New Holland Cabin Fever Brown Ale - New Holland Brewing Company

bnes09

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Translucent, chocolate color with descent head on the pour. Fairly weak retention but followed by some lacing on the glass. Non-specific grainy aroma. Flavor of wheat bread, maple sweetness, dark fruits, earthy hops with descent balance. Medium bodied and well carbonated, smooth feel with some grainy texture. Descent brown ale. Par for the course.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 04:35:38 | More by bnes09

screamking

Ohio

3.84/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle poured into snifter.

This beer pours dark brown with small light tan head. Darker than a lot of brown ales I've seen lately. Strong roasted aroma, with lots of caramel in there too. Smell almost reminds of peanut butter cookies.

That roasted aroma follows in the tase. Roasted walnut comes to mind. A good amount of sweetness in the taste as well. There's lots of carbonation in feel and it also leaves your mouth very dry. Overall feel is light and this can be drunk all night all.

This is one of my favorite brown ales available. It's more of a winter brown with the roasted notes, but it can be enjoyed in the summer too. I would drink it on hot days but warm nights by the fire are perfect.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:09:02 | More by screamking

Cryptic

Michigan

4.71/5  rDev +28.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

This by far is my favorite, has a smooth taste and easy to drink. I tried this in Holland MI and have been buying this one ever since. My only complaint is I get to full on them to fast. If you want a great beer buy this one. Really enjoy this beer and keep returning to it.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 01:58:04 | More by Cryptic

steveh

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Local had a sale going on this -- distro must be trying to clear out some seasonals. $7 a sixer, couldn't pass it up.

A -- Clear, deep garnet-brown with a dense tan head that holds up well.

S -- Earthy character with some light caramel and cocoa, mild roasted malts, and the lightest of spicy hops back -- also some pepperiness from alcohol at the end.

T -- Big roasted malts up front with some caramel and nutty characters. Very mild fruitiness and hop bitterness follows. The roasted malt and caramel lingers in the aftertaste.

M -- Medium full body with a chewy mouthfeel and alcohol hotness in the finish, even lightly solvent with warming. There are smoother Browns out there.

O -- A good winter beer for warming up after too long in the elements. Goes down pretty smooth, but the hotness from the alcohol can fatigue the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 21:51:02 | More by steveh

RWLawman

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

A - Dark brown with a thin off-white head that reduces to a fingernail. Scattered, but minimal lacing left behind.

S - Caramel and malt dominate the smell. Actually somewhat unpleasant, if you ask me. But I base very little off of the smell of a beer anyway.

T - Extremely malty, with some chocolate notes, a nutty flavor in the middle, and caramel, maybe with a hint of molasses as well. Love the heavy malt presence on this one though.

M - Very smooth and moderately thick. Velvety in a sense. Low to moderate carbonation. Goes down great, with a hint of creaminess on the back.

O - I was very impressed with this offering by New Holland. I'm partial to porters, stouts, and browns. Smuttynose Old Dog Brown is the best American Brown made in my opinion, but this isn't all that far behind. Could definitely see looking for this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 23:27:35 | More by RWLawman

czfreeman

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had to follow up Sand Creek's Lija's brown with something else, as it was pretty unpleasant.
Rich brown nutty tone. Nice creamy head, descends down leaving nice lacing,
Smells of toffee,carapils, chocolate malt, nice backing of biscuit. Hints of smoke, toffee, coffee, nuts, and chocolate intermingle to create what I love about brown ales.
Rich, smooth, satisfying, yet light enough to keep flavors in balance. Toffee, bitter cocoa, hazelnuts, biscuit, dark bread, pepper, nice finish of pepper/smoke/nuts/ toffee.
Mouthfeel is medium, rich enough to keep it interesting, and light enough to keep it highly drinkable.
Do I have Cabin Fever on this wintery Chicago night? Yes.
Does this fit it's name perfectly? Yes, well done NH.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2013 02:26:39 | More by czfreeman

carlborch

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Brilliant mahogany-brown pour with a 2 inch, creamy, tan head. Spicy, dried fruit and malty nose. Medium body. Distinctive lacing. Balanced sweetness, spice, toasted bread and a faint sour note on the palate. Pleasant lingering with bitter notes towards the finish.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 22:14:32 | More by carlborch

chicagojustin

3.16/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A: Clear, nice dark brown color. Weak, white to light tan head.

