Dark honey | Light charred oak | Roasted malt | Honey buns | Scents come across as heavy | Hides its proof well

Dark honey | Rye spice | Vanilla Wafer | Touch of char | Floral honey on the backend | Well balanced

Sticky floral honey | Dab of syrup | Apple berry jam | Subtle rye spice | Lingering

Located in Holland, Michigan, New Holland Brewing is best known for their Dragon’s Milk beer. However, over the last couple of years, their whiskeys labeled under the New Holland Spirits brand have quickly been making a name in the world of whiskeys. In 2022, they released their Dragon’s Milk Origin Small Batch Bourbon and have quickly followed with a number of releases this year, including their Toasted Origin Barrel series and now their Origin Honey Barrel Bourbon, which the company states will be an annual release.

In order to create this release, the company “partnered with Great Lakes Bee Company to source their Hasselman’s Honey and fill an ex-bourbon cask to the brim. Left to age, the barrel and honey worked in tandem to create their magic. Once emptied, the barrel is left with honey-soaked staves, primed to be filled with Origin [bourbon]...” This inaugural Origin Honey Barrel Bourbon was only sold at the company’s New Holland Brewing Pubs and New Holland Tasting Rooms locations.

Some previous honey barrel bourbons released by other companies such as Belle Meade Honey Cask Finish and Three Chord Honey Toasted Whiskey have been bottled at a high proof, but coming in at 117.5, Dragon's Milk Origin Honey Barrel Bourbon takes things to a new level. Amazingly, this bourbon drinks about 20 proof points lower than it really is. The honey barrel finish is quite evident throughout, with the sip delivering a consistent honey flavor note, specifically a floral sweet note that helps propel the palate and linger in the finish. The whiskey's higher malted barley component differentiates it from other honey barrel bourbons on the market, resulting in a unique yet still familiar pour. Easy sipping and full of flavor, Dragon's Milk Origin Honey Barrel Bourbon is another rock-solid release from New Holland Spirits.

The bourbon in review is bottle number 81 out of 450.