Dragons Milk - Origin - Small Batch Bourbon
$45
Dragons Milk – Origin – Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 95
Age: 5 Years
Distillery: New Holland Brewing Co
Type: Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown
Website: Dragon’s Milk Origin
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: A mixture of Rye Spice and Cereal Grain hit first followed by Orange Zest. After the Grains and Orange clear the air a sweetness comes forward with Leather, Honey, and Caramel. Cinnamon finishes off the nose.
Taste/Palate: Moderately sweet to start off. The Sweet Orange comes out swinging again mixed with Apple. There’s Rye and an Earthy Grain that follows mixed with Butterscotch. In the midpalate and into the finish a little alcohol heat shows up in the back of the mouth.
Finish: The sweet palate adds an additional layer in the finish. It’s still gives you a lingering sweetness, but there’s a slight tartness that compliments. Lemon Zest and Mild Oak Tannins.
Verdict: If you cared enough to read this far read “The Story” below as well. It will provide context. This Bourbon is Orange/Fruit forward. It was good to sip neat and had a grain palate approach similar to a Garrison Brothers. What I really like about Dragon’s Milk – Origin is that it delivered characteristics that I don’t often see in a bourbon. It also delivered them very well. It was versatile as I could enjoy it how I wanted and it was great in an Old Fashioned. I wish it cost slightly less, but I’m aware that craft distilleries don’t operate under the economy of scale of lets say, Jim Beam. It simply costs more for a craft distillery to put out this product than a mega-distiller. A common saying I hear is it’s not out of line for $10 per year or lower. This meets that. Plus the bottle is cool. Thumbs up from me.
The Story: Sometimes I feel like a broken record. There’s a 99% chance you’ll find Caramel, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Oak, Leather, etc in many Bourbon reviews. This is what makes bourbon, well, bourbon. I’ve been asked, “if 2 of your reviews share the same characteristics (which isn’t uncommon) how do they have completely different ratings?” It’s all about how these characteristics hit, when they hit, how they are balanced.
Dragon’s Milk – Origins delivers some common characteristics, but most of what it provides is not so common. What I liked about it is HOW it was delivered. It’s well balanced and earthy. Did I mention the bottle is cool?
The Distillery’s Story: New Holland Brewing Company is best known for their beer line. Based out of Holland Michigan. You might recognize them by their most notable product “Dragons Milk”. I’ve been a big fan of that beer for a while. As for spirits you might have heard of them with their popular Bourbon “Beer Barrel Bourbon”. They have a strong following regarding craft beers and they are gaining to solid footing in the spirits category. It would be a tip of the cap if they could add a highly sought after product line – Such as their Sherry Cask Finished Single Malt. After their release of the complex Single Malt 10 Year Cherry Cask Finish, they then jumped into the market with more “Fun” Flavored Bourbons. Sweet Heat and Baked Apple Pie.
For Dragon’s Milk – Origin they used a old school pot still to make a small batch Bourbon. A pot still isn’t unheard of, but after some research I found that they also use a thumper. Now, if I were to ever distill my own spirits (I plead the fifth) I would use a pot, thumper, and condenser. You can get much higher proof distillate using a column plated reflux or triple pot distill, but I’m a fan of the pot to thumper technique. It really is old school / moonshiners style. The pot is distillate number one and the thumper acts as a second distillation. Within the thumper lower proof distillate is commonly used to distill / filter. Column reflux distilleries use level after level to distill the juice, but the more levels the more “pure” the product, but also the less taste from the mash carries through.
On the Origin bottle you’ll find the saying HC SVNT DRACONES which translates to “Here Be Dragons”. It was a saying that was used to warn travelers to avoid certain traveling routes. New Holland uses this term as a homage for taking that route, the dangerous route, or the road less traveled. If they are indeed using a Pot to Thumper distillation technique I can say I haven’t heard of that technique used in higher volume production, not at least for bourbon.
Following the 10 year Sherry Finish, Baked Apple Pie, and Sweet Heat they went more traditional with Triple Mash, Origin, and Toasted Barrel. There’s a lot coming out of this brewery and distillery. I look forward to more.
For more info on New Holland check out the link to their website and see what they have to say in their own words.
**This sample was provided by the distillery. The sample in no way impacts the impartial review.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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