Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Wine Barrel)

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

Damnit, damnit, damnit. I read 20 times about the gushing bottles and had been planning on how to best deal with it and then it all slipped my mind as I casually popped the bottle. As it all gushed out, I did the ol’ "Doh!" and grabbed another glass to fill. I only lost a wee bit. Pours pitch black with a tan head that sticks around (surprise). Lots of lacing on the way down as well. Nose is strong with wood tones. Sweet wood tones. Flavor is intense. The wood that’s in this is so deep, it’s not just proper to say it’s wood. This is the living wood that rests well below the bark of the aged trees you might find. Almost a berry tone to it as well. But it’s just thick. Almost like the most robust blackberry you could ever find - multiplied by 20. Carbonation is smooth and the liquid is good too. This is very easy to drink, but I am going to say that this could use at least another year to age and mellow. Still pretty nice though. What were the type of barrels used here? Merlot? I can’t remember, but that’d be my guess.

A- Poured into the snifter very quickly as I had heard that this one is a gusher. Pours a deep reddish brown with a huge, creamy, fluffy, brown head which leaves tons of lacing as it goes down. S- The vinous red wine notes come through strong in the nose. Difficult to distinguish the varietal used but it is certainly potent. Sour, bretty notes fade to a very understated coffee smell. T- Much different than the nose let on. Lots of coffee all the way through, especially lingering towards the end. Red wine characteristics seem to float on top of the palate and are backed up by deep, rich, chocolaty maltiness. M- Strangely the carbonation in this one isn’t as agressive as you would suspect. Very creamy, medium bodied. D- Honestly, i’m not the biggest coffee fan and to me, that detracted a bit from the brew. Very interesting offering however i’m just not sure how well everything works together yet. Maybe in a year this one will grow into itself more.

(750ml bottle, Batch 2) Pours a dark brown body with a small beige head. Aroma of vinous, sour, and roasted malt. Flavor of roasted malt, vinous, prunes, light smoke, and wood with a dry finish.

Bottle shared by BlackForestCO. Thanks Jake!
Pours dark brownish with a medium tan head that it short lived. Smwll is roasty, sour and lightly funky. Taste is as advertised with a wine like flavor and sourness along with a roasty medium bodied beeriness to go along. Very well balanced and leaning slightly sour. Good stuff.

Bottle (batch 2) courtesty of Miketd! I opened it and it exploded on me. At least my kitchen smells good now. Pours dark brown with a thick tan head. Has a wonderful sweet aroma. Some wine hints abound and I sense some other sweetness in the nose I can’t place. There is an almost yeasty smell perhaps. Has a medium mouthfeel with a ton of carbonation. Too much for my liking. Has a nice smooth taste including sweet chocolate with a hint of wine. I was expecting more smoke, but did not find any. Overall I enjoyed this brew and would try it again. Just not at my house!

Bottle thanks to dmac, thanks Dave! Poured a deep brown color with a moderate beige head. Aroma is very enticing; funky, fruity oak with some light roast and chocolate peaking through. It tastes more like a sour in the beginning, with some funky, fruity (wine grapes, plum) oakiness and yeastiness that mellows into a lightly roasty chocolate flavor, and ultimately ends with some lightly tannic wine oak characteristics. A very interesting beer that I really enjoyed.

Bottle, Batch 2. Yes, it’s a gusher - after two day sitting in my fridge. Plan for it!
Aroma was immediately vinous with lots of dark fruit, and some funk. Taste supplied most of the chocolate and dark malt along with some oak and vanilla. Finishes with some tangy, fruity funk. Nicely blended. Lovely lacing. Near heavy body. A delight all the way through.

Sampled at Hellbilly’s Hellraiser II. 750ml bottle. Second in a three beer vertical. Pours an opaque brown with tan head. Nose is smoke and coffee. Palate is much the same with a dry wine finish, but the wine doesn’t kill the coffee taste as much as the rum version did. Medium mouth feel. Better than the rum version.