New Holland Existential Hopwine

Brewed by New Holland Brewing Company
Style: Barley Wine
Holland, Michigan USA

Bomber thanks to Axila for sharing. Pours a clear polished amber/copper/peachy color with a thin white head. Aroma is typical PNW hops- citrus, resin pine, but also some tropical fruits and cat piss in there. Very thin and lean malt presence- mostly hops all the way throuhg- more of a DIPA, than a BW actually- syrupy sweet malts but they lack body, orange zest, amarillo hops, and c-hops all around. Seemed a bit too clean and refined- hop bitterness was a bit slick actually.

Wow, what a huge disappointment. Pours cloudy orange copper and almost still. Really nice aroma, fruity and hopy, with notes of plum and cherry mixed with resiney, piney hops. Then it all goes wrong. Very thick and viscous, in a rather off-putting way, and completely dominated by sweet flavors. Syrupy, thick gooey sweet flavors. If you call your beer "hopwine", you raise certain expectations, like for instance, you beer will be hop forward. Not this one. The Bride called it Beer Schnapps, and I agree.

On draft.
Pours a ruby red in color with brownish undertones. Very big on the smell. You can tell right away that this is big beer. Plenty of malt and sweetness in the taste. Followed by some hops to help round it out. Not incredibly complex, but a good beer. Mouthfeel is huge and creamy. Slightly bittering as well.

Poured a clear amber color with a small, off white head that left light lacing on the glass. Aroma of pine, floral hops, caramel malts, bubblegum, and orange blossom honey. Taste of sweeter honey up front, with some caramel, but turning dry, and bitter. Grapefruits, citrus, and a bone-dry, mouth-buckling hoppy finish.

22oz bottle shared courtesy of axilla. Poured a medium and clear orangish color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of floral hops, citrus, and caramel. Tastes of floral, citrus, tropical fruits, and some sweet maltiness in there too. I would have pegged this one a Double IPA. Alcohol burn in the finish.

bottle (states a.b.v. is at 10.5%) no head at first pour but a very small off white head emerged around the rim that lasted. minimal lacing. murky burnt orange body. aromas of "oh my god that is huge!" moderate sweet caramel and malts and light citrus hops, also some ripe fruits. flavor is also huge- initially sweet but finishes more balanced bitter/sweet. syrupy full mouthfeel, long finish duration, and flat carbonation. alcohol is well very hidden. This one might have been a little to big at the expense of the barley wine.

The definition of cloying sweetness. A hop tea sugar bomb. This beer was a chewy, all over the place mess. Very medicinal. Big alcohol burn. The hop flavor clashes big time with the malt to produce an astringent flavor right off the bat. The finish is hot, sticky and off-putting. Maybe lots of time could help this Frankenstein of a beer. Maybe not. Either way, almost undrinkable at this stage in it’s life and at almost $10. Big alcohol and loads of hops does not always a good beer make.

Thanks to RagallachMC for the bomber. Clear orange/amber with a thin wisp of a head. Aroma of caramel, toffee and piney hops. Some apricot and citrus hops also in the taste, as well as some floral/honey sweetness. Mostly dry flavor, overall. A big, brash, American hop clinic. Not bad at all, but nothing amazing.