New Holland Brewing Company- Mad Hatter IPA: Maddening Indeed!
Monday, May 24, 2010 at 7:13PM | by Wes 
Jason gave me two New Holland beers to review, The Imperial Hatter IPA and Mad Hatter IPA. I fell in love with the Imperial Hatter. I mean a deep, dark semi-obsessive kind of love. I wanted to run out and try the Mad Hatter the same night, but I am trying to stick to my one beer per night rule. Let’s just hope patience pays off, because I have been staring at this bottle for about two weeks in an attempt to test my resolve.
Mad Hatter IPA pours a very commanding dark orange hue. It had a nice white foamy head and bubbled with a medium carbonation level. Its aroma was actually very simple, just a slightly sweet scent with a very faint whiff of floral hops. It’s definitely not going to drive you mad anytime soon. Hopefully the flavor can change my mind.
Hmmmm. Well, Mad Hatter is indeed madding. It just seems a little lackluster. Like New Holland is afraid to take the beast off the leash. The flavor is very muted and dare I say a little bland. Other than a mild hop bite and minuscule amount of roasted undertones, there really is not a lot to write home about. This brew is not going to stand out in an ever expanding IPA market. The real shame is that people might pick this beer up when there is an amazing bottle of Imperial Hatter IPA sitting right next to it. Trust me; you have had better versions of this style before, probably even brewed by the same brewery.
ABV: 5.25%
Consumed: Pint Glass
Verdict: Buy a Six Pack (Unless Imperial Hatter is an option!)
