Review: New Holland Hatter Royale Hopquila
Review: New Holland Hatter Royale Hopquila
Tequila for rabbits? No. New Holland, based not in Holland the country but rather Holland the city in Michigan, takes a double-distilled mash of 100% malted barley, then steeps Centennial hops in it. It’s not aged, but it comes out a Chardonnay-yellow from the hops
Hopquila, then, is not a funky tequila but rather a flavored white whiskey. Good thing you read the label, bub.
The aroma is skunky and hot: earthy and full of white whiskey character, big grain notes like those of new make spirit. On the palate, things are a bit different. The hops come across as surprisingly sweet — much like you get with a sweeter-style, light-bodied beer. Hoppy? Not exactly, but there’s a certain herbal funk in the mix that gives it a flavor unlike anything else I’ve ever reviewed. The finish is closer to honey than sugar, with an odd and difficult-to-peg edge to it.
Hopquila is like one of those oddball spirits that someone created on a dare — and that someone seems to have gotten lucky with this one. Hopquila isn’t something I’d drink every day, but on a full moon when the stars are just right, well, just maybe…
80 proof.
B+ / $50
New Holland Hatter Royale Hopquila
$50
where can I buy this – around Pontiac, W. Bloomfield are
where can I get a bottle of Hopquila in the Detroit / W. Bloomfield area?
Thanks,
Larry Krajewski