jul 12, 2015

pat61 from Minnesota

4.73/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Had on tap at the Pig & Fiddle and from a 12 oz. bottle.
L: Pours brilliant amber under a 2” clingy white to cream colored persistent foam collar.
S: Smells like a springtime meadow with a floral, herbal earthiness.
T: Slightly sweet, fruit, caramel, traces of chocolate, hint of banana, citrus, lightly tart, traces of root beer.
F: Very smooth and creamy, medium full body, slightly above medium carbonation.
O: A big, full flavored, complex easy to drink beer.

Jul 04, 2015

303beer from Colorado

3.87/5  rDev -2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly cloudy light copper color. Not much head to it. Light sweet smell. Tastes good. Little sweet to start and a touch of alcohol then turns to a nice malt kinda bready. Like it. Oh and this page says the abv is 9 %. Says very clear on the label 10.5%

Jun 12, 2015

ElevinoFive from Michigan

4.9/5  rDev +24.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This is a table-talking, house-dividing, "sit down and let's take another look" beer. It's proof that beer snobbery is not a "real" thing, but rather a difference in palate. Oh- and it tastes ideal just below room temp and you need only order one.

Jun 11, 2015

StoneTSR from Colorado

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

APPEARANCE: Poured into a tulip a 14 oz. tulip glass and the eggshell white foam crowned a couple of millimeters over the rim. Head retention is pretty good, especially, the last 25% of it, which really lingered a long time, maybe 5-7 minutes or so. The beer underneath is very slightly hazy and a touch darker of a shade of orange than many other Tripels I’ve had. The lacing is gorgeous, cathedral-like, but still with good coverage.

SMELL: The pineapple in here is strong. Floral notes and vanilla round it out along with peach, banana, apricot and maybe a touch of orange.

TASTE: Lots going on in Black Tulip. For starters, the fruity esters of the Belgian yeast come through in a big way with banana, a little strawberry and some clove-like spice. As the beer warms some honey and darker fruits make an appearance. Some hops provide a little balance and some of that vanilla, peach and pineapple from the nose come through to round it out.

MOUTHFEEL: Solidly sweet through most of the sip with a finish that is drying, although it remains on the sweeter side. The contrast from start to finish, though, creates a very slight puckering. The carbonation is middle of the road and provides just the right amount of tickle on the tongue.

OVERALL: This beer has been in our market for a little while now and I passed it up, but I will certainly be reaching for it again. It would normally be a little on the sweet side for me, but the delicious blend of fruits, vanilla, honey and hops make this very drinkable.

May 25, 2015