Pink bubblegum | Caramel chews | Faint brown sugar | Hints of candy corn

Peach cobbler | Baking spices | Sweet vanilla | Peach iced tea | Sweet

Juicy peach | Dry oak | Leather | White peppercorn | Cigar box | Light vanilla

New Holland Spirits’ latest toasted barrel release includes three single barrels, including one finished in an ex-sherry barrel and one finished in an ex-port barrel. Each comes with a nickname and neck tag that includes distillery tasting notes. These are distillery-only releases, however, the brand released 5-6 Toasted single barrels into the market in Michigan this month. This makes us hopeful that a broader release outside of Michigan or even an online sale of their toasted barrel series will be made possible for subsequent releases.

Aptly named “Americana” Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted Barrel 2024G delivers on its name. This bourbon is an exercise in extreme flavors, as it embraces those found throughout its sip to the max, highlighting them each step of the way. It starts with a pink bubblegum note on the nose that takes center stage, followed by a sweet peach note in the form of peach cobbler and peach iced tea at the midpoint. This peach note shines through to the finish where a large dose of juicy peach is the main focus. The supporting flavors throughout the sip play second fiddle to the main stars.

This is a bourbon that transports me to a rocking chair on a back porch in the middle of summer. It’s so full of sweet flavors that it shocks the senses. This also is its one fault, as each part of the sip is just dominated by a singular focus. That being said, this release again emphasizes the fact that New Holland Spirits is one of the best-kept secrets in bourbon, as the distillery is able to put out a number of single barrels that all share a common mashbill, but thanks to their barrel finishing and production process, deliver unique, exciting bourbons that are worth seeking out each time.