S: Not much in the smell department. Light malty smell.

T: It is maltier than I expected, slightly in an English style, and does not have much of a hop finish, but was still relatively balanced

M: Velvety, but with a clean aftertaste

O: Good brown, make sure to let it warm up a bit. Not overly unique.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2013 02:31:28 | More by chicagojustin

Danno48

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a tasting glass.

Looks very much like coke under the head. The head itself looks a silky caramel close to an inch thick.

My smell is almost gone so ill skip this part.

Tastes like roasted nuts and bitter chocolate. Slightly sweet molasses also. Roastier than most browns.

Velvety texture.

I love brown ales and this one is very nice. It would be good with a western burger.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 20:34:51 | More by Danno48

tdm168

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - dark brown with reddish edges; a quarter of an inch of soft, dense, brown head that has decent retention

S - grainy and sweet at first, but then nutty, roasty, and big caramel aromas

T - big caramel maltiness, big nutty character, some stickiness, very faint graininess, a mildly bitter finish

M - medium bodied, a bit crisp, a tad light at times

This is a decent brown ale. It doesn't have anything that separates it from the crowd, but it is brewed to style and is easily drinkable. If you're looking for an unoffensive, solid brown ale, then this is it. If you're looking for something more, you should look elsewhere. I'm glad I tried it once, but I won't be seeking it out again.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2013 01:41:04 | More by tdm168

dacrza1

New Jersey

3.61/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Date: 26 January 2013...
Glassware: chiseled mug....
Occasion: celebrating Will's triumphant first violin performance...
Appearance: shines a dark ruby body with a thick, frothy brown head; promising effervescence...
Aroma: the label promises rye, roast and raisin, and I oddly detect those scents; the roasted element is particularly appreciated...
Taste: First tastes are of caramel and raisin, somewhat sweet and mellow...
Palate: medium bodied with a warming presence at the throat that elongates the aftertaste. A noticeably effected beginning at the teeth as well--one can "breath" this beer out, in a sense....
Overall: A decent abv (6.2%) makes this a useful as well as enjoyable brew; the label is befitting its proper setting for consumption. I am not a fan of raisins per se, but I can be persuaded by the roasted atmosphere of this profile. This is the only bottle I purchased--I built my own winter six at Shop-Rite--but I would revisit this at a later date.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 03:52:19 | More by dacrza1

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +32.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark brown…awesome, finger thick khaki colored head formed and stayed…nice legs all over the glass…super, duper inviting…(5/5)

Smell: Caramel malts! Sweet, creamy, deep malt aroma…dark fruits, brown sugar, vanilla…I’m expecting a rich, creamy flavor…this thing smells awesome! (4.5/5)

Taste: Creamy, vanilla, toasted malt…there’s some earthy hops balancing the malts finely, creating a fantastic flavor…some coffee, chocolate, bready/sweet malts, vanilla, caramel and sugar adding tones that round out this fine brew…no alcohol heat to speak of…as it warms, the deeper chocolate notes begin to flourish…fantastic! (5/5)

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium carbonation…fluff does form creating chocolate shake taste, making my mouth salivate…ends crisply, some creamy chocolate, malt after taste…my mouth is watering for more…(4.5/5)

Overall: This is a fantastic brown ale, one of the best beers I’ve tried in a while…the creamy, malt flavor isn’t exotic by any means, but works so well here…it’s not overly hoppy or bitter, just balanced superbly…the phrase, “drinkable” doesn’t do this ale justice, I could easily drink 3 or 4 of these in a sitting and be very happy…there is no sign of the 6.8% ABV in the flavor, I’m expecting this to sneak up on me…absolutely nothing missing from this brew, I couldn’t recommend it more…go get a six pack and you’ll thank me later…(5/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2013 04:32:46 | More by SerialHiker

