Hi Bourbon enthusiast
You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
Breaking Bourbon Award Winning Single Barrel Club picks are selected by Breaking Bourbon, and whenever possible with the help of Patreon supporters. The bottles are made available to Patreon supporters first by pledge tier. If any bottles remain after all supporters have had an opportunity to purchase, they are made available to the public on a first come, first served basis. Each barrel is sponsored by a retailer partner, who sells the bottles directly to end purchasers.
Retailer Partner: Seelbach’s
Classification: Straight Bourbon Finished in Toasted Oak & Rum Barrels
Company: New Holland Spirits
Distillery: New Holland Brewery Company
Age: NAS (7 years according to the company)
Proof: 128
Mashbill: 70% Corn, 25% Malted Barley, 5% Rye
Yield: 216 Bottles
Release Date: February 2025
Rollout Schedule
Tier 1 - Thursday 2/20/2025 @ 10AM ET
Tier 2 - Thursday 2/20/2025 @ 2PM ET
Tier 3 - Friday 2/21/2025 @ 10AM ET
Tier 4 - Friday 2/21/2025 @ 2PM ET
The same company many know for their popular Dragon’s Milk Beer, New Holland Spirits out of New Holland, Michigan remains one of American whiskey’s hidden gems. Distilling their whiskey with a Prohibition-era copper pot still, and using a bourbon mashbill that swaps the traditional percentages of malted barley and rye, anyone familiar with the company’s Origin Toasted Series knows how un-conventional and downright fantastic the whiskey they produce is.
We’ve enjoyed their Origin Single Barrel Series from the beginning, and this barrel marks our third pick with them. Each year added a year of aging, with the first at 5 years, the second at 6 years, and now this barrel clocking in at 7 years. For the previous barrels we went with a typical toasted barrel finish, but after reviewing a single barrel release from Dragon’s Milk, 2024D “Sweet Tea,” which was their first release finished in toasted oak barrels and rum barrels, our first thought was, “Wow, let’s do a barrel of this for the club.”
Rum barrel finishing can be overpowering to a base whiskey, (take Angel’s Envy Finished Rye, for example), but New Holland Spirits found just the right balance of base whiskey, toasted finish, and the rum finish with Dragon’s Milk “Sweet Tea.” It came together so well that it earned a 4.5 barrel rating.
This barrel pick was made just for the club, and started with a selection of the base pre-finishing bourbon. We picked barrel BOU17D25 which moved to the next phase in late September, 2024. From there it was a waiting game to get the finishing just right.
Our hope was a final result that came at least close to Dragon Milk’s earlier release, 2024D, which we reviewed and gave such a high rating. Thankfully, the final product didn’t disappoint! Flavors of butterscotch and cream soda on the palate inspired the idea of the nickname, “Butterbeer.” Be sure to check out the full tasting notes below. We hope you enjoy this barrel as much as we do.
Citrus zest, butterscotch, caramelized sugar, and honey emanate from the glass. A quick swirl reveals caramelized oak and juicy apricot. On the palate, waves of butterscotch, caramel, and a sweet cream soda note pop against a layered base consisting of toasted oak, graham cracker, and orange peel. The sip ends with a long finish consisting of rye spice, caramel, and brown sugar. A hint of green tea emerges before along with a lingering creme brulee note in the background. At 128 proof, this double barrel finished whiskey is bold and delicious, layering together the familiar Dragon’s Milk Origin Toasted Barrel flavor profile with complementary accents from the rum barrel finish. In a word, wow.
About Seelbach’s
For this pick, we partnered with spirits retailer Seelbach’s, which was founded by Blake Riber, also the creator of Bourbonr and the Bourbonr Facebook group. An online-only retailer with a twist, we interviewed Riber to discuss how he’s running his shop differently than everyone else. “Unlocking Craft Spirits” he calls it - seeking out up-and-coming craft distilleries and learning about their process and tasting through their products to find hidden gems.
Distillers, Producers, and Retailers: If you would like to be a part of this program and get your name in front of millions of bourbon enthusiasts, contact us.
Please note these bottles will not be sold by Breaking Bourbon, but will be sold by retailers we partner with in order to fulfill the orders and ship the bottles directly to Patreon supporters. Breaking Bourbon will receive no compensation from our partner retailers under these agreements (with the exception of a bottle from each barrel for editorial purposes). If you represent a retailer and ship to consumers and you’re interested in partnering just let us know!
