Captain Lawrence Nor’ Easter Winter Warmer

Brewed by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
Pleasantville, New York USA

Batch #1. Bottle barely emits a sound when uncapped. Dark brown with almost no head despite aggressive pours. Completely flat, so maybe I got a bad bottle. Aroma of bourbon and vanilla with licoroce/berry notes. Taste has a dark fruit and wood elements to it as well. Way too sweet and bourbon like for my tastes. Reminds me of Dalmore for some reason. Adventurous. Certainly something to be experienced.

Batch 2. Deep brown with some ruby highlights. No real head. Aroma of bourbon, dark fruit, vanilla. Sweet and chewy. Bourbon doesn’t dominate. Vinous, with plenty of currants and dates. No trace of the alcohol. A good brew, but they have to get their carbonation issues straightened out.

Poured from a 750mL Bottle at the brewery. This is a preliminary review. Pours a maple and balsamic pan sauce, charged with an angry muddy sea form. Aroma confuses lightly with bold caramels, generic fruit and gobs of vinous quality. Flavor develops as very complex and fruity. Comes first as heavy in the caramel department, with unique strong syrups and sweetness. But, not too sweet. Just in that expressing alcohols, but not overwhelming the palate sweet. And speaking of alcohol, not so hot for twelve, which makes it real enjoyable. After moving out of maybe a confused dark sugar phase and behaving like something that reminisces of Lost Abbey Old Viscosity, this beer straggles from the pack by presenting a full profile of the bourbon barrel and the fruit, mingling together in unique union. Lots of berry and jam, but more directed towards the seeds and extraneous pulp, which is okay, because I wouldn’t want a sweet, pie-heavy flavor to develop. Then the growling, mature oaky bourbon, but in no way overwhelming. Balance and dryness seem to be missing, but since I’m not overwhelmed by alcohol and sweetness, so it’s alright. A real interesting project. Exciting.

Bottle courtesy of John_Adam2002: Poured a clear deep brown color ale with a medium off-white foamy head with good retention and lacing. Aroma is dominated by some bourbon notes with limited alcohol appearance and some sweet malt notes. Taste is also dominated by some malt with some light toffee notes with some bourbon and vanilla dominating but not going overboard. Body is full with some great carbonation and alcohol is mildly noticeable. I could not detect the elderberries but overall I thought this was complex without being too one-dimensional or too bourbon dominated.

Batch #1 750ml bottle picked up in NYC last summer by illini08, thanks! a very enjoyable dark brown ale, perfect for a cold winter night. aroma and flavors of dark fruit, vanilla, oak and some bourbon. bourbon aroma was really nice, but in the flavor profile seemed a bit too strong. a rich and complex beer I’d love to try again.

Batch #1 750 ml bottle enjoyed Christmas night. Pours a deep dark brown with slight burgundy hues dancing around the outer edges and small light tan head that leaves a good amount of lacing. Aroma is fantastic with lots of wood, slight bourbon, vanilla, molasses, honey and lots of dark fruit, must be the elderberries. Initial wood flavor gives way to berries, vanilla, bourbon and then back to wood again. Wow was this some good stuff, perfect ending to a great Christmas.

Batch #1. Picked up this bottle for Duane over the summer at some hole in the wall bottle shop in NYC. Thanks for sharing! Mahogany colored pour with no head. Aroma is bourbon, oak, some vanilla, and some sort of funky sweetness - I’m guessing that’s the elderberries. Flavor is similar. Not much hop presence to speak of. Definitely a sipper. Glad I got to try this one, but at almost $15/bottle, I think once is enough.

Batch #2 Pours opaque, dark brown, with mahogany edging. An aggresive pour releases barely any head, with only traces of medium to large bubbles of tan rising to the surface. Aromatics are decidely bourbon-laced and boozy. Bakers chocolate, dark fruit, and some light char step forward as it warms. Mouthfeel is sticky, chewy, and lightly syrupy, with carbonation lacking. The pallet is layered with ripe berries, whiskey, dark chocolate, and charred oak. A complex and fruity vineousity lingers as the bourbon and mild smoke fade. Finishes with plenty of warming alcohol, bourbon, and vanilla. The juicy essence of the elderberries plays a complimentary role to the bold flavor profiles of bourbon and chocolate, and does not make the beer scream "I’m a fruit beer!". I’m not really getting any Belgian character however, and if the carbonation was better, this beer would be improved. A terrificly complex beer for one that’s so young, and hopefully more time will add some needed carbonation.