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks goes out to Mississipping and StayWhatYouAre2’s dad for sharing this one at a recent tasting! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured red-brown with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, nutty, toasted malt, and caramel. The flavor was of sweet malt, powdered chocolate, milk chocolate, and nutty. It had a light feel on the palate with medium-high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. I had never heard of this brew before until I saw it this night. So I really didn’t know what to expect at all. What I found actually wasn’t too bad for the style. A lot of the right components were present, but it was a little too sweet with the chocolate aspect going on in the flavor to stand out in the style. If that was toned back slightly it could have been a pretty good brew. Worth your time trying if you get the opportunity to do so.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 13:43:06 | More by thagr81us

Redrover

Illinois

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz brown longneck poured into a pint glass, the beer is dark brown with a tan head.

It has an inviting aroma of roasted malts, chocolate and a bit of spice.

The beer starts with dark roasted malts backed with bakers chocolate and a bit of coffee. Some spice emerges on subsequent sips. The chocolate fades and the coffee becomes slightly more prominent. The roasted almost charred malts remain constant.

The mouth is slightly thick but with small active carbonation. It goes down very easy.
I think this could be a session beer (even at 6+ %) as long as it is a short session... Well done!

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2012 00:52:25 | More by Redrover

champ103

Texas

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a dark brown with some ruby highlights. A small, beige head forms but recedes in a second. Thin lace is left behind.
S: Toasted malt, chocolate and caramel malts. English type yeast as well. Lightly woody. A nice malty aroma.
T: Again, a very nice malty treat. Toasted malt, baked bread, chocolate and caramel malts along with some English yeast. Finishes with a dry woody flavor. Very nice.
M/D: A medium body and carbonation. Crisp , but smooth and creamy at the same time. Even chewy. So easy and enjoyable to drink. Something I can quaff all day.

Not a big beer at all. Though hardy enough, with a great toasted warm malt flavor to make it perfect to put several back during the winter months. A very under rated brewery that makes another solid beer. Something I would recommend.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2012 22:53:37 | More by champ103

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours and looks delicious. Nice caramel to with heavy toastiness. Big full tan head and a very brown clear body with deep red/garnet highlights.
Aroma fades some and a yeasty quality shows forth. Not a big issue, but too bad as the initial shots were quite nice.
Nice heavy feel with a full malt flavor. Roasty/toasty drying on the finish. Little bits of sweetness up front, but that's about for that. Just a nice mouthful of heavy malt darker malt flavor with a touch of hops and tartness (on occasion)
This is a good and very solid brown ale. Seems to have a touch of an english ale yeast, which adds a little character.
Fans of brown ales this one should work for you.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 18:53:02 | More by garymuchow

TimmyL

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle into a tulip
A- darker than expected, deep brown with off-white head that lasts a bit.
S- not too much going on here. wanted more.
T- roasted nuts, can taste the booze, tobacco, earthy favors.
M- decent carbonation, dry finish.
O- pretty good, yet different for its style. I prefer bit more nutty/caramel and a little less earthy-smokeyness but a nice change of pace from say an Ellie's Brown Ale

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2012 00:00:29 | More by TimmyL

weltywm

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into my Dogfish goblet.

Appearance: Much darker than I expected, particularly for a brown ale. Some white lacing that quickly dissipates, leaving slight lacing on the side.

Smell: About what you'd expect: malty and sweet, with a little bit of fruit and alcohol.

Taste: Follows the nose: toast, rye, raisins, caramel, a little bit of hop bitterness to balance everything out. Some warming alcohol toward the finish.

Mouthfeel: Middle of the road. Very drinkable.

Overall: A very drinkable yet average version of a brown ale. Nothing bad about it, but not as good as I usually expect from New Holland. But, for the price, it was worth it, and a good brown ale to pair with some food or for a lazy evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 01:49:24 | More by weltywm

bum732

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

S: Very toasty grain, bready, slightly nutty.

