Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Wine Barrel)

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

Bottle Batch #2. Dark brown color with a medium sized beige head. Aroma is an odd mix of roasted malts and tart vinous notes with some oak and just a hint of smoke. Flavor is tart and vinous, with the roast in the background. Some dark chocolate and oak as well. Call me crazy, but this reminded me of Heavyweight’s Black Saison. My favorite of the SFTO series.

Tanks to the people that sent me bottles of this brew! Pour is dark brown with a large off white head. Aroma is sour and woody. Has a strong wine character. Flavor is sour/tart and the barrel shows up again. I don’t get any porter like quality at all as the wine takes over almost entirely. Smooth and easy to drink. I liked this beer, but it is very different.

Batch two. Brown pour with a big tan head. Aroma had a strong wine character (imagine that). Flavor had the same wine notes, but a refreshing porter lying underneath. Chocolate, roasted malts, and a bit of funk. Slightly acidic finish.

Bottle shared by sloth! First thing I would like to say is this beer isnt my cup of tea, so take this rating for what it is worth. Not bad, just to dry and sour for me. It is a well crafted beer though. Eaglefan538 pretty much sums it up perfectly if you want to know what it taste like. I am glad I got a chance to try this though. Thanks again bert!

Bottle shared by slob (now sloth) at SL. Pour was highly bubbly brown, tannish head color, good lacing. The aroma was flemish sour-like, vinous, touch of bret. Flavor was also vinous, bret-sour, dark malty (short of a really identifiable choco or coffee for me, though - porter elements way secondary / minor under the aging), flemish sour-like in many ways, except for that touch of roast and smoke. Mouthfeel was dry. This has a somewhat sweet and full base, yet it was sour, and it finished light and dry, a really cool brew. Once again, CL does something exotic and interesting, yet not over the top (take note, DFH). Thanks, Bert, for sharing!

Bottle, batch #2. Brown pour, lots of dark tan head. Aroma is roasted malt, a hint of smoked / meaty malt, wood and grape-like fruit. The flavor is the same, lots of wine character with tannins and light sourness (from both the oak and wine). The balance is nice, and the palate is one of the best I have had (very full yet soft).

Tasted at the pre-DLD event at Flossmoor. Aromas of chocolate, wood smoke and surprise, a red fruit edge. The palate immediately showed tart red fruit which faded to the smoke, chocolate and dark caramel. This was very drinkable and quite enjoyable.

From a bottle at the Flossmoor Pre-DLD party. Batch 1! Poured clear medium-deeper brown with a short cap of tan head. The aroma picked up deeply-roasted chocolate surrounded by rich vinous sourness.. smoky, toasted oak nestled into the background. The flavor was centered around semi-sweet chocolate laced with vinous notes and other fruit skin sourness.. highlights of aged oak and molasses.. more wine on the finish.. very well balanced! Medium-bodied and nicely roasty on the palate with a sour complement.. long, slightly grainy finish. Great stuff!