Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Bourbon Barrel)

750mL bottle, batch 1, courtesy of gregc. Pours dark, dark brown out of the bottle and settles in almost completely black in the lass underneath a bubbly tan head that recedes to a big rocky collar being fed by bubbles from the bottom. Aroma has lots of sour cherries with hints of dark chocolate and roasted malts in the background. I honestly didn’t get much bourbon in the nose, just some acidic sourness on top of the small porter presence. I actually thought the taste was much better than the aroma. The sour cherry tartness is present but not nearly as overpowering. The underlying toasted malts and chocolate are much more prevalent and the bourbon makes its presence felt as well, especially in the finish where there is definite burn as it goes down. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with lots of carbonation and silky smooth with toasted character battling with some dry tartness in the finish. Unorthodox and interesting, this beer is like nothing I’ve had before. The aroma was a bit of a let down with no bourbon at all and a dominant sourness that didn’t allow the underlying beer to come out much. The taste, on the other hand, brought all of the ingredients out and integrates them very well. Tasty.

Batch 2 - Thanks dchmela! - Yeah, I’m going to rate it...Pours thin and dk brown with a small beige head...aroma is lemon, bourbon...you know where this is going...Flavour is like burning sour battery acid, with a nice bourbon oak nuance...fuck them until they return my email... Update: Talking with the brewery and we’re working it out...Very classy thing to do!

Pours a dark chestnut brown color with a huge frothy beige head that lasts throughout leaving chunky lacing in the glass. Earthy oak aroma with hints of vanilla, chocolate, caramel, toffee and a huge bourbon presence. Full-bodied with a very smokey flavor. Notes of chocolate maltiness, oak, vanilla, and bourbon. Slightly sweet with tight carbonation, smokey and huge bourbon presence.

From the Bottle at Dr Bill’s Tasting Falling Rock Tap House, Denver 09/10/2008 Smoked bourbon aroma. Thick white head. Dark coloured and strong in alcohol with a crisp and bitter finish.

Aroma is sweet accented with sour notes. Straight black with a lacey heaad. Lightly sweet and grapefruit peel bitter.

Bottle, batch 2, thanks to Summer Secret Santa 2009. Pours murky brown with a bit of a reddish hue, capped with a thin brown head. Really unique aroma; primarily tart with notes of cherry, wild yeast, and oak in the forefront, and trace amounts of chocolate, vanilla and smoke. Flavor is tart as well. Sour cherry, smoke, green pepper, chocolate, oak, and lactic tartness interact well. Finish is tart, with lactic acid, vegetal notes, and a little chocolate. Thin body. This is a lot different than I expected, but as a sourhead, I enjoyed it.

Smokey and rubbing alcohol nose with added roasty notes, dark pour...tan head. Smokey malty flavors with some added oak notes, and a crisp finish. Nice smokey and clean beer, drinkable fo sho

Blind tasting at Papsø’s
Black color; medium creamy head. The aroma shows some roasted malt, wood, vanilla, light sourness. The flavor mixes equally the chocolate and the roasted malt; the body is medium, there is light sourness; alcohol warmth; strange but dynamic. Interesting, but I’m undecided if I’m impressed or less.