New Holland El Mole Ocho - New Holland Brewing Company

Lauthaha

Michigan

3.85/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Beer is an iced-tea color, with a creamy tan head. About 80% opaque. After the beer settles a little bit, there's an intriguing geyser of carbonation in the center of the glass...it forms an eye (a la hurricanes) in the center of the head...pretty sweet!

Smell: Heavily toasted woody malt character, rich dark chocolate. It's a touch on the sour side, which detracts from the overall feeling, but it's not all bad...just not all good.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Very woody at first, some heavy bitterness follows up with dark chocolate and muddy coffee notes. Heavy carbonation carries flavors across the palate. Around the edges, there is a spicy chile flavor, and this follows into the aftertaste. Beer finishes relatively dry.

Overall: A good beer. A little on the sour side, and I'm not really a spiced-beer person (I prefer spiced wine to spiced beer), but I would certainly recommend it to those who were.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 00:47:46 | More by Lauthaha

grendelfly73

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +12%

05-28-2013 00:35:03 | More by grendelfly73

Pecafaced

Maryland

3/5  rDev -16%

04-12-2013 06:24:10 | More by Pecafaced

Giggy

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5%

04-04-2013 04:33:37 | More by Giggy

bashiba

Iowa

3.66/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a deep amber/brown with a thick and creamy tan head. Light lacing with mild retention.

The smell is sweet and caramely with a touch of rye bread and a light bit of pepper.

The flavor is a nice mix of malty sweetness with mild chili flavors coming through without any heat or hops to speak of. Has a heavy brown sugar flavor as well.

The mouthfeel is creamy and thick with a bit of warming.

Not a bad chili beer with the pepper only being a mild component to a big malty old ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:56:07 | More by bashiba

CaptainNomihodai

Illinois

4/5  rDev +12%

02-26-2013 06:47:16 | More by CaptainNomihodai

Rons35

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

02-19-2013 22:52:42 | More by Rons35

Danielr26

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

02-18-2013 17:16:56 | More by Danielr26

Kuba

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

01-30-2013 23:48:06 | More by Kuba

MrPlayboy

4.44/5  rDev +24.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bought a vintage 2012 bottle on a whim because I was looking for something similar to Dogfish Head Theobroma. This was not the same but was a very nice version of cocoa chili beer.

Appearance: Dark reddish hue with a light almost white foam that settled quickly leaving a thin layer. Slight lacing on the glass.

Smell: The aromas coming from the tulip are complex and easily distinguishable. Chocolate brownies, chili pepper, sweet raisins, dried fruit, roasted malt, and brown sugar.

Taste: The flavors all come through big and bold. It doesn't leave you guessing as to what you are tasting. You get a lot of chocolate, some peppery chili spice, lots of dried fruit, and a hint of sweet molasses. This is almost too sweet. The fact that it is just under 10% ABV is disguised very well but I would almost like to have a little more of a boozy flavor. The sweetness is not balanced well and it either needs more spice or more hops to even things out. This is something that you can sip slowly but a whole 750ml bottle is a bit much in one sitting.

Mouthfeel: Bold and full-bodied. Light carbonation to carry it down the hatch.

Overall: El Mole Ocho is a unique experience. It is the most complex chili beer that I have ever had and I think I prefer it to Theobroma for its big and bold flavors.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 19:13:45 | More by MrPlayboy

chakadrum

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -9%

01-17-2013 05:09:31 | More by chakadrum

BlissJunkie

Michigan

4/5  rDev +12%

01-14-2013 23:08:03 | More by BlissJunkie

DragonzBreath

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev +5%

01-13-2013 16:31:18 | More by DragonzBreath

BHansen214

Michigan

3/5  rDev -16%

01-10-2013 00:06:40 | More by BHansen214

superspak

Michigan

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

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, 2011 vintage at 8.4%. Gusher upon opening, but doesn’t seem infected. Pours fairly clear mahogany color with a small 1 finger fairly dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Light spotty lacing clings to the glass. Aromas of roasted coffee, chiles, chocolate, toast, caramel, brown sugar, toffee, and light smokiness. Damn nice aromas with good balance and complexity; very nice blend and balance of the coffee and chili counterparts. Taste of caramel, chocolate, coffee, chile skins, toffee, cocoa, toast, brown sugar, light smoke, and earthiness. Minimal spicy heat on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, chocolate, coffee, chile skin, toffee, toast, cocoa, brown sugar, and earth on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice flavor balance and complexity; all flavors meld together nearly perfectly; with zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and medium-full bodied; with a creamy and fairly slick mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with only a slight warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice chile beer! Great balance and complexity of all flavors; and very smooth to sip on. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 07:38:59 | More by superspak

FEUO

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +19%

12-26-2012 14:09:09 | More by FEUO

thinwhiteduke

Illinois

4/5  rDev +12%

12-14-2012 04:00:49 | More by thinwhiteduke

GaryMarkle84

Virginia

2/5  rDev -44%

11-21-2012 00:12:35 | More by GaryMarkle84

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

2.9/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Vintage 2012. Glug-glugged into a pint glass.

Cloudy chestnut-colored brew. Looks like mulled black tea with a foam topper. The head subsided with some speed. No lacing to speak of.

Smells of ancho chilies and musty chocolate. Strange confluence of aromas produces whiffs of red apple, grape, and tart berry. A very fruity mole with toasted grain malts in the nose. Somewhat lager-y.

Oh man, too sweet. Way too sweet. Has a raisiny sweetness to it that is off-putting. A hint of spiciness that doesn't isolate itself amongst the fruit esters and sugar. The chocolate is muddled, too. Some dusty cocoa, but the mole is certainly not the feature here. I get dark fruits, light booze, and some toffee. Just a messy ale. Doesn't taste bad, but it needs more bitterness and less candi sugar.

While the alcohol is pretty well-hidden, but it's almost flat without carbonation and sticky sweet and syrupy in the body. Pretty difficult to drink.

What a bust. This beer falls into the steer clear category. If you're looking for something spicy and chocolatey, you won't find it here.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:29:06 | More by thecheapies

leprechaunandfatman

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +26.1%

11-12-2012 00:58:19 | More by leprechaunandfatman

McNealc31

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a bit lighter than expected. Rather than being a dark brown, it's closer to a dark iced tea. Fluffy beige head that has not settled a nanometer since the pour. Intense aroma of bitter chocolate, bitter coffee, and chiles. Big, big flavor with the chiles becoming more prominent. The chiles give this a distinct fruitiness, but I am not getting the heat I expected (and wanted) considering how much flavor there is. Mix of bitter chocolate and coffee give the back end a full, round taste and feel.

El Mole Ocho is part of New Holland's High Gravity Series, clocking in at 9.8% ABV. There is not even a hint of alcohol heat here.

Really digging on this beer. Daring flavors, velvety texture, great balance, and unique. My one complaint is that I would like more chile heat. But that's just nitpicking

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2012 00:35:59 | More by McNealc31

MacStinson

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev -9%

10-23-2012 03:12:59 | More by MacStinson

crobinso

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -2%

10-16-2012 00:10:50 | More by crobinso

swetsastonic

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +19%

10-14-2012 21:12:42 | More by swetsastonic

pogoowner

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5%

10-09-2012 01:14:35 | More by pogoowner