Dragon's Milk x Dungeons & Dragons: D20 Brew (Silver Dragon Edition)
New Holland Brewing Company

A $49.00 bottle of beer at my local Lee's on sale for $9.99, so I had to buy it, right? I even checked with the cashier first to make sure it wasn't a mistake, but no, $9.99 it was. I'm a Dragon's Milk fan, but normally would not be sure how/when I would drink a 20% ABV version, and don't know squat about Dungeons & Dragons, however drank half the bottle very slowly and corked the bottle for another night. I tasted/felt the alcohol right away, but liked the taste and aroma. A unique experience.
If it's still on sale next time I'm at Lees, I'll buy another bottle and invite a couple of D&D friends over to help me drink it.
P.S. This is the first waxed top bottle I've found that had a tab you could pull to remove the wax around the cap to make it easy to open. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! An extra .25 to the rating just for that.

22 oz. Bomber
Sliver Wax
Limited Edition 2025
Bottled: 20250925

WOW! 20% ABV

Poured into a Westy glass a very nice dark brown/black color, very nice carbonation, with a very nice thick/creamy one-finger tan head, which also leaves a very nice huge oil slick and some pretty nice sticky lacing behind. The nose is very nice, malty, hoppy, with a very nice touch of chocolate/toffee, bourbon, oak, vanilla, licorice. The taste is very nice, malty, hoppy, very nice touch of chocolate, toffee, bourbon, very nice oakyness, vanilla, licorice. Full Body, ABV is hidden very nicely, this is a very tasty complex brew. Overall, definitely worth checking out, very nice/but expensive.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown with little light transmission in the glass and a thin khaki head that dissipates to very sparse patches with slight lacing. Aroma of dark toasted malt, vanilla, bourbon, light cocoa, a hint of wood; not much alcohol burn considering the ABV. Flavor is dark toasted malt, vanilla extract, bourbon, light cocoa, licorice and oaky wood. Hot finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I grabbed this as a new Dragon's Milk variant and did not notice the price point until I was checking out, but got it anyway as a novelty. Also was surprised to see the ABV when I got home; whoa. I'm not convinced that big ABV beers are a great idea, and this is an example. To be clear: it tastes great, and has a good hand on the vanilla balance. I can taste the classic Dragon's Milk malt base underneath, but it is nearly overwhelmed by the high alcohol; it's not the most robust in flavor depth, although I'm a fan of the porter variants. It is interesting that the initial taste has very little alcohol burn; it could be mistaken for something in the 10% range, but the finish is quite hot. I mentioned vanilla extract in the flavor notes not because it tastes artificial, but because it has a high alcohol component like an extract. Despite the burn and understated flavors, it really is pretty good and an interesting variant. I suppose a actual D&D dragon's milk should burn, so we were warned. A unique and unusual barrel aged stout that is worth a try if you can get it in an appropriate sized serving; the 22oz. bottle is overwhelming, but will presumably still taste good the next few days. I could really feel this one after half a glass. Flavorful, but powerful.

Dragon's Milk x Dungeons & Dragons: D20 Brew (Silver Dragon Edition) from New Holland Brewing. 22 fl oz bottle, purchased 20/03/26 from Franklin Beer, Franklin, PA. $ 52.00 (Including tax)/$ 2.36/fl oz). Stored at 40 degrees F at home. Reviewed 28/03/26, review 3715. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Stamped on shoulder “202509251539.” Served at 54.1 degrees F in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. The final temperature is 57.0 degrees F.
Appearance – 4.25
First pour – Deep Amber (SRM 15), clear.
Body – Ruby Brown (SRM 24), opaque. Under direct light, same. When rear-lit, ruby.
Head – Average (Maximum 1.5 cm, aggressive center pour) Sandy Tan, medium density and fizzy, short retention, rapidly dropping to a 0.2 – 0.3 cm bubble ring and a thin partial cap.
Lacing – None – not really expected at the ABV.
Aroma – 4.25 – Bourbon, chocolate, weak vanilla. No hops, no alcohol.
Flavor – 4.5 – Begins with bourbon, chocolate, and much less vanilla than the nose suggests. Slight roasted malt bitterness. No hops, no alcohol (20% as stamped on the label). No dimethylsulfide, no diacetyl. As we approach the final review temperature, some slightly bitter woodiness appears (tannin?). Distinct initial gastric burning which does mellow.
Palate – 4 – Medium to full: Slightly creamy: Soft but lively carbonation.
Style: Fits the BA description, other than the ABV.
Final impression and summation: 4.25 Uncredited label art. The 20% ABV is well hidden – you can tell the ABV is high, but I’d never guess 20% - more like 12%. Fortunately, I’m functionally literate and will save the rest of the bottle for later. Overall, good flavor and aroma – maybe the price point is worth it for D&D fetishists but it’s a bit steep for the average drinker.

 

 

22 oz bottle with silver colored wax seal

pours a black color, with thin layer of cream colored head that fades. boozy oaky bourbon aroma with underlying cocoa and a little vanilla. taste is barrel heavy too, and a bit hot which isn't a surprise at 20% abv. medium bodied, I would have liked some more body for this big of a beer. Drier finish

Black in color with a trace of light seeping through. No discernible head. The aroma is of vanilla and bourbon. I’m tasting a hefty dose of bourbon, vanilla, and chocolate. There’s a lot of alcohol flavor. The mouth is very boozy, dry, and thick.