Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Rum Barrel)

Brewed by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Style: Porter
Pleasantville, New York USA

Thanks to Stine for sharing. A black colored beer with lots of carbonation out of Eben’s 750 ml. There is an aroma of brett-yeast, and some malt. I wasn’t sure what style I was drinking and I thought this was much higher in alcohol than it actually is. Just a little rum as well as oak and more yeast, that creates a very dry beer. Medium on the palate and a finish with dry, lightly roasted malt. A very nice beer, and it is great to see an unusual barrel rather than the standard bourbon.

I received this 750 ml. bomber from Eyedrinkale as part of the BIF Race 2008. The warning about a gusher in one of the previous reviews was on my mind as I opened the bomber, and sure enough quick hand work was needed to prevent a full eruption onto the desk. Hell as I poured the beer and set the bomber down, foam kept building up and filled all of the headspace and started oozing out. That’s a carbon footprint Al Gore surely would not approve of. The beer itself looked very black in the tulip, and the foam atop it died down to some serious lacing that formed legs. The smell was oak and a lot of it. I am a fan of barrel aging in general, but the woodiness was a bit overdone here. The oak tannins made this tasted a lot like a dark Saison than a Porter. There was a little bit of chocolate in the background. I could not taste much of a rum character, and if smoke was not mentioned on the label, I would have not noticed the absence of it. The beer felt thick and soothing in the mouth, and although not mentioned, the belly warming indicated that this was quite a potent brew. That being said, the complicated aging process seems to have detracted rather than added to this Porter. I’d like a lot more smoke please.

Sampled at Cellar’s Wine & Spirits in St Paul, Minnesota. From 22-oz bomber and shared by Stine, pours a dark brown brew with a thin tan head that has some nice retention and lacing. Aroma of toasted and smoked dark malts, a touch of citrus zest, mint and some banana. Taste is quite smooth, light carbonated with flavors of smoked dark malts, dark pitted fruits and some sweet molasses. Finish has a mild chocolate and toasted malt aftertaste and then a lingering smoked malt with rum finish. A pleasant experience.

[Bottle, thanks a lot Stine!] Pours brown with a tan head. I was able to get the mint in the aroma that others that sampled this noticed, but otherwise there was banana, oak, and a light sweetness that I couldn’t place. The taste is fruity, toasted malt, smoke and chocolate. Medium mouthfeel with a really long, smoky, complex finish. Loved the finish on this beer. Really nice stuff, i definitely preferred this over the bourbon barrel version.

(bottle, thanks for sharing Stine!) Pours dark brown with a thick light tan head. The aroma of this beer is really complex and really changes upon warming. The initial smell is minty and reminded me of a dentist’s office. The smell then changed to green unripe banana, and further warming produced scents of barbecue sauce, and a substantial amount of smoke, which then switched to a large scent of oak. The taste was good as well, but not nearly complex as the aroma. The tastes were chocolate, bbq, smoke, and roasted malts, with a long oaky finish that was really nice. Medium mouthfeel. A great example of barrel aging.

Stouties Rating #400. Many thanks to Stine for sharing what turned out to be my 400th rating for the Stoutie Group. Long live Stouties! Black color with a thin head. Nice aroma of oak, rum, caramel and roasted malt. Moderately smoked taste, caramel and toasted oak. Dark rum and an almost raisiny finish. Yum.

Poured from a 750 ml bottle; batch one. Rich chocolate hue beneath a cascading gush of brown webbing. Dry, lightly bretty tones of cherry and funk in the aroma; banana, brown sugar, caramelized sugar, and creme brulee all reveling in the richness of this barrel impartation. Thick tanginess and spicy sweetness. Rum raisin ice cream. Very well aged, seemingly, with this smooth and streamlined character from the wet barrels that never seems to cloying or overdone, even with this sticky spirit being used. Lots of roasted malt and sweet barbecue presence in the flavor, juicy with some citrus punch and tart yeasts. Vibrant spiciness a little vague. Bold, sweet vanilla, cinnamon and cane like sweetness that bonds eagerly and seamlessly with the tart dryness of the wood. Palate is warm and syrupy with a sparkly bite; medium to heavy in body. Delicious toasty bonfire smoke and dense cane sugar finish; lengthy, gorgeous montage of fruitiness and spicy depth. Full of complexity and eccentric nuance; a unique, original concept that seems practiced to perfection in this initial attempt. Thanks Jason!

750 ml bottle, batch 1 - shared at after4ever’s tasting alongside wine and bourbon; virtually identical to the wine in terms of appearance but with a slightly darker head; aromas are of stale brandy and wood; kind of musky; thinnest texture of the three; kind of soapy taste to it; as with the other two, this was pretty disappointing; have another bottle via a trade with gregis so we’ll see what a little time does to it