Captain Lawrence Xtra Gold

Semi-transparent, golden with a copper tint and very thing, white, quickly dissapating head. Well balanced, fruity, floral and citrus aroma, with a flavor to match. Sweet, but not cloying. A hit of pine. A bit watery mouth feel, tight bubbles, nice carbonation. Too sweet? Tastes great, easy to drink, and is so drinkable that it definitely could be a session beer...although it would be a VERY short session because of the alcohol, that’s very well hidden, by the way.

Bottle. Pours a cloudy orange with a small white head. Aroma of sweet fruits, melon rind, and yeast. Classic abbey tripel aroma. Flavor is a bit more citrusy and finishes dry. Slight bitterness from the hops. Light and pleasant. 7/4/8/4/15 (3.8/5)

Bottle. Aroma of clove, lemon, orange, lemongrass, alcohol, raspberry, dough, cookie dough, yogurt. Flavor sweet and bready with tropical and red fruits, a good deal of warming alcohol. Really nice fruitiness and spiciness seemingly both from hops and yeast, just a bit too much alcohol build up for me as the glass goes down to keep it from being stellar, but still very good.

750 ml in Westmalle glass. Gold with lasting head and lace. Sweet and citrus lemon danish pastry aroma. Sweet fruity marshmallow peach melon with spicy fresh hop floral finish. I just love Amarillo for dry hopping. This is almost as good as Chouffe Houblon. Friggin delicious.

Slightly hazy golden coloured body with a very thin white head. Aroma of pure honey, tucked in with yeast, pomme fruits and a bit of wheat. Medium to Full-bodied; Strong hoppy flavour up front with honey notes, a bit of pepper and a good yeastie flavour. Aftertaste shows more complexity with notes of flowers and spices coming through as well. Overall, a great beer - definitely worth trying if you can find it! I sampled this 75 cL bottle purchased from Oliver’s Beverage in Albany, New York.

Transparent gold with a large, fluffy white head. Nose has lots of hop and yeast, some pepper, alcohol, and a faint honey sweetness in the background. Flavor is similar except there is a fantastic balance that moves this all over the place: tripel, ipa, saison. Palate is perfectly carbonated, very long lasting. My main complaint is the alcohol, which with warmth gets in the way a bit, but this is still a master brew.

750ml October 2007 Release I received this treat from the great trader known as scthaden, thanks again Shannon. This one has been in the cellar for about 9 months now. The first pour of Xtra Gold is a perfectly clear apricot orange. The second pour became slightly hazy after the yeast was stirred up. Large carbonation bubbles explode to the surface throughout the entire glass. A slow pour produced a three finger cotton white head that fell to one finger after a couple minutes leaving thick sheet lacing down one glass and mountainous lacing down the other side. I enjoy the smell of this American Tripel. The amarillo additions add a fruitiness not found in the style that I really enjoy. The first thing that hits me is a green apple crispness that leads into light brown sugar and a slightly overripe peach. The hops leave a very citric note behind that includes lemon, mandarin orange, and mild mango. This beer has a very interesting nose to it. I like the twist Captain Lawrence put on their tripel. The flavor follows the aroma stride for stride but has a touch more pop. Caramel covered green apples lead the way but are quickly taken over by the fresh crisp snap of green apple. Ripe peach and a light brown sugar sweetness come along mid-palate with the amarillos finishing things off. Lemon, orange, and very mild mango come along on the finish and lingers for a short while. The flavors of this beer come together nicely and I’m very impressed with the hop additions, they add a great fruitiness. The mouthfeel is right where it should be on this beer. The abv is high but the body is on the lighter side of medium with a nice airy mouthfeel. There are clean alcohol fumes rising through my nose and throat. The bitterness grows as I drink leaving a bit of numbness behind but never going to far to allow me to enjoy everything else this beer has going on. This is a dangerous drinker. The abv rings in at 10% but Xtra Gold drinks a lot easier then that. They did a great job with the body and refreshing quality of this beer. The bottle is disappearing fast and I just want more. Xtra Gold is my favorite from Captain Lawrence so far, after only 5 or 6 of their beers. I love the twist they put on this tripel with the amarillo addition. I’m going to try and get my hands on more of these bottles because they’re damn good. Thanks again Shannon! Serving type: bottle 7/14/08

Bottle courtesy of hopdog and shared at hellbilly*s holiday tasting. Fermented fruits for aroma. Gold body with white head. Flavor was spicey and bitter, little harsh on the palate. Thanks Eric.