Freshchester Pale Ale - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

Kendo

New York

4.33/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the growler into a pint glass on Thanksgiving Day 2012 - pairing it with appetizers (cheese & crackers, shrimp cocktail). Body is clear orangey amber with a half-finger off-white head and decent splotches of lace.

S: Nose is somewhat muted - I was expecting more hoppiness, to be honest, and was surprised by the toasty malt and caramel malt sweetness. Hops are there, however - a bit of citrus - grapefruit and lemon.

T: Nicely balanced APA with a caramel malt and toasted bread foundation and a lightly citrusy (think grapefruit) hoppiness. Finish is clean with a touch of grainy cracker, bitter lemon and grapefruit pith. Unlike an IPA, however, this is balanced and not a hop assault - though there is a solid lingering bitterness that at times seems piney in addition to the citrus bitterness. . . .

M: Call it medium in heft. Carbonation is appropriate - cleaning the palate and providing a solid brightness.

O: Good stuff. On par with SNPA and the other top-notch APAs. My first pint glass from the growler is quickly empty.

Serving type: growler

11-22-2012 21:43:02 | More by Kendo

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

3.9/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bierkraft growler

A: Clear orange, decent retention and lacing.

S: Floral and fruity hops with a very light breadiness.

T: Butter and bread with floral and citrus hops. There is a solid hop bitterness. On the first pint, I found that the bitterness took over the malt and hop character. After eating, and also on the following day, I found the bitterness much less pronounced and that the floral hops and bready malt came though much more, making for a nicely balanced beer.

M: Medium with good carbonation.

O: A solid, drinkable (except for the first pint) pale ale.

Serving type: growler

09-11-2011 00:36:59 | More by greybeardloon

mikesgroove

South Carolina

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

another gem in a little growler, i wish more places did this!

amber color that had a good bit of cloudiness to it that helped give it that solid an really full look i wanted. nice head of white capped it off nearly perfectly.

highly hopped aroma with a ton citrus coming though. light buttery an biscuit like middle is well placed and gives it a certain depth that is welcomed for sure. really just ideally placed i have to say. smooth sailing from here on in as the nice bite from the hops dries out the palate and leaves me sitting with a really nice and full flavor that was just spot on and a great dry finish,

Serving type: growler

07-11-2011 03:12:50 | More by mikesgroove

hmk22

New York

4.1/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A great exemplar of the APA style with all the hoppiness and texture you'd want. Every American craft brewer lives or dies by his pale ale it seems, and CL's recipe is a first class offering, esp. if you can get it right at the brewery -- super-fresh, with an irresitable hops aroma, and just the right ("castle") temperature. A great intro. to CL's offerings.

Serving type: growler

05-23-2011 00:21:28 | More by hmk22

drewd0g

New York

4.5/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler filled and enjoyed on the same day.
2 finger head with lots of lacing. piney and citrusy in the nose. strong hop presence. kind of flirts with the line between IPA & DIPA. not much sweetness. crisp clean, and a little creamy. medium-high carbonation. highly drinkable, a really good beer.

Serving type: growler

01-21-2011 03:10:26 | More by drewd0g

GbVDave

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler into imperial pint glasses. Thanks to Ineedabeerhere for this hook up from a while ago!

A: Pours a rich, deep gold with 3-4 fingers of sticky, khaki colored foam. Retention was excellent and thick ropes of lace were left coating the glass.

S: Pine needles and toasty malt. Really quite simple and clean.

T: Piney hops, toasted malt, and a touch of tangy citrus. Continues on with the simple and clean theme.

M: Dry and bitter with a zesty/tingly sting during the finish.

D: Very refreshing and drinkable. A great beer that excelled by slipping under the radar.

Serving type: growler

01-03-2011 16:21:00 | More by GbVDave

scootny

New York

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A beautifully clear orange amber with a prodigious head and quality lacing all the way down. Carbonation visible with each sip.

Smell is bright and citrusy with a large toasted malt and caramel sweet breadiness. A bit of butterscotch and fruitiness. Hops really are the star here. They are not overly large but they are showcased nicely.

Taste is superbly balanced with a caramel and toffee malt core and a lightly grapefruited hoppiness. A big toasted flavor runs through it giving a broader palate. Finish is clean with a firm hop profile. A light whole grain cracker lingers with a touch of grapefruit skin.

Feel is crisp and smooth with a nice weight. Carbonation cleans the mouth and gives a refreshing personality.

What a great quaffer this one is. While the abv is on the higher side it still ranks as an ideal session ale. Thirst quenching and refreshing it makes me glad that a $9.50 refill is only 25 minutes away. A great beer for this time of year through the summer and even the fall.

