New Holland Pilgrims Dole

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

Bottle at Monk’s Café, Wallingatan
Amber color with red hue; medium head. Aroma of sweet caramel, vanilla, Bourbon, alcohol. Medium body strength, strong caramel flavor, vanilla, but not well combined; a bit too bitter, and, mostly, a rather unpleasant sweet liquorice finish. Not convincing.

Pours a clear dark amber body topped by small beige head. Aroma is sweet, maple syrup, caramel apple and raisin. Flavor is moderately sweet, caramel, fig, raisin maple syrup. Light alcohol burn as it goes down the throat. Medium-full body, sticky texture.

Copper colored, translusent small white head rims the glass. Aroma is like fresh baked bread with some medicinal undertones. Sweet very sweet flavor. Wet finish. Thanks Raindog for this one!

12 oz bottle: Medium orange/amber color with very little thin white head. Laces well and a thin white ring around the glass. Malty, caramel, & a little alcoholic. Light caramel with toasty malt, floral, fruity. Wheat malt seems mildly evident. Alcohol becomes a little more solventy & floral as it warms. There seems to be a little piney hop. flavor is pretty well balanced, including the finish. Sweet up front, some plum fruitiness, a little tart from the wheat malt; Some grainy malt flavor, as well as alcohol. Aftertaste is light roast, herbal hop, & alcohol. Dry m/f, fuller body, dry m/f, and very well hidden alcohol. There’s a little something up front I can’t quite put my finger on in the flavor. It’s a decent BW, but not great. Strength is that it’s well balanced, weakness is that it’s not very complex for a BW

Pours a light straw gold with no head. Aroma is (duh) wheaty and alcoholic. Flavor is quite tart and sour, but not pulled off as delicately as a gueuze. It’s rather astringent, which blurs most of the other flavors. The hearty alcohol content is hardly noticed. Decent but not something I’d buy again.

Clear, orange with pink hues and a small, thin white ring of a head around the rim of the glass. Sweet, syrupy thick aroma with definite notes of apricot and an ever-so-slight alcohol burn. Toffee/caramel maltiness lends a smooth undertone. Moderately sweet, moderately bitter flavor at first, turning cloyingly sweet and metallic towards the finish. Aftertaste is grainy, notes of popcorn and medicinal cleansiness. Sweetness in the finish is rather offputting - definitely not a pleasant sweet flavor.

22oz. Bottle: Aroma of caramel, alcohol, burnt sugar, malted wheat, and slight alcohol. Poured orange/deep amber in color with a small, beige, head that diminished but lasted around the edges. Clear. Not sparkling. Flavor is medium sweet. Tastes of caramel, toffee, vanilla, slight bourbon, slight alcohol, slight wood, maple syrup, slight alcohol, and a bit of butter. Medium body. Syrupy texture. Soft carbonation. Caramel, malted wheat, and slightly burnt finish is a tad dry.

Amber to copper color with a small lid of beige bubbles. Aromas of caramel, raisins, pineapple and a nip of citric hops. Thick feel with a soft carbonation. Sweet and malty in flavor. Not the heavy malty kind of sweeetness more the brown sugar and candi kind. Hints of warming alcohol here and there throughout the quaff. Lightly spicy linger with a touch of acidity. A warming somewhat unassuming type of brew.