New Holland Existential: Hopwine - New Holland Brewing Company

kzoobrew

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pour a burnt orange color bright white head with decent retention.

Smell is not so large. Citrus and floral hops are light no the nose. Very pleasant aroma, just less than expected.

Flavor reminds me of a Barley wine more than a DIPA.
Hoppy bitterness does not stand out in front of the sweet malt. Wonderful flavor just confused on the style.

Smooth moth feel, slick and oily.

Very drinkable, especially for the abv.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2008 22:04:39 | More by kzoobrew

cvstrickland

North Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Double-deuce bomber with a big-ass hop silk-screen printed on the bottle looks promising. Pouring the beer into a tulip glass yields a clear red-orange-amber body with a fat finger-thick cap of pale, extremely fine-bubbled foam that retains at a big bubbly ring and leaves sticky lacing.

Smell is faint. Where are the hops? A little caramel and an earthy note make me wonder again, "Where are the damned hops?"

Taste is sweet, sweet, with a tang of alcohol-laden lemon and boozy orange. Syrupy mouthfeel and simple-syrupy sweetness is only countered by a vicious cheap vodka-style alcohol bite, as there is no hop bite to speak of. Wait, I'm wrong. There it is/was... a little sticky green thing in the aftertaste...right before the intense alcohol warming made me break into a sweat and set my fingers tingling. Caramel is more prominent as the beer warms, but as if miraculously, the alcohol begins to subside (probably as it numbs my palate and my brain). No, I'm wrong again...it's still as strong as ever. I'd rather shoot Jack Daniels if I want a burn and violent alcohol flavors. Hell, Jack is smoother than this!!!

Wincing, hating this beer a little. Dreading each caramelly-boozy swallow, but too stupid to dump it in the sink where it belongs. Feeling the burn and a nice little buzz. Never buying this again, as Olde English High-Gravity is waaay cheaper, and probably has just as many hops in it.

One more time:

Q: So, where are the damned hops?

A: Screen-printed on the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 00:29:09 | More by cvstrickland

mntlover

Tennessee

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a rich amber color with small off white head that falls quickly to clumped foam, leaves some decent lace.

Aroma is nice rich earthy caramel dripping with hints of molasses, nice pine resin notes hidden underneath. Nice rich smelling not as hoppy as most I2PA's but very relaxing soothing smelling.

Taste is big on caramel malts sweet slightly cloying with nice alcohol notes. Kind of Old Ale or Strong Ale tasting more then I2PA. Hops can hardly keep up with big malt base that becomes more alcoholic as it warms, hardly a hop monster but not bad either, just need to relabel bottle.

Mouthfeel is not as big as all the malt would suggest but a medium with mellow carbonation.

Drinkability is good just don't expect an I2PA and all will be good. Not a bad beer just not what the bottle states it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2008 00:03:15 | More by mntlover

UA8

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Pour a rich amber color with nearly no head and a bit of white foam.

S- Nose starts with hints of citrus hops and then moves on to warm alcohol

T- Combination of bitter hops and sweet malts dominate the flavor, finishes with alcohol warmth.

M- A bit on the thin side, alcohol warmth dominates.

D- Something that you could do maybe one of in a night, not a session beer. Pretty nice example of a barley wine. However there maybe better examples of the style out there for less money.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2008 01:07:24 | More by UA8

atsprings

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber poured into a Duvel Snifter. Pours a nice crisp amber with a thin diminishing head. Aroma is Earthy pine hops with sweet caramel right behind, quite fragrant. The taste is dominated by bitter pine with some burnt caramel and dried fruits in the background. The hop bitterness is quite overbearing and the alcohol is cloyingly sweet, I'm hoping some aging would do this beer well. The beer is one of the driest I've ever had, slight cloying alcohol hits hard but than somewhat dissipates, just not completely. This is certainly an interesting beer, but this one in particular is not what I look for in this style.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2008 02:14:26 | More by atsprings

GJ40

North Carolina

2.1/5  rDev -44%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 1.5

Sampled from a 22oz bottle purchased at Sam's in Durham, NC.

