New Holland Imperial Hatter - New Holland Brewing Company

SometimesIfart

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +19.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours ruby with a two finger head that sticks around long after the pour. Leaves beautiful lacing. Absolutely stunning look from this beer.

S - Mild malt, strong grapefruit, mango, orange, wheat, and lemon.

T - Medium malt, grapefruit, lemon, mango, grapes, banana. Taste matches it's younger brother.

M - Medium carbonation with a medium to heavy body. Works well for this brew.

O - Maybe I'm biased due to my love of the original mad hatter, but this is a very good beer that I would have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 18:55:51 | More by SometimesIfart

AmitC

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Vintage 2011. Imperial hatter from new holland. I had high expectations from this.

Pours with very little to no head. Amber- light copper in color. Translucent appearance. Some bubbles. Seems low on carbonation. After observing it in more details, you see a layer of greenish, wooden color at the top, which i assume is due to dry hopping and probably due to its age.

Smell is inviting, grass piney and citrus with tinges of grapefruit. Not the very best but still good and consistent smell. Again, seems a little subdued. Could have been stronger for a DIPA.

Taste is its drawback. Very sweet or lacking bitterness for a DIPA. To me that is something that puts me off. Could have used more bitterness or may be it is due to its age.

Mouth feel. Light to medium bodied. Does not feel full. A little oily and resinous towards the end.

Does it meet my expectations? Partially. Not a Rockstar DIPA but still a very good experimentation IPA. Worth a try. Like its alcohol strength. Packs a punch for sure. Gosh this is strong. Performs this well because of its alcohol.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 20:55:59 | More by AmitC

peabody

Kentucky

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out a cloudy hazy brown that clears up with a little time. Lacing around the glass and the 1/2 finger of bubbles that stick around for quite some time.
Smell is citrus and hop. Some malt and sugar but the strong floral hop is the star here.
Taste is mellow and sweet at first then quickly the flavor goes to bitter lemon peel with grapefruit rind thrown in there for good measure.
Mouthfeel is a tad sticky but the bitterness takes over and doesn't let go. This one holds on for a very long time.
Overall this is a really good Imperial IPA. Too bad it's 3.59 a bottle.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 22:12:06 | More by peabody

mfavoino

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottles says 2011 vintage.

Appearance: Pours a light amber with orange edges. A finger and a half head dissipates to a rim and leaves spotty lacing.

Smell: Light citrus aroma with a caramel backing. Smells sweet.

Taste: Initial subtle hop bite that has a citrus and grassy flavor. Pretty Sweet sugars and caramel keep the balance. Finishes with a lingering citrus sweetness and lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, well-hidden abv, medium-bodied, and not too much bitterness on the finish.

Overall: Nice mouthfeel and balanced, moderate flavors make for an above average DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 03:30:23 | More by mfavoino

Brenden

Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The color is a chill-hazed burnished dark orange with an iota of haze looking to be natural. It develops a yellow-tinted head just over a finger in height that shows good retention and leaves good, patchy lacing.
The bouquet is bursting with grapefruit and citrus before I begin pouring, and it smells delicious. A bit more sniffing reveals a touch of mint and great balance from biscuity supporting malts along with a lingering herbal note and a touch of tobacco. Alcohol is hinted at but very well integrated for 9.4%.
The taste has some of the citrus but not as much as the nose offers, going instead for a leafier, slightly pithier note. It edges toward that earthier, almost onion note but stops short of it. The malts again provide good balance and this beer shows the trademark of a good DIPA: lots of hops without breaking the palate, complexity and lots of flavor with balance.
The feel is pretty creamy in a medium-full body with supportive but moderate carbonation and an even nip of crispness.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 21:59:50 | More by Brenden

jeremyd365

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Looked and smelled great--solid cloudy orange with a great citrusy hop nose. The flavor was a real hop smack but not overly bitter. Very drinkable. I'd get this again if I didn't have to pay $9.50 a bottle where I was. Worth trying for sure, though!

Serving type: bottle

08-13-2012 23:44:46 | More by jeremyd365

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.18/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz botle poured into a snifter
Vintage 2011... really need to start checking bottle dates.

A- Pours hazy orange with a half finger off white head. Quick dissipation and some alcohol legs.

S- An extremely sweet aroma. There is a ton of citrus tones, sugary pineapple, grape, mango, grapefruit. Nice stuff

T- A medium-high bitterness followed by a heap of citrus flavors. There is a lot of mango, papaya, and pineapple. This is a sugary tasting IPA and is on the sweet side. The sweetness takes the citrus flavors to the next level.

M- drinks as well as a 9.4 beer should. Good carbonation and nice full feel. Hoppy and bitter aftertaste.

