New Holland Envious 2011 (8/10)

Although New Holland has reportedly discontinued the Envious line of beers, you can occasionally still find them on Central Ohio retailer shelves.  This particular bottle was found at Ale Wine & Spirits in Powell.

Envious was brewed with a malt base, combined with Michigan pear juice, chardonnay yeast, and raspberries.  It’s then aged in oak barrels.

Envious pours an almost black color with a thin beige head that doesn't last long.

Its aroma is very fruity, hinting at plums, pears, and dark fruits.
The flavor of Envious matches up to the aroma, starting with what almost tastes like dark grape juice instead of pears and raspberries. It’s a thick and somewhat syrupy beer.  The raspberries come through at the finish, but remain in the background through most of the drink.  Because of the intensity of the flavor and the thickness, this isn’t a beer you’re going to drink quickly.  You’ll be sipping it for most of the glass.

Beer Advocate gave Envious a 75 or “okay” rating.  Rate Beer gave it a 66 overall.  I actually enjoyed it a little more than they did, rating it an 8 out of 10.  It’s not a beer I’d want to drink regularly, but I’d be happy to have a few in my refrigerator to sip occasionally after dinner or in situations where I wanted something more “dessert-like”.

As mentioned earlier, I found a bottle of this at Ale Wine & Spirits in Powell.  Since it’s been discontinued, you’ll have to shop a bit to locate a bottle around town.  I don’t recall having seen another at any of the shops I’ve visited in the last few months.


Flavor Profile:
Sweet, Malty, Dry, Bitter, or Sour: Sweet
Spice Level:  Low
Hops Level: Very Low
Dominant Flavors: grape, raspberry, malt
ABV:  7.5%
IBU:  12
My Rating: 8/10