A - Looks great starting with the bottle. It features a green hop head that really stands out against the brown background. As usual, the promise of hops got me on first site. It pours nicely as well with a golden color, good clarity and a thick white head.

S - My hopes for this beer ended here. The smell was almost completely of yeast. Nothing else really came through.

T - It got even worse. The flavor was sweet with a strong presence of alcohol and a slight bitterness but it just wasn't working. Maybe I got a bad bottle.

M - Good thickness and consistency.

D - I tried to find some redeeming quality in this beer but it was really bad. My wife finally convinced me to pour it down the drain and I'm glad she did. Maybe it was a bad bottle but I wouldn't risk buying another to find out.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2008 11:53:55 | More by GJ40

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

How do I keep scoring all of these limited releases? It is not by design, I assure you.

The pour produced a finger of ecru head with decent retention. The color was a coppery amber with NE-quality clarity. The nose was resinous with pine-y hops. The mouthfeel was slightly hot with an interesting amalgam of hops and malt. In a moment of quiet introspection, it hit me - Wow, this is a pretty intense concoction! The finish was hot and spicy with hops and it lingered, burning the dead taste buds away. It may take me a while to recover from this bad boy. Whew!

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2008 22:08:16 | More by woodychandler

brewandbbq

New Hampshire

4.1/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours clear, dark copper, with a one-inch head of white that disperses quickly. A few dots of lacework and a placid surface remain.

Aromatics are heavy on conifer pine, resinous hops, sap-seeped bark, and alcohol. Fresh cedar pulls through, as well as a hint of cinnamon. Spicy, resinous, and alcoholic.

Medium bodied, slick and syrupy. The carbonation is low and doesn't do the beer justice.

Spruce dew, hop oil, and citrus-spiked alcohol lead off the pallet. Tasting much like a barleywine, with a bit less malt.
Bitterness is firm and sustaining but not over-the-top. Slightly sweet and very resinous.

Finishes with plenty of thinning alcohol and pine-spiked hop oil.

The aromatics could especially benefit from a more lively carbonation level, and the drinkablity would be boosted as well.
Otherwise, a very big and strong IIPA.

I could see this one getting you wrecked.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2008 00:58:37 | More by brewandbbq

david131

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Slightly cloudy, copper color with a few streams of rising carbonation that give way to a splotchy white head.

S- A lot of sweet candy, which was a little odd but very appealing. I also get some caramel and some vegetable hop aroma. Kind of subtle, but enjoyable none-the-less.

T- Very sweet and candy like with a slight vegetable aspect. The alcohol is also apparent, but isn't overly hot. There is somewhat of a malt backing keeping things from getting out of control.

M- Smooth and sweet and a little thick and sticky.

D- Not the best DIPA I have had, but is a unique beer and worth a try. A very sweet and interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2008 05:08:32 | More by david131

TasteTester

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not overly impressed with this beer. Love New Holland, but this one missed the mark.

A-Deep amber, translucent. Little head on initial pour that disappeared quickly. Light lace, probably needed a cleaner glass.

S-Malty, hot alcohol, little to no hoppiness.

T-Not what I would have expected from NH. Weak compared to other DIPA. Bitter, malty hops.

M-Strong aftertaste for a weak ale. High alcohol content not well balanced.

D-Once was enough. Wouldn't be bad as a yearly-limited brew, but improvement over the years would be expected.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2008 22:15:01 | More by TasteTester

drxandy

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

poured into a tulip glass from the bomber, heavy beer! wow, pour left little to no head, very thick from the alcohol.

color is of a golden amber, very deep - looks like trouble

smell is of hot alcohol, and extreme hopping - malt is sweet, almost malt liquor in quality, bready yeast creeping in the end.

taste proves this to be a hop bomb, extreme bitterness with sweetly dry finish. The malt is very much in the background with all the overpowering hops, makes me feel like if i sat on the bottle for a year it would balance out and it might come off smoother and more delicious.

mouthfeel is oily and thick, definately DIPA territory

overall drinkablity is where this fails, i really couldn't see myself drinking often if again soon, i would really like to see how age would do on it as stated before and am tempted to get another bomber to hold onto.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 05:11:07 | More by drxandy

abankovich

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -19.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a relatively light amber/yellow. Slightly lighter than most DIPAs. Head faded very quickly and the lacing is minimal.

