New Holland Brewing Mad Hatter Midwest IPA

Beer Name: Mad Hatter Midwest IPA
Brewery: New Holland Brewing Co. (Holland, MI)
ABV: 7.0%
How sold: 12 oz bottles; on draft
Where bought: Craft Shack (San Diego, CA) ****bought online
Price: $2.99(!) for 12 oz. bottle

Date Bottled: April 29, 2016
Date Purchased: September 15, 2016
Date Opened/Drank: October 3, 2016
When brewed? Year-round beer. First brewed in 1998, "re-imagined" in 2015.
IBUs: 55 (on bottle); 65 (on website)

Pairings (as stated on the website): "Aged cheddars, herb-roasted poultry, vinaigrettes and six o'clock."

What's on the Bottle: "Mad Hatter’s whimsy is celebrated with floral aromatics from assertive dry-hopping, and a bright, hoppy body, punctuated with Centennial, Citra and Michigan-grown Cascade hops. Citrus and pleasant bitterness excite your palate before welcoming a balancing malty finish."

What's on the Website: "Mad Hatter’s whimsy is celebrated with floral aromatics from assertive dry-hopping, and a bright, hoppy body, punctuated with Centennial, Citra and Michigan-grown Cascade hops. Citrus and pleasant bitterness excite your palate before welcoming a balancing finish." Read more here!

Where distributed: As of October 2016, New Holland beers are found in select states, including Michigan and California. This beer is generally not found in the Pacific NW. Click here to see if New Holland beers are near you!

REVIEW:

Appearance (5%): Poured hazy peach-orange into a pint glass. Frothy off-white head. Trace lacing on the glass. 4.25/5

Smell (25%): A blend of apricot-citrus-tropical, slight floral, and complementing malt. 4/5

Taste (40%): Citrus-malty from the start, with apricot and tangerine notes. Controlled bitterness. Lovely flavor throughout. Gradually got more and more of the malty body as I kept drinking. 4/5

Mouthfeel (10%): Medium-bodied, some carbonation. Slightly sticky on the tongue to allow the citrus-bitterness linger. 4.25/5

Overall (20%): A great IPA. Despite heading to Michigan last fall, I didn't pick up any new Holland brews while there. This one is on the pricey side at $2.99 for a 12 oz. bottle. The only other beer I've had from New Holland (and not formally reviewed) was Dragon's Milk, which I would likely rate as excellent to outstanding. If someone gave me this at a party, I'd happily drink it. 4/5

Final Weighted Rating: 4.038/5