New Holland Existential Hopwine

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

Advertised as a IIPA at the Bocktown. Clear and slightly darker than the ubiquitous pale lager. Creamy head. Turns tea froth after a few minutes. Perfumery on the olfactory. Aroma of hops and of course, piny spruce hops. thick mouth coating syrupy palate. Way too much alky for this lager lover. Virtually no carbonation. Comes across like any other barley wine. Finish is bitter medicine like a DPA. On style.

I’m leaning towards barley wine in the vein of Old Ruffian and Bigfoot. Sort of a dark orange color with a fairly thick and lasting white head. Flavor smacks you in the face with thick resiny hops before allowing you to experience a millisecond of caramel. Suddenly everything sort of turns to shit as a overdone alcohol finish dominates your palate. But it’s not so bad that you don’t want to experience the start. Repeat this about 10-15 times and suddenly you’ve got a buzz going. Share this one if you plan on rating any more beers that night.

Pours clear, dark copper, with a one-inch head of white that disperses quickly. A few dots of lacework and a placid surface remain. Aromatics are heavy on conifer pine, resinous hops, sap-seeped bark, and alcohol. Fresh cedar pulls through, as well as a hint of cinnamon. Spicy, resinous, and alcoholic. Medium bodied, slick and syrupy. The carbonation is low and doesn’t do the beer justice. Spruce dew, hop oil, and citrus-spiked alcohol lead off the pallet. Tasting much like a barleywine, with a bit less malt. Bitterness is firm and sustaining but not over-the-top. Slightly sweet and very resinous. Finishes with plenty of thinning alcohol and pine-spiked hop oil. The aromatics could especially benefit from a more lively carbonation level, and the drinkablity would be boosted as well. Otherwise, a very big and strong IIPA. I could see this one getting you wrecked.

The pour is a light amber with a thin off white head. The nose is strong citrus and hops, followed sweeter tones of caramel and malt. The flavor is crisp, citrus and floral hops, balanced nicely with sweeter caramel and malt. The Question is, is this a hoppy barleywine or a really big IPA?

Bottled. An amber beer with a thin beige head. The aroma is slightly hoppy giving it a flowery touch. The flavor is sweet malty with notes of caramel, and a light citrusy hoppy note.

Bottle. Light amber pour, thin head. Huge, bitter hop flavor. Both herbal and citrusy. Alcohol was well hidden for 11.1%.

I did not realize this was a BW. I thought it was a IIPA. Very piney aroma with a huge hop bomb explosion on the tongue. Nice

Clear amber pour with a thin white head. Aroma is strong candy sugar and some heavy malts. Flavor up front is raisins and caramel with some nice tangerine and mango hops. Some booze and pine rounded it out. Finishes slightly sweet with a small bitter push at the end, noticeably boozy. I think I drank this one a little too late.