Smells moist, hoppy and a little sweet.

Taste up front is intense bitter hops. Through the middle though a decent amount of the sweetness from the malt comes through. A little more than I usually like in my DIPAs. Strong hop bitterness finishes this one off as it goes down. There is a burnt characteristic to this one as well that I'm not necessarily a fan of.

Mouthfeel definitely has some chewy/sticky characteristics to it.

Drinkability for me personally isn't too high just because the sweetness from the malt comes through a little too much for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2008 02:34:56 | More by abankovich

Twerknasty

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours an orange drank color, haha its so true though! Very little lacing, very little head. To start this off, the nose is very sound. The hops are incredibly pronounced on the nose, showing tropical fruit canned base and have a hint of showing a bitterness at the first taste. The palate consists of a very simplistic barley wine, with malts dominating with hops on the background showing only a slight bitterness. The main flaw that i notice is the sheer alcohol presence which is unbalanced. Not a terrible beer, but I wouldn't bring this beer home for a double dip

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2008 03:45:39 | More by Twerknasty

DrJay

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got this one from cburian. Thanks Chris!
Deep amber colour with a bit of haze, plus a frothy beige cap that had a mix of fine and big, soapy bubbles. Plenty of spotty lacing and good retention. The aroma was caramel and hops. Hops were mostly citrus, with a hint of resin, and there was a bit of fruit to the nose as well, ripe and vaguely tropical. The caramel aroma was accompanied by a malty, grainy character. Solid bitterness that balanced nicely with the malty caramel base. Citrusy hops were present throughout, but weren't overly strong. Slight resin and fruit notes. Finished with caramel, citrus, and light alcohol. Mild warmth, full bodied with moderate to low carbonation. Nice texture. The sweetness hid the alcohol quite well, making it surprisingly easy to drink. Really more of an american barleywine - too much emphasis on malt for a DIPA. Quite enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2008 01:57:35 | More by DrJay

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

2.9/5  rDev -22.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Polished coppery orange with perfect clarity and almost no visible bubbles. Are high ABVs really foam and lace killers? This one has a pretty large head that lasts a pretty long time and positively plasters the glass with loads of sticky lace.

One would think that a beer with Hopwine in the name (although that word doesn't appear on my silk-screened bottle) would smell like hops. Not only aren't there very many hops in the nose, there isn't much of anything else either. Warming delivers orange sections soaked in white rum.

Did New Holland brew Existential Ale to be an American barleywine or a DIPA? It tastes most like the former because alcohol is prominent and hops are not. On second thought, that isn't fair to the American barleywine style. Let's just call it a woefully underhopped, pale malt-dominant strong ale.

I hate to keep beating this 'what style is it?' dead horse, but I'm also reminded of a big ass maibock, since almost no flavor, but plenty of sweetness, is provided by the malt, and the hops either weren't added with a heavy enough hand or they've faded to a considerable extent. Regarding flavor, see the description of the aroma and add 'sugar syrup'.

The mouthfeel is big and viscous. It's only kept on this side of overly sappy and sticky by the solvent-like properties of the unmasked ethanol. Better flavor probably would have earned feel a bump in score. The carbonation is barely noticed.

It appears as though Existential Ale is a seasonal release rather than a one-time release. If so, I hope New Holland decides to add some hops to this 'Hopwine' next time. Without them, it's just no damn good.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2008 22:58:39 | More by BuckeyeNation

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - pours a slightly hazed tangerine color, a finger or so of cream colored foam on top. Very sticky as it recedes, leaving a lacy, drapy network of residue behind. As the beer sets up, the load of bubbles rising from pour turbulence is a thing of beauty. It rolls and weaves below the surface, lazily gathering the mass of suds for the under-head, finally condensing its effort into a solid mass. not the best head retention, but I dig the look otherwise.

Aroma - a very sweet, hoppy, fresh barleywine aroma. Peels back after a minute, leaving a sweet, orange jiuce or peach juice smell.

