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