New Holland Pilgrims Dole

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

10/4/08:Bottle.
Light brown body. Nose of Sherry cask. Oh dear God, this BW was TERRIBLE. Flavor is way wrong, rotten sherry cask and ick. I refuse to take another taste.

Pours dark red with a white head. Leaves plenty of sticky lace behind. Big sticky aroma of caramel malt, fruity yeast, and pine hops. There some bubble gum and maraschino cherry juice as well. Lots of sweet and sticky malt flavor. Maybe too much. Finishes with a shot of evergreen hop bitterness and a punch of alcoholic heat. Certainly full bodied with just a bit of carbonation. Semisweet finish. Overall, this is a pretty enjoyable beer. No masterpiece, but certainly interesting. I really like the hop character.

Pours amber/orange in the glass and cascades to form a light head that dissapates rather fast. Aroma is sweet, mainly malt with some wood. Aroma is really nice, reminds me of a 8 year old vintage bigfoot. Flavor is different, not bad but interesting. Carbonation is almost non-existant and a silky mouthfeel that coats slightly but pretty watery for the style. Slight alcohol in the finish that is a little dissapointing. Upfront is sweet, wood, dark fruits, hops have all but vanished from this 2007 vintage. I really think the alcohol is a bit much for the body of this beer. This needs a few more years and I can see it being a really good barleywine.

Bottle. Poured brown with red notes and a small tan head. Aroma of sweet fruit, caramel. Taste is of sweet fruit, malt, honey, light wood, and little hops. Finish is smooth, not at all bitter. Body is pretty heavy and sticky.

Decent sized head. Frothy on top and nice and dense on the bottom. Loads of caramel malts, sweetness and dough. Lots of dough...Liquid bread. Smells fantastic! Crystal clear mahagony brown. Sweet and smooth with lots of butterscotch! So smooth and creamy in the mouth. Coats the mouth with a velvet sheet that is fantastic. Caramel, alcohol and some bitter hops presence. Finishes creamy smooth and delicious. I love the barleywine. At least, I do now. Lets see how I feel as I make my way to the bottom of this bomber.

Pours dark ruby with a fully receding tan head. Aroma of thick caramelized wort, candied fruits, toffee, plum, and syrup. Taste is caramel/toffee, sticky malt, and a big resinous finish. Mouthfeel is heavy bodied with light carbonation. A slow sipper meant to be shared with friends. Despite being a well-made barleywine, I still don’t care for the style.

Bomber courtesy of TheBeerCellar. This is a cloudy light brown beer with virtually no head. The aroma is very strong and doesn’t appeal to me greatly. It sports a strong candied quality. Toffee, brown sugar, and cherry wood are all present in the robustly sweet nose. The flavor is more bearable. It has very wooden characteristics, though in the sweetest way wood could possibly exist. No hops to speak of. This is noticeably fruity in the way of coconuts, apricots, and maraschinos. This has many typical barleywine features, just a little bigger and woodier, though heavily sugary. I’d have to be in the mood for this unique brew to tolerate it.

06 Bottle shared by mentor, thanks dude. Poured a clear golden color with a thin off-white head that diminished to a ring. Some chunks. Aroma of sherry-like caramel malt with some toffee and a fruity character with hints of citrus and soft white grape. Sweet, lightly oxidized sherry-like caramel malt with some toffee a hint of toastiness leads into a light fruitiness with some light grape. Finished with a slightly oxidized taste. Low carbonation, slick on the palate.