Baked pie crust | Cinnamon | Nutmeg | Candied apple | Toasted sugared pecans

Apple streusel | Loacker’s Napolitaner wafers | Confectioners sugar | Starbucks dark caramel sauce

Burnt pie crust | Burnt caramel sauce | Maple | Toasted oak | Chocolate wafers

Perhaps what is now the biggest tease in bourbon, New Holland has released another distillery-only round of their acclaimed toasted finished Dragon’s Milk Bourbons. The first set of releases in 2024 consists of their standard toasted finish, honey finished, rum finished, and an applejack finish. Much like their previous releases, they’re very good, and yes, they are confined to the distillery and the surrounding restaurants and bars by their Michigan distillery. What a tease.

Finishing in used applejack barrels is a new style for the Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted Barrel line. Where we found some minor issues with the last batch’s combination finishing, mainly with the Amburana and sherry finishes, the applejack finish is a perfect pairing. Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted Barrel releases already have a Fall-season-like quality to them with their cinnamon, baked pie crust, and nutmeg flavors, and adding a touch of sweet apple flavor notes to them tastes as good as it sounds.  

The nose of “Apple Turnover” doesn’t stray too far from past releases, with the exception of a slightly more pronounced candied apple scent. The palate deviates more so, with apple streusel coming in strong out front, followed by Loacker’s Napolitaner wafers, confectioner’s sugar, and Starbucks dark caramel sauce creating a good deal of magic on their own. The finish turns to a more burnt flavor theme, with burnt pie crust and burnt caramel sauce fulfilling their roles of giving the whiskey a deeply rustic taste. One of the main benefits of the applejack finishing is how it mellows out the proof. One of my few complaints of previous batches is the proof makes them just a touch hot given the baking-related flavors present. With the addition of the applejack sweetness, it nicely dials the whiskey down just a notch. New Holland was also careful (perhaps even too much) not to overdo the applejack finishing as it influences the sip but doesn’t overpower it in any way.

New Holland continues to finetune their Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted Barrel line to the point of seemingly obsession. I’m sure I speak for everyone at this point when I say, please, please, increase production and release this nationally as more whiskey drinkers deserve a chance to experience this line.