Review 137: New Holland Night Tripper

Review 137

2/1/13

New Holland Night Tripper: 10.8% abv

Background: We’ve talked a little bit about New Holland. In fact, when we started doing reviews, we started with New Holland as a brewery, so there has been some discussion. Just recently we visited their quaint brewing operation and saw what could only be described as breath-taking: a room full of barrels aging Dragon’s Milk. That brings up a good point. Dragon’s Milk is now New Holland’s highest selling beer, having surpassed Mad Hatter as number one. One could say New Holland knows how to make a dark beer, and we couldn’t agree more. That’s why we were skeptical about Night Tripper, an imperial stout aged in oak that comes out once a year. Could this beer really be worth waiting for, when Dragon’s Milk is always available? They do sound very similar when you chart them next to each other. Both aged in oak, both black as night, and 10% compared to 11%. So you might think this is a gimmick. It isn’t.

Nose: Chocolate, brown sugar, coffee, caramel, apple, malty, pear, vanilla, light butterscotch, raisons, slightly dry, dark, crisp, smooth, balanced

Arrival: Coffee, chocolate-covered strawberries, slight citrus, toffee, apple, vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, refreshing, fruit, blackberry

Body: Coffee, brownies, rich fudge, cherry, sweet, slight tartness, toffee, crisp apple, butterscotch, oatmeal

Finish: Roasted coffee, malt, chocolate, slightly bitter grapefruit and hops, vanilla, pecans, boozy, raisony, wheat, apple

Final Comments: What can we say about this? This is quite a killer stout. It’s complex, but unlike other stouts out there, it balances between different flavor profiles without overwhelming you with the dark notes generally associated with a stout. So it is sort of an oxymoron, but you can find out for yourself. Is it like Dragon’s Milk? It isn’t nearly as creamy, and it is a different kind of stout all together. Better or worse? We’d like to say better, but you will have to find out for yourself.

Why you’d buy it: Find a reason why you can’t. I can’t think of one.

Why you wouldn’t: Read the above comment

Score: 9.75/10

Review 59: Four Witches Black Saison

Review 59

6/13/12

Four Witches Black Saison: 7.3% abv

The Black Saison style beer is the first of which we have reviewed. For a small bit of background on this beer, this particular brew has never been bottled before by New Holland, so we went to the front lines to provide you with the inside scoop on if it's a worthy buy. And if it is, it is only a small batch seasonal, so start looking! 

The nose consisted of peppermint, vanilla, cream, mixed berries, melon, banana, with a hint of lemon at the end. The taste had the typical flavors of darker beers including coffee, chocolate, and vanilla cream but it also had a few tangy notes such as apple, orange, and basil. The beer finished with the taste of orange, vanilla, malt, and wheat, cream, apple, coffee, and chocolate. 

Overall this beer made a good impression upon us due to its interesting blend of characteristics from darker and lighter beers. However, we felt that the finish and the taste lacked complexity and left more to be desired. Still a well priced and admirable statement by New Holland. Pick it up if you get the chance.

Score: 8.5/10

Review 58: New Holland Charkoota Rye

Review 58

6/12/12

New Holland Charkoota Rye: 7.79% abv

Yup, it's a lager. Not like lagers you would know though. Not like lagers anybody knows. This is a smoked dopplebock, so for the people out there who don't speak German, that's a heavy lager. That should be evident in it's color. And I'll be honest, this is probably the most unique beer we've ever tasted, good, bad or indifferent. 

Disclaimer: None of the tasting notes in this review have been exaggerated at all. Beware. Onto the nose. On the nose, the one that will punch you in the face is the smell of smoked mesquite, with further notes of chocolate, vanilla, raisons, cinnamon, sweet potato, coffee, rye, tartar sauce, nutmeg, smoked pig skin, and slight hay. Like I said, I wish I was making this up, but this is all part of what this beer smells like. Onto the taste, you'll be shocked to find it's just as bazaar. The taste is HUGELY smokey, with an oddly out of place creaminess to it, coffee, cherry, caramel, root beer, malt, molasses, and strawberry. Don't worry, it get's better in the finish. 

On the finish, there is root beer, spicy beef jerky, bacon, cherry and coffee. The finish is long and prominent, so you won't forget what you're tasting for a while. This beer is not BAD by any means, but chances are, you won't like it. It represents everything a beer should be: complex, unique, and of good quality. Just beware...We can't mark it down for being so darn outlandish, so we still gave it a mark for a high quality beer. 

Score: 8.5/10

Review 57: New Holland Farmhouse Hatter

Review 57

6/9/12

New Holland Farmhouse Hatter: 5.8% abv

Today is the day. If you like IPAs and PAs, go around and find something New Holland and enjoy. Today, we have a farmhouse IPA, which New Holland will tell you is a refreshing beverage to enjoy while you're working on the farm. So for all you farmers out there, we want to help you decide whether this is the beer for you. Here are the answers. 

On the nose, we were surprised to find fresh mint at the front of the smell, along with pine, apple, pear, light lemon rind, brown sugar, ginger, herbal incense, honeydew, honey and a bourbon-like vanilla smell. The smell is the most unique of the New Holland line Mad Hatter line. The taste is also incredibly unique, showing basil, mint, citrus, honey, molasses, earthy, orange and lemon on the arrival, malty, green apple, and just zesty in taste. 

The finish is medium-short, having honey, basil, slight smokiness, what, malt, mint, green apple, and slight dryness. It's unfortunate that the finish is so short, because this unique statement by New Holland is amazing. Besides the shortness of the finish, this beer is worth every penny. Highly recommended. 

Score: 9.5/10

Review 56: New Holland Rye Hatter

Review 56

6/8/12

New Holland Rye Hatter: 6.12% abv

We're still counting down. And tonight, we're counting down with some malted rye. This one represents a very different style in the hatter family. Besides the nice color, there is a lot to be had from this one, and so I'll just jump past the gumpy overalls guy and move onto the tasting notes. 

On the nose, we have caramel, malt, hops, lemon, honey, ginger, slight pine, anise, vanilla, and a rum-like sugarcane note, coupled with slight earthiness. The nose is one of the most complex noses in the Hatter family, and also pleasant and blended. The taste is creamy, with lemon, pine, hops, malt, rye, caramel, a spicy character, malt, apple, and sugarcane. This is again very complex and pleasant. The finish is spicy and bitter,with grapefruit, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon and lasts quite a while. 

It is definitely a long finish, although it does not provide nearly the complexity and quality as the taste and nose. Overall, this is great beer, with a slightly less complex finish and unbalanced taste, with a stronger tartness. Definitely worth trying.

Score: 9.0/10

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