Today we have a treat, a beer barrel aged bourbon from New Holland Distilling. New Holland Brewing is known for making the Dragon’s Milk, a stout aged in bourbon barrels, and this whiskey tastes like it uses the barrels from those beers to finish this whiskey. Let’s jump right into it.
Nose: The New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon has a very creamy nose, with some notes of vanilla, sweetness, and oak. The stout beer comes through on the nose with the cream notes, and really invites you into the sip.
Palate: The palate on this one has a sweet front, that moves into a toffee and caramel on the mid palate. The whole sip coats the mouth right from the beginning, and it doesn’t stop when the finish the hits. The stout beer has a large influence on the finish, bringing the cream notes from the nose back to the front of your mind. The whiskey is soft, and feels chewy, full bodied and has a lingering finish. It is easy to drink, complex, and very tasty.
After a few sips to get to know the whiskey, we added a little splash of water. The water brings out a little more of the toffee and caramel, but doesn’t detract from the whiskey. Even with the splash of water, the whiskey is still full bodied and creamy, with a lingering finish.
Angie and myself each tasted this, and it’s time for our rating. Angie gives this an 88/100. I went higher, with a 92/100.
Overall, the New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon earns a 90/100. If you find this, I definitely recommend picking up a bottle.