Serving type: growler

04-04-2010 23:12:30 | More by scootny

Coolcheech

New York

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured a nice amber, with a creamy, off white head; about 1/2 finger (maybe due to my shitty pouring). Lots of tiny bubbles.

S: Fruity (citrus) and hoppy. I found the smell to be pretty potent, and very nice.

T: Hoppy, but not overly hoppy, which I like. From the smell I thought it would be more fruity, however, it's only very subtle.

M: Nice medium body. For a Pale Ale, I'd say it was on the full bodied side of the spectrum.

D: Refreshing while being substantial; I would definitely sit down with a few glasses.

Serving type: growler

02-24-2010 00:30:55 | More by Coolcheech

Overlord

California

3.65/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks ineedabeerhere!

Pours a pretty golden yellow. Thin white crust of a head. Smells like floral hops. Not much citrus in the aroma, if any.

Taste is primarily ... hmmm .... This is a pretty pale tasting pale beer, if that makes any sense. Some mild sweet malt, and .... and ... some yeast, I guess, but I'm hard pressed to assign a flavor to it. The floral-iness carries through to the flavor, if that's possible. Very little, if any citrus. Some mild toasty maltiness along with the mellow hop presence. That's about it.

Fairly quaffable.

Serving type: growler

02-07-2010 16:55:01 | More by Overlord

david18

New York

4.6/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

This is one of my favorite pale ales and it is often overlooked from among other pale ales as well as other captain lawrence offerings (especially the Liquid Gold). I think this is their best beer and very drinkable any time of day or any season. Very good hops character without being too overhwhelming. And at 5.6% ABV, very sessionable. Ask your local beer bar to provide this beer.

Serving type: growler

07-31-2009 18:58:03 | More by david18

Durge

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A friend of mine lives in Chappaqua, not far from the brewery and had a fridge full of growlers including this wonderful pale ale. It's a hazey orange amber color with a great off-white head and good lacing. The aroma is a light orange hop bitterness and sourdough bread. The flavor is crisp orange bread as well, with a light malt presence but the hop bitterness is very solid for a pale ale, and scrumscious. There is a slight butter and nut flavor in the mix, mellow and edible. Mid to full bodied, refreshing and very nice drinkability. This is clearly a great, tried and true pale ale if you lean toward the hop head side. If you rely on a milder brew for your pale ale, this might rate a bit lower for you.

Serving type: growler

06-24-2009 04:14:21 | More by Durge

Gmann

New York

3.88/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a bright golden honey brown color with an average off-white head that settled into a light ring. The aroma is of a subdued juicy hop, nice and fresh; the aroma could use a bit more strength. The taste starts off with a juicy grapefruit hop which is quickly balanced with a sweet caramel malt; very balanced. There is some spicy grassy hop in here as well. Light to moderate feel with tingly carbonation; finishes with a hoppy bitterness but still fairly balanced. A very solid APA, good hop flavors and a nice malt body. Good sweetness and no buttery flavors.

Serving type: growler

06-14-2009 01:33:52 | More by Gmann

diddly

New York

4.7/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Fresh growler from the brewery.

I'm a big fan of this beer. Very healthy amount of hops, getting close to an IPA.

Nice light brown color, with a good head.

Smell is powerful, with the hops taking over.

Taste and mouth feel are great - strong hop flavor, balanced nicely with the other components. It appears the growler was the right size.

Serving type: growler

02-14-2009 04:04:51 | More by diddly

koopa

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler purchased from Bierkraft in Brooklyn.

Appearance: Clear honey orange pour with a nice finger of creamy off white head. Decent retention and some lacing.

Smell: I mainly get sweet grain and caramel malts on this one. Neither very hoppy, nor much to ponder in my humble opinion.

Taste: Extremely smooth well balanced ale. No bitterness, not much after taste, but not true to the APA style in my opinion. This one taste more like an english ale to me. Slightly bready, buttery, caramel like, etc.

Mouthfeel: I would have rated Fresh Chester higher in this category if it wasn't a touch thin. However its quite creamy and worthy of the 4.0 rating.

Drinkability: Can you say session beer?

Serving type: growler

11-30-2008 20:14:16 | More by koopa

TheycallmeTim

New York

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a growler into an American pint glass.

A--Pours up copper brownish, a little darker than I expected, with almost no head. What's there is fizzy and off-white and doesn't last.

S--A decent nose, with some floral notes from what I think are Cascade hops, along with an undertone of honeyed malt.