O- Impressive IPA, expecially considering the fast that it is way past due. Im going to have to seek out some fresh ones.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 02:54:57 | More by TwelveOunces

ThickNStout

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle from Beer Baron (Detroit, MI). 5.29. 2011 vintage. Served in a Founders snifter. 

Pours a murky deep dark orangey yellow with about a half finger pale cream head. Head recedes quickly but leaves a few scattered spots of lacing. 

Interesting nose. Bold sour bitter grapefruit citrus, candy sugar, sweet bread, herbal and floral hops with a hint of booze. 

Bitter grapefruit hops jump out front in the flavors. A nice little blend of the citrus and herbal hops, dough, sugar, pine and currants. Thr alcohol peeps through occasionally but is well hidden for the most part. 

Medium full feel with a good amount of carbonation. Nice & oily sticky slick. An alcohol cooling effect adds to the long bitter hoppy aftertaste. 

While it isn't my favorite imperial IPA by any means, this is a solid offering. As a 2011 vintage I'm sure the hops have faded but I could still detect a good deal. I may not buy a 4 pack but I'll definately try this again if I'm ever someplace that has it fresh on tap. 

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 03:44:34 | More by ThickNStout

AdamBear

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-dark amber with a thin cream colored head

S-smells strong of hops, old grass, and herbs. It's a strong boozy scent. 

T-comes in with a fairly decent taste of, well, what it smells like minus the booze. It's actually an okay taste. It does have a distinct aged taste to it. 

M-medium carbonation with a semi dry finish

O-it's not absolutely terrible, though it is fairly difficult to drink. I would've preferred to share this, yes the 12 ounce bottle. It just has a certain aged sweetness to it that I find difficult to finish. 

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 00:57:46 | More by AdamBear

MadScientist

New York

3.95/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I picked up a bottle while I was in Michigan for a wedding and didn't notice it was a 2011 vintage, so it's 6 to 18 months old at this point.

This is a bright and clear, medium copper colored beer with a persistant light tan head. There is a tiny stream of bubble rising from just the center of the glass, obviously a light carbonation.

Moderate Pineapple and citrus hops aroma and a light alcohol aroma that come together in an almost cidery way. There is also malt sweetness and a slight resinous note in the back. There is nothing in the way of fermentation aromas. Overal it doesn't have the strength nor depth of hop aromas I'd expected until I realized that it had some age on it.

The hop flavors are also muted like in the aroma only that the moderate citrus and pine are the stronger flavors with pineapple playing a supporting role along with a malt sweetness. There is a moderately-high hops bitterness and a smooth alcohol note leading the way to an semi-dry finish with a lingering bitterness.

It has a medium body and a moderately-light carbonation with a moderate alcohol heat. Very smooth with no astringency.

This is drinking like an aggressively hop American Barley Wine and is still an enjoyable beer. I'd look for a fresh vintage to get agressive hops characters but woun't shy away from one with some age on it is still a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 00:20:48 | More by MadScientist

srv33

3.38/5  rDev -12%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Medium yellow pour, inch head, fine lacing. Smell very similar to hopslam minus honey. Smells promising. More solid, fine lacing, little head. Standard IPA taste, with citrus, balanced hop profile, some malt and a bit of pine. Not overpoweringly hopped, decent balance, lighter than many IPAs. Overall it is a decent all around IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

06-30-2012 00:28:39 | More by srv33

wedge

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -27.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Vintage 2011 - I have no idea when this was bottled, but I bought it with a New Holland rep present, so...

Clear, dark reddish copper colored body with a creamy off-white head that settles as a patchy sheet. Spotty lace. Dark citrus, sweet bread, caramel malt, pine, apple, mild chocolate, subtle booze...not bad as far as aromas go, but not what a DIPA should be. Flavors of black tea, vague orange and peach, with some dark pine resin. It just doesn't seem as fresh as it should be, but I'm confused as to whether this is year round, seasonal, or what? A little better than medium bodied with appropriate carbonation and a solid trailing bitterness. Again, it's not terrible as a beer, but it's very far from the numerous great examples of the style. The fact that a brewery rep sold me on it and it says "Vintage 2011" and nothing else...maybe they brew it once a year? I don't know. Nothing special...

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 00:39:43 | More by wedge

zimm421

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a tulip. Appears a dark caramel color with orange hints. Has a below average white head, minimal lacing, and the head dissipates quickly.

Nose is very sweet. Caramel and sweet bready malts. The label says bitter with grapefruit notes, but i'm not getting it. Disappointing. Taste is more bitter, but the finish is just straight bitter, not much going on.

Mouthfeel is heavy and very sticky. Average carbonation. Overall, I was disappointed, hoping for more out of this. Not complex at all, and not interesting to me...