L: Dark brown, some highlights when put up to the light. Little head that dissipates.

T: Toast like malt with hints of caramel. Medium low earthy bitterness. Finishes quite dry with a slight roasty finish. Fairly dry throughout.

M: Medium carbonation, medium bodied. Slight alcohol warmth.

Solid brown ale, fairly dry throughout.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:22:24 | More by bum732

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle - $1.99 at Total Wine & More in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Appearance: Pours a clear, very dark amber body with a finger-high head comprised of light tan froth.

Smell: Moderately roasty, nutty aroma, smelling of Breakfast Blend coffee, a firm shard of milk chocolate, walnuts, with a little touch of date fruitiness.

Taste: A roasty start, but not overly so, with tastes of sweetened coffee, fire-roasted nuts, light chocolate, even a little caramel in there. Small portion of dark fruitiness. Earthy, faintly leafy hops with sufficing bitterness to cut the initial malt sweetness. Roasty, toasty on the finish and into the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel.

Overall: A solid, soundly malty brown ale for the colder months.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 20:26:59 | More by ChainGangGuy

Ricochet

Ohio

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

A: Brown as advertised. Deep brown, little light came through, strong lace with little head.
S: Caramel and toasted malts with little else.
T: Full and creamy with a strong alcohol remainder. Just a bit sweet.
M: Creamy. Flowed through the mouth. Moderate bitter going down.
O: I'd buy this again. It's a standard of what a brown should taste like .

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 04:43:46 | More by Ricochet

kojevergas

California

2.98/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

6.5% per my bottle. 17 plato. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Dick's Last Resort pilsner glass in me sister's gaff in low altitude Minneapolis, Minnesota. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average.

A: Pours a one finger khaki colour head of nice thickness and cream, and pretty decent retention considering the above average ABV. Colour is a very dark amber. Nontransparent but non-opaque. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Toasted malt, caramelization, floral hopping, some nutty notes, cream, biscuit malt, and still more caramelization. A moderate strength aroma.

T/Mf: Toasted smooth malts, creamy qualities, prominent nuts, biscuit malt, and minimal hopping. Balanced and tasty, if simple. Smooth and wet. Clean. Good carbonation. Good thickness. Alcohol does come through. No yeast is detectable.

Dr: Drinkable and enjoyable. I wouldn't have it again, but it's a decent little brown ale. Doesn't hide its ABV all that well. Meh.

C

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 20:51:39 | More by kojevergas

PorterLambic

Florida

4.48/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep, dark brown with a creamy tan head. Clear but with only a little light getting through (and giving it a reddish hue). Head drops to chunky thick film eventually but the retention is quite good. Only knock is there is very little lace.
Smell is roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate all well balanced with a hint of hop.
Taste is coffee, toast, malt, baking chocolate, faint hops. Balance is very good.
Smooth, slightly drying with a mild warming from the alcohol bloom. Medium plus body with light, gentle effervescence. This is better than Newcastle for certain and I like some Newk.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 19:01:24 | More by PorterLambic

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Pours dark brown with a finger of mocha foam. Aroma is quite roasty with bitter black roast malt dominating.

First sip is rather smoky tasting, with a decent amount of sweetness. Not much hop flavor to speak of. This is just smoky, sweet, raisiny tasting.

Certainly an interesting take on an American Brown ale. The flavors work decently well with each other between the smoke, raisin, and licorice notes. But it doesn't pull me in and really excite my taste buds - I feel like after drinking one, I'm not in the mood to have another... it just grows on you in a negative way.

That being said - this is a nice beer, just not something I'd like to have everyday.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 03:49:10 | More by FickleBeast

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.18/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours extremely dark brown with a finger and a half worth of head. Leaves no lacing.

S - Slight burnt malt, slight caramel. That's about it.

T - Moderate burnt malt, chestnuts, bread, burnt caramel, raisins.

M - Light to medium body with medium carbonation.

O - Overall, not a bad brew, although the flavors could have been more pronounced. I'd have again.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 04:36:42 | More by SometimesIfart