T--Follows the nose for the most part. More of a malt presence than many APAs I've had (and as the color would suggest), with caramel and toffee biscuit up front providing a great balance to the milder than most American recipe's bitter hops on the back end. Enough dry to keep you wanting more, but nott so much that you get worn out. The word that leaps to my mind with this beer is balance. Almost perfect malt and hop spectrum, much more so than other APAs I've had (Switchback, Sierra Nevada, Tuckerman's, Smutty). Not really a hophead's APA. Reminded me a great deal of Great Lakes' Burning River, if you've had that.

M&D--Both were fine--mouthfeel was pitch perfect, a little chewy with even pleasant carbonation--though I gotta bitch a little about the ABV. It's low for an American session beer, but geez, a beer this straightforward in England would be at or below 4 percent! It would be great if American brewers could get flavor while backing off on the booziness a tad. Can't complain about the Captain overall, though, as all of Mr. Vaccaro's beers start at a baseline of excellent, it seems, and go up from there.

Serving type: growler

11-28-2008 23:56:33 | More by TheycallmeTim

marcpal

New Jersey

4.4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Sampled first at brewery and polished off a growler last night. Poured generously into imperial pint glass.

Prior to visit to brewery, only had the bigger beers they offered- crap, was I impressed with their take on smaller ones as well.

A: Straw yellow pale ale color. Moderate head, little lacing.

S: Citrus hops smoothly balanced with fruit sweetness and sugars of the malts.

T: Balanced to perfection- the more I drink of this the more I like it. Great Pale Ale. Piney, grassy, malty all tied into one smooth tasting beer.

M: If anything, not as light bodied as I expected but the thicker mouthfeel was actually pleasant in this.

D: A truly well rounded beer that got better as I went through the growler. I really would wish they would bottle these and the other session beers they have put together.

Serving type: growler

06-24-2008 12:41:50 | More by marcpal

MrRetardedMonkey

New Hampshire

4.2/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks goes to gpcollen1 for hooking me up with this growler! Thanks George!

Pours an orangey amber with a slow stream of bubbles rising up and a one-finger off-white head that fades slowly to a thin cap. Decent amount of sticky lacing.

Smell is toasted bread and fresh biscuits with floral and citrus hops. There's some fresh cut grass and a bit of grapefruit and orange peel.

Taste starts of with some light bready malts and toasted bread/biscuits before a mild hop bitterness with some herbal/floral hop flavors. Finishes dry with a fading bitterness.

Medium-bodied, smooth mouthfeel.

A great Pale Ale. Very enjoyable and very drinkable.

Serving type: growler

06-23-2008 14:02:23 | More by MrRetardedMonkey

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler 24 hours after being filled.

I'm not often impressed by pale ales, but this beer got me. All the flavors were familiar, but it was like they were turned up to 11. The malts are a big bready mix of biscuit, toast, and all-grain crust. Pizza and sandwiches need to be paired with this beer.

Then there's the hops. A great profile of American citrusy hops with grapefruit and a harsher fruit zest finish. All very tasty and in a nice balance to the malts.

Basically this pale ale is big on flavor and bitterness while still maintaining bitterness. A must-try for pale ale fans.

Serving type: growler

04-27-2008 21:23:34 | More by tempest

KenOnBass

New York

4.45/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was presented to me by my dear friend Paul. He was once a hippy, but has now relocated to South Salem. Don't ask. Nearby is the Captain Lawrence Brewery. Nearby is a good reason to live in South Salem.

The appearance is excellent. Good head. Good fizz. Good color. This beer sticks to the glass. Smell is fruity and refreshing. Has that apricot smell. May be one of the best tasting beers I've tasted. It's sweet, and refreshing once again. It's similar to the Magic Hat #9, which I also love, but this is far better. It's a lite beer that pairs with anything. I would gladly drink or order this in any situation.

I believe Paul needs to come over more often bearing growlers filled w/ this beer.

Serving type: growler

10-13-2007 01:30:58 | More by KenOnBass

Amalak

New York

4.35/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Out of the Growler this is amazing. A thick, three inch head. Dissipates steadily, and leaves a decent lace. Semi-dark orange/brown in color.

S: Very nice, nutty smell.

T: It is a little bitter, but in that good kind of Pale Ale kind of way. Nutty, with a very rich body.

M: Lots of flavor, the mouthfeel is good, but I can't explain why.

D: Very smooth with a nice kick.

One of the best Pale Ales I have ever had. For such a little brewery in Westchester, this is an awesome beer.