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 20:10:01 | More by zimm421

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Hazy coppery amber brew with a cream-colored head. Decent retention and lacing. 3.5

Pine and citrus hop nose with bitterness, bread, caramel, and sweet notes. 4.0

Big malt backbone with gooey toffee and dark toasted grains. Pine and earthy hops come through with a few citrus notes of grapefruit and orange. The bitterness is upfront and not terribly lingering. Sweet malts, creeping booze, and leafy hops make a tantalizing three-way. 4.0

Decent carbonation. A little too sticky from a syrupy body. Not as creamy as the dream wants it to be. 3.5

Lovely little DIPA. An underrated brew. Worth checking out once a year. 4.0

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2012 05:15:17 | More by thecheapies

buschbeer

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle
Vintage 2011
Served in a tulip glass

A - It pours a deep amber color and is topped with two inches of off white to tan head.

S - It starts out with some caramel malt. Then I get a combination of pine and alcohol.

T - I get a lot of malt upfront. Then I get some faded citrus and pine. The pine lingers for a bit.

M - Medium

O- It's not hateful. It reminds me of 90 minute IPA. The hops are faded and is almost more like a barleywine.

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 00:57:49 | More by buschbeer

BelgiumBill

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This Vin 2011 was poured into a tulip glass which showed off a deep deep hazy amber - any darker and it would be brown. Topped by a fleeting light brown head leaving some nice bubbles about.

Some sweet malty aromas and ripe tropical fruits. Somewhat subdued for a DIPA

The flavors were all hops smothering the fruit and floral elements that might lie beneath. Very hoppy, no doubt; but simplistic and lacking balance and depth.

I'm am newer to IPAs and DIPAs so perhaps you take with a grain of salt. My baseline for comparison is the Dogfishhead 90 minute and the Founders Double Trouble, both exhibiting really nice fruit, not merely hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 00:06:40 | More by BelgiumBill

natemort13

California

3.7/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

"Vintage 2011"

Appearance is very ambery with highlights of orange

Sweet and citrusy with a sweet caramelly presence. Lots of orange. Nice floral bouqet

Very bitter hop presence with the citrus and caramel malt. Some stinging alcohol. Lingering hop bitterness.

Medium full bodied, medium carbonated.

Overall, nice bitter full bodied ipa but relatively unremarkable in the land of amazing dipas.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 00:03:19 | More by natemort13

TexIndy

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass. No dating info on bottle but store placed a label that says 11/11 so guessing that's when it hit the shelves. Was reddish amber in color with lots of carb streams. It had a good sized head that slowly settled into a constant foam cap. Great sheeting with some sticking.

The aroma was floral hops, lots of sweet malt and good dose of alcohol. Didn't mix well for me. The taste follows the aroma with more malt to hops than I expected with a boozy finish. Medium to full mouthfeel.

Overall, this one just didn't do it for me. Not enough hops to malt for an ADIPA and the alcohol aroma and taste was too prevalent. Not avail in TX - got from Ummagum. Rotation - would try again if I could get fresh on tap to see if opinion would change but not on bottle [N;O]

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2012 02:48:52 | More by TexIndy

bobhits

Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ever feel as though you're drinking a different beer than others?

This one has a nice deeper copper orange hue, on the dark side of the IPA world. Good density and insanely clear.

Ripe fruits and intense bitterness lay under it. The malt seems almost an after thought.

Intense hops meet toffee and light chocolate here for me. I know...I'm coming out of left field but I taste this. It is a wonderful mix of some darker malts and great citrus hops. It doesn't win any awards with me, but darn it is tasty.

Edit, as this one warms the toffee malt seems to vanish and intense sharp and floral hops seem to really come to life. A huge improvement towards the ipa side though uniqueness is lost. I call it a win personally.

Thick body with just enough carbonation to come down from the syrupy levels.

I like IPA so I'm sold but for the style it isn't going to really push the limits. There are better black IPAs if you like the twist in malt. If you want hops well damn there are more choices. That said it isn't one of the many really underwhelming waists of money out there either.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 01:57:59 | More by bobhits

plfahey

Minnesota

3.78/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance-Burnished-Amber gold with a slight haze. Moderate sticky yellow-khaki head shows large bubbles and fair retention.

Aroma-Nice hop bouquet up front-not overwhelmingly strong, but still with a bit of a punch. Pungent and floral, with dried pineapple and mango undertones. A bit of orange citrus as well. Underneath the hops is a trace of bready, caramel malt, with light raisiny notes. Perfumy alcohol is also present in low concentration.

Flavor-Moderate tropical and citrus fruit blends with a touch of raisin/fig up front. Brief flash of caramel/biscuit malt in the center, before finishing with moderately high bitterness, and a pine tar, tangy hop flavor. Bitterness lingers on the palate with resiny hop flavors, and, while not unpleasant, is not knocking my socks off in any way, shape, or form.

