Dragon’s Milk Trickles Into Oshkosh

A small portion of the 2010 batch of Dragon's Milk Ale by New Holland Brewing of Michigan recently hit the shelves at Festival Foods in Oshkosh. If you’re in the mood for a beer that could warm your winter in the middle of summer, you won’t find a beer better than this. Dragon's Milk is a strong Ale that belies easy categorization. The beer is aged for at least three months in bourbon barrels and pours jet black under an aroma that’s spiked with woody, vanilla notes. On the palate it’s chewy and slightly over sweet. Licorice, raisins and chocolate are all strongly present and so is the warm 10% ABV the beer brings with it. But it’s a pleasant warmth that has a rich Kahlua-like mellowness about it. You couldn’t drink this beer all night - at least I couldn’t - but it’s a great treat when you’re in need of one.

There were just a couple 4-packs of Dragon's Milk remaining at Festival when I was there Wednesday afternoon, but they’re expecting another batch in today (Friday). At $13.99 the beer comes at no small price, but then this isn’t small beer, either. I’m glad I ponied up for it. I made it home late Wednesday night to find the storm had ripped down my hop trellis and after mucking around in the rain to prop the hop vines up out of the lake that had formed in our back-yard, this is how I rewarded myself. It’ll be a long time before I forget drinking that beer. It made the dreary night a whole lot better. Now, If I can only train my hops to grow horizontally.

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