Captain Lawrence Cuvee de Castleton

Brewed by Captain Lawrence Brewing Company
Style: Sour Ale/Wild Ale
Elmsford, New York USA

Serve in Snifter, Tulip, Tumbler

send corrections   |   shelftag   |   edit barcodes   |   add pic

Batch Number 1, Sampled July 2007
Topped by a large bubbled, pale, white froth, that starts out about a finger and a half in height, but disappears fairly quickly to a thin, not quite layer of froth. The beer is deeply hazy, despite having rested in my fridge for a month, and is an orange-tinged, straw color. The aroma is distinctively funky, with notes of uriatic acid, bitter mushrooms, musty-tea-infused damp leather and a distinct nutty note. The nutty note comes on towards the end and reminds me of a woody mix of almonds and Brazil nuts. An acidity / tartness reminiscent of a funky Sauvignon Blanc makes me wonder if this is contributed by the yeast or by the Muscat grapes. The nutty note, while distinct at times, is at other times overwhelmed by the Brett aromatics. I think that nuttiness may ultimately be some woody / spicy oak character coming through.

A prickly carbonation, which despite its bountiful presence, is probably at a medium level of carbonation. Somehow, despite being quite dry seeming, this beer has a medium fullness to it; the body of this brew somehow sticks to the mouth, yet never seems sweet, or even remotely cloying. Perhaps it is best described as being a light beer with a viscous quality to it that allows the beer to cling to the palate. Tart, with lots of green grape notes; slightly herbal, yet with hints of kiwi, a touch of lime (the mix is something like star-fruit actually), and some green apple notes as well. A backdrop of funky Brett character finishes the flavor profile of this beer off; musty cotton balls, moldy leather, and sharp, mushroom-like fungal character are among the Brett contributed notes. As my palate gets used to the first few sips, a soft, green-fruit sweetness becomes noticeable; this helps to accentuate the fruit notes previously mentioned as well as accenting some notes of apricot. Hints of oak character around the edges combine with some of the fruit notes to evoke thoughts of nutty apricot pits.

The apricot notes and thus the sweetness become more noticeable as I work my way through this bottle; the sweetness never becomes overt though. The aroma also pick ups some dry, toasty grain notes that are reminiscent of biscuits & soda crackers.

The oak character in this beer is absolutely stunning; I don’t think I have ever had a beer that got the oak character so perfectly. It is not intrusive, nor is it even overtly noticeable, but it adds another layer of flavor to this beer that is an integral part of this complexly compelling brew. I also find it quite interesting how the grapes have added a sort of viscous quality to this brew without making it overtly sweet. A definitely interesting brew, in fact it is the best marriage of white grape and beer I have had yet. The best thing about this beer… I get to go pour myself another glass right now!

Craft Brewers Conference 2012
Golden in color, hazy with a thin head. Big sour and Belgian yest aroma and flavor. Oak flavor and sour finish this is a tasty sour ale.

Pours a hazy gold with no head, looks very simalar to wine. Aroma of funk and sour grapes, tastes a lot like wine with great sour notes. Smooth yet dry, very tasty, sour but not over the top, its just right I wish this wasn’t limited because I would drink it all the time!!!

Bottle. Courtesy of Blafa. Pours a hazy yellow color with a small fast disappearing white head. Has a fruity sour tart citrus aroma. Fruity sour tart funky flavor. Has a fruity sour tart citrus finish with weak hints of wood.

Bottle shared by Madvike, thanks Matt. Easy drinking doesn’t even properly describe it. Mild tartness I like this a lot.

Bottle. Clear light yellow pour, no carbonation and an aroma of tart white grapes and a little lemon. Flavor is light tart white wine, dry woody sour and very clean on the finish. Next to some other heavy hitters at this tasting, this really stood out. I may need to track down some more bottles of this.

Bottle. Pours hazy yellow gold color with a tight white foamy head that fades to a film. Aroma is sour lemon and leather with farmhouse all around. Taste is more tart lemon grape peel and funky farmhouse. Palate is full and acidic with a dry sticky finish. Awesome!

Light yellow with a touch of haze. Nose is tart but not funk. Taste is crisp clean and super tart. Really well done! ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone

Bottle with Pat down the shore. 12.7 oz. This brew comes sealed in a modest, yet elgant label. Once popped, the brew pours a steady hazy, cloudy bright wheat blonde with a tiny white head that evaporates to leave a smooth, reflective surface. Aroma of freshly squeezed, bitter Concord grape juice, lemon zest, oak, and wildly fermented champagne yeast. Notes of vanilla, honey, and odd Sharpie marker. High, sharp, tight body with a cuttingly sour, grapey, vanilla mouthfeel. Finishes with a sour, grapey Hi-Chew flavor. This is an amazing sour.

Pours golden color. Smells of tart fruit, grapes. Huge big sour grapes here! Very tart up front, reminds me of an effervescent Riesling wine. Pretty light body very active carbonation. I have been lucky to have had this a few times and it’s always enjoyable.

Appearance: Pours a hazy pastel yellow with no head.

Aroma: Lemon,wood,funk, grandma perfume.

Taste: Lemon heads, metallic, funk.Finishes with pleasant tartness.

Mouthfeel: Chalky. Low carbonation.

Overall: Fantastic.