| DUNKLES & JAFFA CAKES |
| Return to Ian's Page |
| IAN'S NEW HOLLAND REVIEW |
New Holland Brewery AutumnFest 2006.
Forgetting the Ohio/Michigan rivalry, I LIKE to visit Michigan -- it has a great outdoors feel to it (rather like being in Canada), and at just a
5-hour drive away, it also has the New Holland Brewing Co. where myself and Lady Roberts spent a long weekend there for the New Holland
Brewery AutumnFest in September 2006.
Holland is part of what's known as the Art Coast of Michigan, and the proliferation of artsy shops and galleries bears witness to this. Not
forgetting, a gorgeous sandy beach "coast-line" on the shores of Lake Michigan, and a bloody great red lighthouse, now an historic site. For
the botanists amongst us, Holland boasts a Tulip Festival every May featuring over a MILLION Tulips !
But, to the beers. Our visit to the brewery AutumnFest totalled several hours, and with no less than sixteen of their own beers on tap, plus two
ciders, one needed several hours for some serious drinking. Having said that, I ended up sticking to the on-tap beers that I really liked, as you
can't get any New Holland beers on tap in Ohio. Mind you, the horse & cart ride that we took, followed by a midnight Latte really rounded off a
splendid evening.
So....
1) Poor Richard's Brown Ale (6.5%). This ale is brewed with help from the Brewers Association, and is a recreation of the type of beer
Thomas Jefferson brewed for his pals while contemplating plans to irritate good King George III. It's very malty, with notes of aniseed. Now, I'm
an aniseed bloke, and would never say no to a good bottle of Ouzo, but Poor Richard's Ale had just too much of a malt taste for my likening.
Not a bad beer, but with plenty to pick from, this was a good one to get out of the way. 4/10.
2) Red Tulip Ale (6%). Their summer seasonal. Another malty epic, although considerably more bitter with less body than Poor Richard's
Ale. Rather like Morland's Tanner's Jack (read Greene King Tanner's Jack) on speed. Again, not really my cup of tea. 4/10.
3) Cabin Fever Ale (5.9%). A rather malty amber ale, with a hoppy undercurrent, reminiscent of the ghastly Eliot Ness Vienna-style Lager
from Great Lakes Brewing Co. Hoppy = good; Amber = dodgy. Unfortunately, the amber malts took control, giving us a decidingly dodgy beer.
2/10.
So, after three rounds we had Malts 3 Hops 0.
It had to get better, and in the second half, it did !
4) Mad Hatter IPA (5.5%). The very reason we were making this trip (at least on my part !). With Mad Hatter being a star at AleFest 2006, I
really had to try this stuff on tap -- and my goodness, it didn't disappoint ! On tap, the IPA is a little softer in taste, with less need to heavily hop
it (which is done in order to survive in bottled form). Mad Hatter is every bit as good as the superbly over-hopped Three Floyds IPA -- rich
and hoppy, with a delicious aftertaste. Worth the drive alone ! And, I might add, several pints of this little beauty were enjoyed by my good self.
11/10.
5) Mad Hatter IPA aged in oak whiskey barrels (11%+). Gordon Bennett -- What a ripper ! Did someone mention an ABV of over 11% ??!!
Smell the glass, and all you can smell is whisky. Drink the liquid and after a pint you're calling for an ambulance ! It's considerably sweeter
than the "normal" Mad Hatter, and the whisky certainly takes full control. A nice touch from the New Holland brewers, and not for those of a
nervous disposition. 9/10.
6) Black Tulip Trippel Ale (10%). They like strong beers in this part of the world. The only other Trippel I've had the misfortune to taste was
the horrific Great Lakes Brewing Co. Anniversary Ale. I mean, this ale was as rough as a badger's arse. Good job we had a clogged sink in
the house, as Anniversary Ale = Liquid Plumber.
Anyway, Black Tulip is their Spring seasonal "heavy gravity" ale. This is not a beer that you gulp down at at football match, with a bag of
soggy fish n' chips (while swearing at the opposing fans) -- I have learnt that a Trippel has to be sipped. And, it sips well. It's hoppy (a good
sign), with an almost candy sweetness to it. Quite syrupy too. I liked this beer a lot, and with my dear missus recently enjoying a bottle of
St.Bernabus Trippel Abbey Ale (8%) from Whole Foods Market, I picked up a bottle (22oz) of Black Tulip for her to enjoy at The Manor.
8/10.
7) Dragon's Milk Ale (9%). Oh shite, high-gravity ales rule in Michigan ! Dragon's Milk is their Winter "heavy gravity" ale, also aged in oak
whisky barrels. It's as dark as shite, and taste-wise, it has a bitter, caramel/vanilla/malty taste. Sort of what Porters should taste like, if they
didn't taste like absolute bollocks. The sweet whiskey counterbalances the malt bitterness (I think Michael Jackson would call this a "complex"
beer). 8/10.
A bit of a ripper, I bought a 22oz bottle of Dragon's Milk back for AleFest 2007 -- and much enjoyed it was by the drunken collection of darts
players -- "ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY !".
