Style: Imperial Stout
ABV: 10%
I've seen it on the shelves numerous times; With it's wrapped tin-foil top and dragon emblem on the front but I never really bothered to check it out for reasons which I really cannot explain, even though I'm a diehard Imperial Stout fan. I decided that needed to changed and picked up a bottle of New Holland Dragon's Milk last week to check it out, plus anything barrel aged is enough for me to check it out.
I've never really had the opportunity to try New Holland's full lineup; The only other beer I've tried out from them is their Golden Cap Saison Ale, which is fantastic if you have not tried it out yet! So I'll see what all this is about.
Dragon's Milk pours a pitch black color with a faint crimson tinge on the very bottom. Not really much in terms of head, but it does leave behind a ton of lacing.
Even before taking a closer whiff, I could already smell it from 2-3 feet away. The nose has some very rich milk chocolate, vanilla, bourbon, oak and roasted malts. By smelling this, you can tell that this was clearly barrel aged and it smells fantastic!
I thought the aroma was nice, but it's nothing compared to how it actually tastes. Every milk chocolate, vanilla/bourbon, and oak note that was in the nose is in the flavor with a vengeance! Every aspect of the flavor is rich & complex with only a slight boozy taste that becomes noticeable more it warms up.
On top of everything else, it's got a very creamy and smooth body. It's heavy but thanks to the subdued carbonation, it feels like I'm drinking liquid silk; It's that smooth!
I've had many Imperial Stouts before, both good and bad. With that in mind, I feel this is now among my favorites of the Imperial Stout Style. New Holland did a great job making this beer and you can tell they put a great deal of care into making this. My only complaint is that I didn't try this out sooner!
New Holland Dragon's Milk - 9.75/10
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