Mouthfeel-Medium to medium full body, with moderate carbonation. Bitterness numbs the palate a bit, and there's just a tingle of alcohol warmth which grows slightly as I continue to drink through the bottle.

Certainly not bad, but there are so many truly fantastic DIPAs out there, that this one doesn't really do it for me. I would never turn it down, but if I were choosing one at the store, this would probably not be it. That said, it's extremely drinkable for a DIPA, and I'm enjoying it more as I work my way through the pint, so I suppose I shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. A solid beer, this one won't blow you away, but it's a nice DIPA that you could definitely sip on for a few pints worth, before standing up and crashing to the floor in a drunken stupor.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2011 07:27:10 | More by plfahey

ZAP

Minnesota

4.28/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Burnt orange color...looks impressive.

S-Rich....a a lot of toffee like malt and it appears a healthy dose of hops as well...sweeter tropical fruits along with some juicy peaches...toss in some basic citrus (tangerines) as well...also some plums

T-Well done. Pretty balanced with a strong toffee like malt impression. The hops lend some bitterness on the finish and a tangerine/ mango/plum fruitiness.

M-Feels the part...full bodied...rich...a lot of malt....hops aren't shortchanged either...

O-There are so many great DIPA's out there I would hesitate to put this on the top tier but this is rock solid and highly enjoyable and not that far off the top tier...

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 06:28:42 | More by ZAP

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

LOOK: Rocky dense head, reddish brass color.

SMELL: Spearmint, pine sap, grapefruit rid, pipe tobacco, pineapple, mango, cake batter, booze soaked golden raisins.

TASTE: Bitter, pungent, grassy, citric, minty, biscuity, yeast, hint of caramel, ripe plum, mango, leafy, dry bitter finish.

Rich with layers of hop flavor, sip by sip I understand and pick this beer a part a little bit more. Hops don't completely devastate the palate which is a good thing. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 05:24:04 | More by Jason

GRPunk

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Foiled bomber (labeled "2010 Vintage") poured into a Duvel tulip.

A- A moderate pour created a 1-finger, tan head that settled to a pleasant film. Hazy, amber body with medium-light carbonation. Good stick left on the glass.

S- Quite balanced, barley-wineish even. Grassy and herbal hops meld with a solid, sweet malt backbone of brown sugar and caramel. There are leathery-tobacco-like qualities and some citrus notes.

T- More balance. Sweet malts of brown sugar and caramel mix with grassy and grapefruit zest, hop qualities. There's the slightest, warming alcohol in the finish along with a hint of biting hops that give a tobacco-leafy dryness.

M- Medium body for the style. Medium carbonation. Light, hoppy bite. Alcohol is smooth and late coming. Dry finish.

O- With what I assume is some age on it, it drank very barley-wineish. I would like to compare it to a fresh bottle. It's really pleasant all the same.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 21:17:48 | More by GRPunk

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.98/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a New Holland imperial pint.
Vintage 2011, G071 printed on the neck (July 7, 2011), 20°P, 9.38% ABV.

A - Brilliantly clear and shining with a golden orange hue, Imperial Hatter is capped off with a sudsy cream pile. Great retention ends up leaving rings of thick lace around the glass.

S - Toasted biscuit and sweet caramel malt give way to American hops. Light dried grass notes add earth tones below the citrusy resin aroma. Grapefruit and pineapple fruit pull through on the finish.

T - Well-balanced, the biscuity malt profile adds some residual sweetness to compliment and counteract the hoppy profile. Grapefruit bitterness finishes out with a faint metallic hint.

M - Mild bitterness reminds of the regular IPAs of today and is battled by the lingering honey and caramel sweetness. A bit tinny going down, the metallic presence is the most annoying part of this brew.

O - Imperial Hatter is a good brew but seems to fall in the range of a normal IPA (for bitterness and hop profile, not alcohol content) rather than stand with some of the big dogs out there today. Unfortunately, my main concern with this beer isn't the hop profile but lies with it's intrusive metal flavor and feel on the finish. Otherwise, the brew is very well balanced. The malt profile is good, only needing some oomph in the hop and bitterness department. Additionally, it pairs very well with spicy pepperoni pizza and aged goat's milk blue cheese (as the label would suggest)!

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 17:03:57 | More by BeerFMAndy

jsulko

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a tulip glass

Pours a medium copper color with a slightly off white head that does not linger

Smell has no citrus hops. Resin, oily hop smell with a large hit of booze

Taste is malty, almost biscuit, with a slight hint of citrus that I did not smell. Finish is piney with booze.

A DIPA that does not tend towards my favorite characteristics. Booze is too forward and would prefer more of a citrus hop presence.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2011 03:40:02 | More by jsulko