Review 55: New Holland Oak Aged Hatter

Review 55

6/7/12

New Holland Oak Aged Hatter: 7.12% abv

With only a few days left until Hatter Day, we have another beer on the table, and this one is quite the interesting one. Another IPA, but aged in oak casks for that extra something. What is that extra something, and how does it affect this beer? We are here to tell you exactly that. New Holland will tell you Kentucky oak casks were used for aging this bugger, but it's not clear whether they mean new charred white oak casks, or used bourbon casks. 

Off of the tasting notes, we'll guess it had used bourbon in it. Speaking of which, here they are. On the nose, you can find caramel, vanilla, honey, lemon and orange, pineapple, malt, cream, with earthy and floral notes to boot. Not the most complex of Hatter noses, but sweeter and pleasant. The arrival in the taste is sweet and mellow, with apple, lemon, honey, malt, pine, slight pineapple, and vanilla all being introduced into the taste. There is a definite, but subtle sweetness to this beer that reflects the influence of bourbon oak aging and contradicts the IPA style, in a good way. 

The finish is medium-long, possessing notes of pineapple, pine, citrus, wheat, sugary sweetness and light spiciness. Overall, this beer is a good expression of a variation on IPAs, and we'd love to see more of this in the future. There was some discussion on how significant the influence of the oak was by the panel, and it could be possibly greater, but it still holds a unique character and is respected for that reason. Just don't expect a drastic transformation. 

Score: 8.5/10

Review 54: New Holland Black Hatter

Review 54

6/6/12

New Holland Black Hatter: 5.56% abv

Doesn't take a whole lot of education to guess what this one is. That's right: today's countdown to Hatter day is a black IPA. So what does the Black Hatter have to offer that grandpa White Hatter and the old classic do not. That's what we're here to answer, and to start, the picture reveals that extreme creepiness is a start. 

But onto the tasting notes. On the nose, one gets a bombardment of flavors, including apple, grape, pine, oak, orange, grapefruit, slight vanilla, whipping cream, minteral earthiness, with floral notes and a wet dewy grass smell as well. 

The taste doesn't fail to be equally as complex as the smell, with cream and vanilla on the arrival, malty notes, sweet and tangy citrus notes of lemon, lime and orange, and slight grapefruit. The finish closes the beer of with a nice long presence, being malty and having plenty of wheat and hops, as well as floral notes, vanilla, rye, lime, slight coffee, and a hint of nuttiness. This beer is complex in nature and well crafted, but not as balanced as desired, with more prominent citrus notes than anything. Still a very enjoyable beer. 

Score: 9.0/10



Review 53: New Holland White Hatter

Review 53
6/4/12
New Holland White Hatter: 5.5% abv

Continuing our countdown for hatter days, the next beer in line is the one with the old guy on it. This is a belgian-style pale ale, which means it is going to be a little less bitter than its IPA counterparts. Either way, this is a lighter style beer, and provides a contrast to the Mad Hatter/Imperial Hatter style.

On the nose, one can smell a nice balanced aroma, containing grape, mango, wheat, lemon, nutmeg, orange, pineapple, light fuji apple, a little bit of honey, and your standard pale ale bitterness with floral hops. The taste becomes less complex and thick, containing a grainy character, with orange, lemon, apple, lime nutmeg, and some floral influences. The finish is where things get a little disappointing.

The finish is grainy as well, with malt, grapefruit, wheat and pine being prominent notes, but also a large watery presence. The watery note might be intrinsic to this beer, but we believe it robs it of a deeper, more flavorful finish. This is still an enjoyable variation from the Mad Hatter, with a wonderful nose. It could use a little more of a finish, but it is still a good beer.

Score: 8.0/10

Review 52: New Holland Imperial Hatter

Review 52
6/3/12
New Holland Imperial Hatter: 9.38% abv

Another double IPA, and an introduction to our countdown to Hatter Day, June 16th. After having had the Mad Hatter IPA, we had a lot of respect for New Holland's IPA style. This one sits at a very reasonable percent, which is encouraging. So onto the tasting notes.

On the nose, like most of the higher percent IPAs we've had, most of the flavo...rs were balanced and well blended. There is strong notes of honey, earthiness, subtle hops, lemon, orange, pear, white grape, pineapple, and caramel on the nose. The taste contains caramel, lemon, with a slightly creamy arrival (which struck us as odd for an IPA), honey, molasses, apple, and grape on the arrival, with a slight hint of nutmeg. The taste is very complex, very refreshing, and considerably better than the Mad Hatter.

The finish is very long, containing vanilla, grapefruit, orange, nutmeg, a slight bitterness and lemon after a few seconds, with the same creaminess as in the arrival. This is an incredibly well crafted IPA, and deserves to be looked at. Taste and enjoy.

Score: 9.5/10