Cheers !
Forgetting the Ohio/Michigan rivalry, I LIKE to visit Michigan -- it has a great outdoors feel to it (rather like being in Canada), and at just a
5-hour drive away, it also has the New Holland Brewing Co. where myself and Lady Roberts spent a long weekend there for the New Holland
Brewery AutumnFest in September 2006.
Holland is part of what's known as the Art Coast of Michigan, and the proliferation of artsy shops and galleries bears witness to this. Not
forgetting, a gorgeous sandy beach "coast-line" on the shores of Lake Michigan, and a bloody great red lighthouse, now an historic site. For
the botanists amongst us, Holland boasts a Tulip Festival every May featuring over a MILLION Tulips !
But, to the beers. Our visit to the brewery AutumnFest totalled several hours, and with no less than sixteen of their own beers on tap, plus two
ciders, one needed several hours for some serious drinking. Having said that, I ended up sticking to the on-tap beers that I really liked, as you
can't get any New Holland beers on tap in Ohio. Mind you, the horse & cart ride that we took, followed by a midnight Latte really rounded off a
splendid evening.
So....
1) Poor Richard's Brown Ale (6.5%). This ale is brewed with help from the Brewers Association, and is a recreation of the type of beer
Thomas Jefferson brewed for his pals while contemplating plans to irritate good King George III. It's very malty, with notes of aniseed. Now, I'm
an aniseed bloke, and would never say no to a good bottle of Ouzo, but Poor Richard's Ale had just too much of a malt taste for my likening.
Not a bad beer, but with plenty to pick from, this was a good one to get out of the way. 4/10.
2) Red Tulip Ale (6%). Their summer seasonal. Another malty epic, although considerably more bitter with less body than Poor Richard's
Ale. Rather like Morland's Tanner's Jack (read Greene King Tanner's Jack) on speed. Again, not really my cup of tea. 4/10.
3) Cabin Fever Ale (5.9%). A rather malty amber ale, with a hoppy undercurrent, reminiscent of the ghastly Eliot Ness Vienna-style Lager
from Great Lakes Brewing Co. Hoppy = good; Amber = dodgy. Unfortunately, the amber malts took control, giving us a decidingly dodgy beer.
2/10.
So, after three rounds we had Malts 3 Hops 0.
It had to get better, and in the second half, it did !
4) Mad Hatter IPA (5.5%). The very reason we were making this trip (at least on my part !). With Mad Hatter being a star at AleFest 2006, I
really had to try this stuff on tap -- and my goodness, it didn't disappoint ! On tap, the IPA is a little softer in taste, with less need to heavily hop
it (which is done in order to survive in bottled form). Mad Hatter is every bit as good as the superbly over-hopped Three Floyds IPA -- rich
and hoppy, with a delicious aftertaste. Worth the drive alone ! And, I might add, several pints of this little beauty were enjoyed by my good self.
11/10.
5) Mad Hatter IPA aged in oak whiskey barrels (11%+). Gordon Bennett -- What a ripper ! Did someone mention an ABV of over 11% ??!!
Smell the glass, and all you can smell is whisky. Drink the liquid and after a pint you're calling for an ambulance ! It's considerably sweeter
than the "normal" Mad Hatter, and the whisky certainly takes full control. A nice touch from the New Holland brewers, and not for those of a
nervous disposition. 9/10.
6) Black Tulip Trippel Ale (10%). They like strong beers in this part of the world. The only other Trippel I've had the misfortune to taste was
the horrific Great Lakes Brewing Co. Anniversary Ale. I mean, this ale was as rough as a badger's arse. Good job we had a clogged sink in
the house, as Anniversary Ale = Liquid Plumber.
Anyway, Black Tulip is their Spring seasonal "heavy gravity" ale. This is not a beer that you gulp down at at football match, with a bag of
soggy fish n' chips (while swearing at the opposing fans) -- I have learnt that a Trippel has to be sipped. And, it sips well. It's hoppy (a good
sign), with an almost candy sweetness to it. Quite syrupy too. I liked this beer a lot, and with my dear missus recently enjoying a bottle of
St.Bernabus Trippel Abbey Ale (8%) from Whole Foods Market, I picked up a bottle (22oz) of Black Tulip for her to enjoy at The Manor.
8/10.
7) Dragon's Milk Ale (9%). Oh shite, high-gravity ales rule in Michigan ! Dragon's Milk is their Winter "heavy gravity" ale, also aged in oak
whisky barrels. It's as dark as shite, and taste-wise, it has a bitter, caramel/vanilla/malty taste. Sort of what Porters should taste like, if they
didn't taste like absolute bollocks. The sweet whiskey counterbalances the malt bitterness (I think Michael Jackson would call this a "complex"
beer). 8/10.
A bit of a ripper, I bought a 22oz bottle of Dragon's Milk back for AleFest 2007 -- and much enjoyed it was by the drunken collection of darts
players -- "ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY !".
Cheers !
