New Holland Spirits is probably best known for its Dragon’s Milk beer.
However, New Holland broke into the distilling market in the last decade and a
half. Founded by Brett VanderKamp in Holland, Michigan, in 1997, New
Holland has made a name for itself and employs a team of more than 500, making
it a serious operation.
New
Holland capitalized on the name of its famous beer and pulled that over to a
line of whiskeys. However, that doesn’t translate to the same mash used.
“Origin is one of the most exciting projects we’ve taken on at New Holland. We’ve been sampling this product patiently for five long years and are continually impressed by its complexity of flavor, and delicate finish. As Michigan’s oldest whiskey distiller, we are immensely proud to be able to offer this bourbon to our customers. We feel that it is a landmark moment for us as a distillery.” – Adam Dickerson, Brand Manager
Origin
is a small batch Bourbon consisting of 100 barrels or less that were distilled
from a mash of corn, rye, and a large portion of malted barley. It aged for at
least five years in new, #3 charred American white oak before being packaged at
95°. It is available in California, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas,
and Wisconsin.
A
couple that Mrs. Whiskeyfellow and I are friends with purchased their bottle
for $46.00 and cracked it open with me while we did the #DrinkCurious
thing.
Appearance: Served
neat in my Glencairn glass, Origin presented as caramel in color. It formed a
medium rim that released a thick curtain that crashed back into the pool.
Nose: I
smelled crème brulee, field corn, tobacco leaf, and charred oak. When I pulled
the air into my mouth, the crème brulee became thick.
Palate: Origin had a thin consistency. The front of
my palate tasted candy corn, pink grapefruit, and vanilla. Flavors of cherry,
orange peel, and caramel were found midway through, while the back encountered
tobacco leaf, charred oak, and clove.
Finish: Medium
to long in duration, the warming finish started as heavy cherry cough syrup,
charred oak, clove, and pink grapefruit.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The
bottle was gorgeous. It was embossed with scales and had a small dragon etched
on it. It would make a lovely decanter once you finished what was inside. The
contents, however, were less exciting. I found Origin to be expensive for what
it is; while $46.00 isn’t a lot for whiskey these days, I would have expected
more from it. That seemed to be the consensus of the three of us trying it. I’ll
toss Dragon’s Milk Origin a Bar
rating; you’ll want to sample this before committing to a bottle. Cheers!
My Simple, Easy to
Understand Rating System
- Bottle = Buy It
- Bar = Try It
- Bust = Leave It
Whiskeyfellow encourages
you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.
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