New Holland Beer Barrel Baked Apple Pie Bourbon 750ML

New Holland Beer Barrel Baked Apple Pie Bourbon 750ML is a flavored bourbon whiskey bottled at 35% ABV (70 proof) that finishes Michigan-distilled bourbon in the brewery's famed Dragon's Milk stout barrels. The result is a dessert-forward spirit layered with caramelized apple, warm cinnamon, and a distinctive stout-barrel richness that separates it from the crowded flavored-whiskey category.

Quick Facts: ABV: 35% (70 Proof)  |  Origin: Holland, Michigan, USA  |  1 Year Aged, Dragon's Milk Barrel Finish  |  Distillery: New Holland Spirits

Production & Heritage

New Holland Brewing Company was founded in 1997 in Holland, Michigan, and expanded into spirits production under the New Holland Spirits banner. This expression starts with a high-barley mashbill bourbon aged for one year in new American oak barrels, then transferred into barrels that previously held Dragon's Milk — New Holland's bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout. That secondary maturation infuses the whiskey with residual stout character, adding layers of roasted malt sweetness beneath the apple and cinnamon flavoring. The beer-to-bourbon crossover concept is central to the "Beer Barrel" range, and this apple pie variant pushes the line into overtly dessert territory.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Immediately sweet with baked apple and ground cinnamon dominating the nose. A thread of alcohol warmth sits underneath, along with faint pastry-dough notes reminiscent of fresh pie crust.

Taste: The palate opens with pronounced sweetness — apple crumble, brown sugar, and a candy-apple quality that arrives quickly and fully. Mid-palate, the cinnamon spice builds and a blooming, peppery heat develops at the back of the tongue. There is a subtle stout-barrel undercurrent adding just enough malty depth to keep the sweetness from going one-dimensional.

Finish: Relatively short and straightforward, closing with apple, cinnamon, and a pie-crust dryness. The lingering warmth is gentle given the 70-proof bottling strength.

How to Drink Baked Apple Pie Bourbon

Sipping chilled or over a single large ice cube highlights the apple-pie character while keeping the sweetness in check. This bourbon also performs well in dessert-leaning cocktails. Try it in an Apple Pie Old Fashioned, where a dash of Angostura bitters balances the sugar. It works in a Bourbon Apple Cider Mule, shaken with fresh apple cider and ginger beer for an autumn-style highball. A simple Warm Toddy with hot water, lemon, and a cinnamon stick plays directly into the spirit's baked-spice profile.

Best For

• Fall and winter entertaining where a dessert cocktail sets the mood
• Gifting to someone who enjoys flavored whiskeys and craft-brewery culture
• After-dinner sipping alongside — or in place of — actual apple pie
• Introducing non-whiskey drinkers to bourbon through a sweeter, lower-proof gateway

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Baked Apple Pie Bourbon taste like? It is decidedly sweet and dessert-forward, dominated by caramelized apple and cinnamon spice with a faint pie-crust dryness on the finish. The Dragon's Milk barrel finish adds a subtle malty undertone beneath the fruit and spice.

How does Baked Apple Pie Bourbon compare to Traverse City Cherry Bourbon? Both are Michigan-made flavored bourbons, but they diverge sharply in fruit profile: Traverse City leans tart and fruity with cherry, while New Holland's expression is warmer and sweeter with baked apple and cinnamon. New Holland's stout-barrel finishing step also adds a malty depth that Traverse City's offering does not have.

Is Baked Apple Pie Bourbon good for beginners? Yes — at 70 proof with significant sweetness, it is one of the most approachable bourbons on the shelf and a comfortable starting point for drinkers who find traditional bourbon too intense.

Where is Baked Apple Pie Bourbon made? It is distilled and finished by New Holland Spirits in Holland, Michigan, a Lake Michigan coastal city in the western part of the state. The distillery operates alongside New Holland Brewing Company, sharing barrel inventory between beer and spirit production.

What foods pair well with Baked Apple Pie Bourbon? Sharp aged cheddar provides a savory counterpoint to the sweetness. Vanilla bean ice cream or bread pudding amplifies the dessert theme. Smoked pork tenderloin with an apple glaze echoes the spirit's apple notes, while a simple pecan tart pairs naturally with its cinnamon warmth. Dark chocolate with sea salt offers a pleasant bittersweet contrast.

What sizes does Baked Apple Pie Bourbon come in? The standard bottle size is 750ml.

Is Baked Apple Pie Bourbon worth the price? It positions as an accessible, entry-level flavored bourbon priced in line with other craft-distillery flavored whiskeys. The Dragon's Milk barrel finish adds a layer of production complexity uncommon at this price tier, which gives it an edge over mass-market flavored bourbons that rely solely on added flavoring.

Why Baked Apple Pie Bourbon?

The defining differentiator here is the Dragon's Milk stout-barrel finish — a production step rooted in New Holland's dual identity as both brewery and distillery. While many flavored bourbons simply add extracts to young whiskey, this expression gains an additional dimension of roasted-malt depth from barrels that previously held a high-gravity imperial stout. The high-barley mashbill further bridges the gap between beer and bourbon. For drinkers drawn to dessert whiskeys, this bottle delivers a specific, seasonal flavor — baked apple pie — with more production credibility than most of its competitors.