Taste - a full, caramel, sweet grain base, quickly followed by a syrupy mix of pineapple-like hops, sugar, and alcohol heat. The hops turn a little medicinal and the alcohol makes this a little too hot for ideal enjoyment. Any thoughts of cellaring to quell that would surely wipe out any advantageous hop flavors.

Mouthfeel - heavy and think on first sip, the beer glides like oil over the palate. Carbonation is kept well in check.

Drinkability - not something I'd go for other than posterity's sake.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2008 04:50:41 | More by brewdlyhooked13

SPLITGRIN

Kentucky

2.45/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Reviewed 6-17-07

This beer was so fresh the store where I bought it didnt even have it in the system yet.

The body is a nicely amber orange brown haze. It hosts a creamy tan head that fades to a skim with some lace. Nose is a sweet mix of odd notes including rasberry, rubarb, and fresh peppers and sweet tarts. On first sip you get a really unbalanced run of flavors including underdeveloped malt, tomato paste, cherry candy, and a hop character that is scattered with notes of raw fresh cut grass. This beer is "odd" overall. Mouthfeel is a bitter doughy hue. I had no real desire to finish this beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2008 02:33:45 | More by SPLITGRIN

Blybloke

Minnesota

2.63/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up at Dennis Brothers in Cottage Grove, MN.

I've tried a couple other of the big beers from New Holland and have to say that this one disappointed me a good bit. I have enjoyed their Dragon's Milk Ale on several occasions.

Poured a nice darkish orange into a snifter with about an inch of just-off-white head. Lacing was present, but underwhelming.

Aroma was disappointing. Nothing stood out to me. No big piney or grapefruit hops, no toffee, no candy. Sure, those aromas were present, but nothing stepped forward and took hold like a DIPA should. Everything seemed muted.

Flavor was another disappointment. They call this a "hop wine" but there weren't any big hop flavors showing up. If anything, it was a little sweet from a-bit-too-much malt. The malt stood in front of the hops and wouldn't let it get by. Alcohol was pronounced, but not too overbearing. I was expecting a palate-shredder of a hoppy ale, but alas.... This beer didn't know if it wanted to be a DIPA or Barley Wine or something else entirely.

Mouthfeel, on the other hand, was very good. Nice and thick. It's by far the best aspect of this particular beer, imo.

Drinkability was low due to the high ABV and the fact that the hops in this hop wine aren't very assertive at all.

Overall, if you're into DIPAs, you might take a chance on this one if you see it. It ranks near the bottom of the DIPAs I've tried. Who knows, I may have had a bad bottle, but I don't think I'll try it again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2007 22:14:33 | More by Blybloke

oakbluff

Manitoba (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Great looking barleywine. Light orange/amber with good clarity and a two finger head that hangs around. Nose- Sweet grains and some pine. Taste- very sweet but not too cloying. Hops attack the palate on the back end in a really nice way. Grains are toasty and lively. The finish is quite dry from the hops and cleans away the initial honey like sweetness. Not picking up much alcohol which is nice. Excellent barleywine/american strong ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2007 22:14:18 | More by oakbluff

jjayjaye

New York

4.22/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy orange amber color with about a finger light orange wispy head that resists fading. A good amount of lacing. The smell is wonderful; like a sugary citrus syrup. Adequately carbonated, the mouth feel is rich and heavy. Full flavored, the taste is quite sweet... obviously a ton of malt in there! The 10.5% ABV and the unique hoppy character present themselves well on another level during the swallowing breadth . A real nice drinker. Pops, I'm afraid I'm going to need to consider this one some more. Hope that you'll be up for that. Peace.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2007 00:39:48 | More by jjayjaye

