PappyVanWise Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 Thanks to a discussion on the All Day IPA thread, I decided to throw out New Holland's White Hatter out for the group. I always see New Holland on the shelf, but never really drink it. I'm glad Nick Freshman chimed in about this one, since it's not something I would have thought of suggesting. It is a Belgian Pale Ale, so hopefully a nice counter to the IPAs we've been tasting. Here's a little info about the brewery from Wikipedia: Jason Spaulding and Brett VanderKamp, the founders of New Holland Brewing Company, grew up together in Midland, Michigan, and later attended Hope College. In college Spaulding and VanderKamp cultivated a love of homebrewing, which would bring them together again shortly after graduation. Their business plan took two years to formulate, but once complete, the pair quickly lined up investors, and in 1996 New Holland was founded in Holland, Michigan. Originally, the duo's goal was to produce beer that was characteristically unique to Western Michigan. Their beer was well received, and the company increased production to just over 5,000 US beer barrels (590,000 l) in 2006. In 2007 the company increased production to over 7,500 US bbl (880,000 l). Nick's initial thoughts: "New Holland's White Hatter BPA. Generally, BPAs have done nothing for me. To much biscuity, yeasty flavor from the Belgian side that washes out whatever hop character is there. This one is not so. Bright yellow color with a thick, creamy head. Great floral aromas, crisp hop backbone, but with a delicate creaminess from the "B" part of the BPA." And some information from the New Holland site White Hatter flavorfully blends the soft malt, fruity esters and delicate spicing of a Belgian White with hoppy citrus notes of an IPA. Pleasant hints of tropical fruit are framed with orange peel, chamomile, coriander and grains of paradise. Pairings: fish, grilled chicken, hard cheeses.ABV: 5.5%IBU: 39.6Original Gravity: 12.6° Plato I've confirmed that it is on the shelves at Total Wine. New Holland does show up at supermarkets, so hopefully everyone will be able to find it. If not, Nick mentioned that he still has it on tap at this house (but not Spider Kelly's?). Enjoy, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Freshman Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 No, not on tap at Spider Kelly's. IPAs always do really well, but that is about as far as the crowd goes as far as alternate styles of beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyVanWise Posted July 16, 2013 Author Share Posted July 16, 2013 Well, Nick, you definitely picked a winner here. The White Hatter is delicious. I'm drinking it out of an imperial pint glass, which it poured into perfectly. As my other posts have shown, I'm a fan of cream ales, and the creaminess in the Hatter is just perfect. It has the IPA bitterness with a smooth finish, and I'm actually surprised at the alcohol content is 5.5%, I'd have thought closer to 5%. I could see drinking this at a baseball game or someplace where the sun is just beating down on you. It's much more refreshing than the straight IPAs we've had, closer to Oberon for me in that regard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrichstar Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Have to agree with everyone here. This is one delicious beer. It was so balanced with the tropical fruit flavor, just the right amount of bitterness and a touch of light funk that makes it "white." Loved the combo and will definitely look to be refreshed again on a future hot day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 I love this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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