Serving type: growler

10-13-2007 01:09:21 | More by Amalak

jjayjaye

New York

4.08/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the brewery and from a growler...
Pours a clear light amber color with a full finger yellow tinted white head that fades quickly. A decent amount of lacing generated. Not much visible effervescence after the pour. The smell is sweet and floral, with grassy hop undertones. Medium bodied with initially creamy texture, the mouth feel is lightly carbonated yet complemented by a tangy grassy hoppiness. Full flavored, the taste is far less sweeter than the nose leads on to be. A fairly sharp bitterness from a grassy pine hop flavor lingers. There is nice amount of character to be considered with this one. Quite drinkable. At 5.6% ABV, its a real session beer.

Serving type: growler

09-24-2007 21:44:19 | More by jjayjaye

Longstaff

Massachusetts

3.43/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Growler was obtained by a good friend just a couple of days before sampling. Poured with a nice two finger head that held its own on top of a clear garnet colored malt. Biscuity malt aroma couple with earthy, grassy, and that candyish Cascade fruitiness coming from the hops. Medium mouthfeel with some light chocolate flavors makes the malt side quite interesting - finishes with earthy and grassy hop flavors that clean out the sweet malt- decent bitterness for a pale ale. A good drinkable beer when cold - somewhere between SN pale ale and Celebration - but as it warms I started to notice some phenolics that were previously hidden by malt and hops. hmmm - wonder if this is trend with CL beers. A little cleaner alcohol profile would make this a really tasty pale ale.

Serving type: growler

09-19-2007 14:59:09 | More by Longstaff

mcallister

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice amber colored pale ale, crisp and clear with tine carbo bubbles making the journey up the glass. A small slightly off white head is full and thick and fades into a cap with some thin lacing left in it's wake.

Sweet toffee, and cereal grain malt aromas. A nutmeg aroma shows through and some light stone fruit qualities of peach, tangerine and a bit of pine as well as floral aromas. Nice.

I bought this growler at the brewery as they were out of the Captain's reserve for growlering (did get to try it however and damn tasty it was). I wasn't crazy about this there but I did try out of order as I did the Cap's Reserve first. Well I can now say this is a damn tasty pale ale. Very malt driven with the same malty characteristics as the aroma. Full of semi sweet toffee and cereal bready malts. Nice tingly carbonation really enhances the mouthfeel and makes the mouthfeel very attractive and pleasant. Very floral in hop variety with a nectarine fruit profile and hints of peach. Mouth if full and hop bitterness is moderate and balances the sweet malt nearly perfectly. I can say this growler is going down!

Serving type: growler

06-10-2007 20:03:53 | More by mcallister

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Fresh Chester pours a clear orange-amber body beneath a creamy head of white that holds well and leaves some thin-but-nice lacing about the glass.

The nose is welcomely restrained in its use of over-the-top, juicy/citrusy Pacific northwest hops; and it's softly citrusy (expressing mainly lemons and dull grapefruit), as well as lightly piney, grassy, and gently floral aroma is quite seductive.

The flavor is malty and sweetish, lightly honeyish and caramelish, and balanced by lemony, spicy, grassy, softly piney, and floral hops. The bitterness is solid, but sublime, and acts as ballast so that the malt and hops can shine without shakles... very nicely balanced and well-rounded! It finishes dry, but with a short-lingering note of sweetish malt, and then more long-lingering notes of spicy/piney, and citrusy and grassy hops.

In the mouth it's medium bodied and gently crisp with a fine-bubbled median carbonation.

Very easy to drink! Quite possibly the most refined and balanced beer to come out of Captain Lawrence so far. Very nice indeed!!!

Serving type: growler

03-20-2007 21:46:31 | More by NeroFiddled

Shiredave

New York

4.47/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Fresh from the brewery filled growler, it pours a golden amber with a creamy white head that clings in blotches on the pint glass. carbonation is moderate and steady and easily seen thru the clear beer. Perfect by style guidelines so it gets a 5 for lookin good.
Aroma is a great blend of woodsy/ citrus hop and soft caramel malt. Not really eye opening but also not cookie cutter cascade citrus and grapefruit found in so many Pales these days.
Balance is the key to this beers fresh, exceptional flavors - sweet bready malt up front with nutty undertones and a seemless transition into mild spruce and tangerine hop flavors. The malt balance is never lost, toasty grain and hop mingling in respectfull harmony. Fresh fresh fresh! Mellow, non tongue strangling bitter finish makes me reach for another swallow.
Mouthfeel is a bit thin but on point for the session beer its designed to be. More complex than your average / more well known Pale Ales.

Serving type: growler

12-16-2006 17:22:41 | More by Shiredave