Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Wine Barrel)

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

750 ml split in Duvel glass. Near black with lasting flat brown head and lace. Slight foamover when opening bottle. Oaky smoky tart grassy aroma. Extremely complex red wine tartness, smokiness, chocolate, earthy flavor with mild finish bitterness and lingering red wine finish. Medium-full body and medium carbo. Could use less carbo. The wine barrel aging adds complexity but the wine fruitiness seems to overwhelm the smokiness, which is the character I like. Still, excellent, but I might prefer the regular smoked porter. Also, not sure why this is categorized as a "porter" while Alaskan’s is categorized as a "smoked."

sampled with the phoenix crew... pours a dark brown burgundy color with a long lasting light brown head. it smells rather tart and fruity... more wine than beer. aromas of tannin, fruit, roast, smoke and oaky dryness. the wine mingles well in the flavor and doesn’t cover up the porter.. fruity, malty, cocoa, coffee and smoky astringency. it’s quite tart on the finish. medium body with an acidic mouth feel and parching quality from the tannins in the wood. this is the most porter-like and smoky of the three...

Batch 2. Unlike others have noted, my bottle did not gush at all. Pours a very dark mahogany color that appears black at arm’s length. A dense, spongy, light brown head displays excellent retention, sticking around to the very end and leaving thick, cobweb-like rings behind. The nose is a symphony of roasty, smoked chocolate malts, charred oak, tannic red wine, and dry, funky brett. Flavors continue this wonderful trend, with dry cocoa and bitter dark chocolate being accompanied by brett-laden, scorched oak and distinct vinous notes. The wine is more apparent in this one than the rum or bourbon is in the previous releases. A medium-full, finely carbonated body sports a dry, almost chalky feel that makes me feel that this one has already dried out enough, and won’t improve that much with age. Overall, it’s like a very fine, lightly smoked porter that’s been infused with Oerbier Reserva. For me, this was a real treat, and probably my favorite of the 3 barrel-aged versions I have tried so far. Excellent beer.

750 ml bottle from Capone’s. Opaque dark brown with a lasting tan head that lasts til the end of the glass. Lots of oak with some tannins from grapes. Very little character from the original beer. Very light porter flavor taken over by ridiculous barrel and tannins. The palate is totally over ran by carbonation, and just not very good. I don’t understand how people can drink this.

Objectively speaking: Funky and indeed vinous experimental beer that has become far from their basic smoked porter.
I like: As spectacularly different than their Bourbon version, but I generally prefer wine to bourbon and welcome the fruity complexity that this beer holds. Rather juicy flavours, yet the strong effervescence brings back the beer perspective. Wild yeast imparted flavours from the barrel have also managed to eat most residual sugars away. This is dry and tannic.
I dislike: I just am not convinced at the blend between the acidic nature of wine and the roastiness (albeit subtle in here). Not particularly smooth mouthfeel.

2008-05-31. Yet another big gusher tonight, wow! Very dark brown body with a nice beige head. Light smoke malt lead in to an aroma of modest wood and tannic red wine hints. (7+) Dry malt flavour is further dried out by light smoke, and lots of red wine undercurrents. (7+) Smooth average to medium palate. (3+) Pretty interesting stuff, nuanced. Enjoyed it much more than I would have expected considering smoke, red wine, and wood are some of my least favorite flavours. Bottle, Post-Mondial Tasting, Montreal<P>"It’s not a regional accent, it’s a personal accent... it’s very local."  - MartinT

Sampled at Hellbilly’s Hellraiser II Odd fermented aroma. Brown body. Sweet porter flavor, with some dry smoke presence as well. Odd brew.

5-24-08 bottle shared by BlackForestCO - thanks Jakey!
Dark brown pour with a quickly fading beige head. Smoky bacon malt in the smell. Flavor is red wine, roasted malt and meaty. Palate is nice, especially for a porter. Overall, one of the greater porters I have tried and I would have again.