Dragon's Milk Reserve - Bourbon Barrel & Maple Syrup Aged Stout

New Holland can always be depended upon to brew a fine stout and Dragon's Milk Reserve is no exception. Playing a variation on the theme established by the original Dragon's Milk, Reserve hits all the right notes. Like the original, Reserve pours dark and viscous, with a frothy khaki head. Aged, not only in bourbon barrels, but in maple syrup barrels, we're treated to a breakasty mapleness as well as the heady bourbonity. (Several of the preceding words will be found in dictionary)

Primarily the taste buds encounter an unsurprising sweetness, followed with little delay by some luscious alcohol heat and the unmistakable elegant hint of bourbon. As this prince among stouts attains room temperature a veritable cornucopia of flavors springs into action: chicory, walnut, black cherry, vanilla and dark chocolate. In short, an interesting and complex brew.

New Holland Dragon's Milk White

There's plenty of sayings out there referring to the "I don't like dark beer" people: "Dark isn't a flavor" and "Don't be afraid of the Dark" are two. I've always said that the color of the beer has little or nothing to do with its flavor, heaviness or alcohol content, despite prevailing myths. I've done many reviews of dark-colored beers like Black IPA's, Black Lagers and various Belgian brews that are as light as their golden hued cousins. But today we're going to look at a stout, and an oak bourbon barrel aged stout no less, that isn't dark...not even close.

The brewery is New Holland and the beer is Dragon's Milk White. Five years ago this moth I first experienced Dragon's Milk https://ill-gottenbooty.blogspot.com/2014/08/dragons-milk-bourbon-barrel-stout.html - it's still one of my favorite bourbon barrel stouts.

Dragon's Milk White pours an apricot hue, a color you might expect from an IPA, with a scanty white head. Close your eyes though, and you'll swear it's a dark brown with a tan head. Don't let your eyes deceive you, it's every bit a stout! The bourbon flavor is evident from the first sip, and more so as it achieves room temperature. Caramel, toffee, vanilla and milk chocolate all join together in a symphony of flavor. The biggest difference between White and the original Dragon's Milk is the ABV. The original weighs in at 11% alcohol while the white is only 6%, which doesn't make it exactly sessionable, but you could surely have more than one or two before having to switch to something cheaper! (Like Hamm's! - just kidding)