Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Rum Barrel)

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

750 from zathrus13 - thanks, Jeff!! I’m a big fan of CL’s smoked porter and I’ve not yet had any other of the barrel-aged offerings. So I was very intrigued to pop this one open and get the strong rum aroma on the pour. Same handsome body (big frothy head and nice brown-ruby hue) as the regular offering, same substantial and high-quality porter at the base. I do feel that the rum barrel compromises the smokiness a bit, which is why I docked this a bit, but it’s so solid and enjoyable overall. Nice dark autumn fruits, slightly malty, barely smoky, and mostly piquant. A very interesting brew from what is becoming, in my opinion, one of the finest craft breweries in the States.

Dark burgundy-brown with a thick, mountainous head. Crazy nose - tart, dark fruit, hints of smoke. Nice complex, esoteric depths so hard to wrap my head around. Soft body, almost too much so as it borders on plasticy. Dark fruits, light malt, toffee and a subtle barrel influence. You wouldn’t even pick out rum. Interesting, if nothing else.

300 ml cask, Barcade. Pitch black. Very small light beige head. Appley aromas. Smooth texture with very little carbonation. Hints of fusel alcohols, or is it just the rum? Not much roastedness to be found. The apples and the fusels seem to cover the dark malts entirely. Interestingly this beer is very different from the bourbon barrel one. Smooth and very rounded.

Bottle from fordest. Pours dark brown with small tan head. I got chocolate, roastiness and woody/vanilla notes but oddly a fair amount of dark fruits as well. Is the yeast responsible? I wouldn’t be surprised. This is quite a very interesting beer but smoked porter? Hmm it is pretty far from it. Despite this small detail, I liked it and It was nice to be able to taste it side by side with its bourbon sister. Thanks Sean!

Objectively speaking: Like the name says, the rummy version of their not very smokey smoked porter. Balanced, but on the rummy side(quite so). Less funky than the bourbon version.
I like: Flawless execution. Fair beige head. No woodsy astringency yet all the flavour. Limited roastiness ensures no flavour clash with the slight tartness. Being able to compare the different barrel-ageing effects. Light-bodied, fairly drinkable. Active, but soft carbonation.
I dislike: Rum in general, so I was not the biggest fan of the vanilla/potato like, grainy touches imparted.

750ml bottle. Pours a thin looking very dark brown, almost black color with a fizzy off-white head. Head fades quickly to a ring around the glass, no lace. Smells of a sweet fruity, oakiness, some vanilla. Tastes of sweet red fruit up front, and oak and vanilla on the finish. The bottle is clearly labeled Rum Barrel but it tastes alot like Red Wine Barrel, anyway, very good. Thin, medium palate, crisp carbonation. I would swear this was aged in Red Wine Barrels... Tasty and good though.

Bottle at Hop Devil, NYC. Or rather that place next to Hop Devil, but I cant reemmeber the name. Black color, creamy head. Malty aroma, rum, oak, cherry notes and some whisky. Sweet licorice flavor, fruity, some berry notes, woody oak notes. Rather complex beer with smoky notes.

Bottle thanks to Crizay as part of the homebrew mystery swap sampled at an "Evening with Pantanap #3". Dark brown to opaque with foamy tan head. Rum is very nice in the aroma with aged malt, cherry. Flavor is cherry, subdued alc, sweet dark redfruit, roast, grape. Medium creamy body. Very nice barrel to beer balance, great!