mmcave

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Kept this in my fridge for about three months and finally decided to crack it. Big bomber, chilled and poured into nonic. The head rose and fell fast lingers about a centimeter off the surface a nice, slightly creamy white. lacing is faint, but still present. The body is a meld of many colors, looks very much like fossilized amber.
Smell is extremely malty along with a creamy alcohol presence the hops are right up in there though. I get lots of grass and pine with mild touches of citrus. The malt is bready with maybe the faintest note of banana from fermentation, with touches of vanilla from the malt blended with the hops and tones of residual malt sugar, any how big big malt..
Flavor is no different than the smell, big, malty, hoppy and alcoholic. First sip is sweet and flavorful I get maple syrup, with leafy grass notes, bitterness is medium to light, but well perceptible and balanced. The malt and hop blend some how to me create notes of vanilla which is great. Alcohol is present in the taste, but is still very warming subtle and fun. With a bitter sweet lingering finish with residual sugar, this beer reminds me more of a barley wine or a very strong american strong ale than double IPA. Mouthfeel is thick sweet, oily, and syrupy, which I like. Although far from a session beer still very quafable under the right circumstance (winter after a meal). I get the feeling that this would do nicely with some age, just the same it is still fun youngish and I'm sure it was just as interesting brand new.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2007 17:34:39 | More by mmcave

cameraman

Kentucky

4.6/5  rDev +22.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A deep amber color, that fades down the glass. An inch high head forms, cream in color, and it laces slowly along the glass. The aroma is fantastic, starting of with a pine and grass scents at first, followed by a twinge of citrus, and ending with a touch of malt sweetness. The malt comes out right the start of each taste, then halfway through a grassy flavor begins to dominate, slowly blends with a mild citrus bitterness tofinish it all off. It hits the palate almost like a medium-heavy feel, but it gradually thins as rolls to the back of the palate. There is a warm feel of alchol on the throat as well. A strong offering, a well blended flavor, incredible aroma, followed by a mor than favorable feel, make this a must try for craft beer lovers.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2007 03:23:53 | More by cameraman

dogger6253

Minnesota

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A beautiful, rose/amber color, bits of honey topped with huge foam. Light tan head, great retention and lots of lace. The head never seems to fall. Citrus and floral hops both jump in the aroma, grapefruit coming in too, kind of wheaty too...The taste is like nothing I expected. Immediate tastes are dark fruits, lots of raisin and plum, some fig, hops, alcohol, caramel, toffee, bits of coffee and chocolate even. The hops kind of take a back seat...craziness!

I thought this was medium bodied with little carbonation, very syrupy with a lingering hops flavor - great taste, really enjoyable. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys quality beer. The aftertaste may deter the unexperienced drinker though...

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2007 05:08:20 | More by dogger6253

WesWes

New York

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark golden color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice pale, Munich and Bisquit malt scent along with a mild hop aroma. It's a bit breadlike with a light piney hop aroma. The taste is good as well. It has a smooth, malty flavor that is intense and warm in the finish. It's mostly pale malt with a bit of Munich and bisquit for body and complexity. It melds well with the hop flavor which is mild considering there is a hop flower on the bottle. It adds just enough bitterness to balance the high alcohol content. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is an interesting beer. It's unlike most double IPAs I've had. It's a regular IPA, just doubled. It's hoppy, but nothing over the top; nothing that really stands out. It's just a normal IPA with an elevated abv.. It's balanced and tastey. I guess I was expecting more, but this is a good beer regardless.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2007 00:42:09 | More by WesWes

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

3.68/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: bottle from Andy's liquor in Rochester and poured into a pint glass cold--advise to let warm up a bit more, see below.

A: amber ale with a small very white head the disappeared quickly.

S: hops hit my nose while pouring into the pint glass. Clear and distinct from two foot away from my nose. Very strong spice and some fruity citrus as well. Hot from the alcohol. Somewhat complex spiceness from 10 hop additions.

T: A bit grassy, bitter front to back, peppery, malty sweet and oily. I was distracted reading for a bit, and as it warmed up the alcohol filled the pint glass and my nose in spite of the wide open rim. The bitterness mellowed and blended a bit and it became a better beer than my initial reaction.

M: full bodied, oily, and a drying aftertaste that lingers.

D: a bit overwhelming, but go slow, let it warm, and it grows on you.

Overall: not the best DIPA I've had, but good and worth a try if you're a NH fan like myself.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2007 04:55:17 | More by FightingEntropy