Captain's Reserve Imperial IPA - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to Adam fro this growler.
Poured in to tulip.

A - Light orange, almost crystal clear with one finger of white head.

S - Fresh citrus aroma full of grapefruit and orange zest. A touch of malt sweetness in the background.

T - Bitter up front with fresh grapefruit, orange and some pine. Only the slightest semblance of malt sweetness in the background. Definitely a hob bomb.

M - Medium body; full of sticky hop oils. Light carbonation. Dry throughout.

O - This one could have used a little more balance, but still drank well.

Serving type: growler

03-09-2013 20:08:33 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Willytee3

New York

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Ahhh the local nectar! Just got a growler from a batch kegged 2 days ago and put on tap at the brewery 2 hours before the pour. Fresh!

Into a Captain Lawrence tulip.

Pours a clear gold with nice orange hue. Solid 2 finger white foamy head, foamy ring clings to glass as it recedes. Great lacing!!
Smells of pineapple and grapefruit with a creamy like background malt. Nice pine esters too.
Tastes of caramelized malts and grapefruit/orange peel bitter. A tad of tropical fruit mostly overpowered by hop bitterness. A kind of lemon squeezer finish. Nice!
Creamy mouth feel that quickly fades to near puckering bitter with tight focused short lived carbonation that is kind of like the finish of pop rocks! Not a hint of the 9% alcohol content!

Serving type: growler

12-06-2012 01:06:09 | More by Willytee3

StJamesGate

New York

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler filled at Bellerose Beverage.

Burnished gold with dense white head that leaves trailers and rings. Grapefruit and apricot Italian cookie nose.
Pink grapefruit segments, light cookie dough and some tropical fruit mix with grapefruit rind and slight lemongrass hops.
Honey melon and lemon sherbet end and astringent linger. Crisp, soft, slight chew, no burn.

Solid and well-structured. Pale and light for a DIPA, but citrus is in the right place. Summery DIPA.

bottle
(4.1; 4.00 4.00 4.00 4.50 4.00)
27/12/2009
Pours clear gold with tight pure white head that craters and leaves clingy lace.
Nose is grapefruit and tropical flower honey.
Honey cake malts, small burn in the middle, huge juicy citrus hops, and aspirin-like astringency to finish.
Light to medium body, chewy.
Big, both in sweet malts and juicy hops. Balanced but aggressive, unique and worthy.

Serving type: growler

01-09-2012 13:09:45 | More by StJamesGate

9InchNails

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is from a growler that was filled at Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

A creamy soap-like white head with spotty bubbles sitting on top. The head fades rather quickly even with a forceful pour from the growler. Light golden color in the body. Some bubbles sticking to the side of the glass and letting go. Beautiful lacing clings to the glass from top to bottom.

Pine and juicy citrus hits the nose immediately. Some bread, buscuits and caramel in the background to smooth it out.

Very piney at first, then a citrus dryness comes in. Sweet, juicy and then bitter with a taste of bread in the very end. But this is all about the hops.

Light to almost medium in body feel. Noticeable carbonation -- on the medium side. Leaves the mouth feeling dry from the bitterness but is still quite moist. Very easy going down.

I noticed on the second and third pour from my growler, the head becomes creamier looking -- it looks more and more delicious with each pour. This is a solid Imperial IPA with the hops taking the spotlight. Easy drinking -- quite dangerous for a 9% abv. as I might finish the whole growler in one sitting.

Serving type: growler

08-09-2011 03:56:31 | More by 9InchNails

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Courtesy of JohnQVegas.
Thanks man!

Served into an imperial nonic pint.

I hadn't had this beer in a while, and I'm Surprised at how high my bottle review score was...
This beer is shockingly boozy, with a dirty, chalky dryness on the finish. I reckon that in the past 16 months I've refined my palate a bit-- but it is always interesting to have a beer again after do long.

Light straw golden color with an eggshell colored head of 2 fingers. Nice thick lacing and respectable retention.

Smells a lot more balanced than I remember-- some pale malt is dry and biscuity and an equalizing hop note shines though with citrus and floral notes.

The flavor has some dry bready malt before the super bitterness jumps out. The bitterness is bold, assertive, and biting. Notes of grapefruit, pine resin, and light floral notes.

Overall-- a nice beer, but not as fantastic as I had remembered.

Serving type: growler

07-30-2011 18:08:20 | More by AleWatcher

Kendo

New York

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured into a Piraat tulip/snifter. Body is clear, glowing orangey-amber. Small whitish head on top. Leaves some lace.

S: Grapefruity citrus and honey-drizzled malt.

T: Nice DIPA - sweet caramel malt underneath a solid hop profile - grapefruit, pine sap and a touch of spice.

M: Slightly oily/slick. Medium-to-heavy in heft.

O: Nice DIPA.

Serving type: growler

06-05-2011 02:03:31 | More by Kendo

jwinship83

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

growler shared by Spleeb before night of the barrels. Thanks! drank from a small tasting glass.

A- this one pours out a very hazy pale amber colored body with a moderately sized bright white head on top. the head lasts for a little while before fading, and leaves behind small spots of lacing.

S- the first thing that comes to mind is hops. lots of citric (orange/tangerine and grapefruit) and lots of pine. lesser floral notes. the alcohol seems to be well hidden. some sweet caramel malt is detected in the background that attempts to add some balance to this.

T- the taste starts out with the sweet caramel malts that i could smell and the quickly moves onto the hops that i could smell. lots of the grapefruit and pine. lots of orange/tangerine. lots of floral. very hoppy west coast styled IPA. nice.

M- medium bodied, bordering on full bodied. nicely bitter and on the dryer side. some warming from the alcohol.

D- my glass went down way too easily. too bad this was a night that i needed to pace myself, i would have liked to have another few. ill be looking for this one later on.

Serving type: growler

03-16-2011 23:23:39 | More by jwinship83

tdawgydog

New York

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Probably the best DIPA I've had this side of the Mississippi. My 2nd fill of my Russian River growler

A- pours a nice deep golden color with a pretty generous head. Kept a really good head although it only camped out in my growler for maybe 2 hours before it was consumed.

S - nice and piney. Very fresh scent, very inviting to the nose.

T - again one of the better DIPA's I've had on the East coast. Piney and flavorful, an excellent well crafted beer.

D - hmm, I just finished a growler that I bought this afternoon, that should tell you something. Goes down smooth, I could drink this stuff all night long.

M - well bodied, good carbonation. Great beer.

I haven't enjoyed a beer this much in a long time!

Serving type: growler

10-03-2010 04:15:26 | More by tdawgydog

berkey

California

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another 64oz growler courtesy of ineedabeerhere. Poured into a tulip glass, from notes Aug 4.

This beer certainly looks the part of a great DIPA. Sturdy medium sized off-white head tops a bright but slightly hazy orange-amber body. Lacing is excellent.

Tangerine notes are extremely strong on the aroma along with some orange peel. As I dig deeper there's a nice leafy pungency. Among the better smelling DIPA's I've tried recently regardless of geography. There's definitely something to be said about a fresh growler of hoppy stuff.

Still a tangerine bomb on the palate and I even detect a little shot of peach flavor in there. Narrowly saved from being too fruity by a fairly prominent grassy flavor. Doesn't taste quite as good as it smells but still very nice.

Some say East Coast brewers can't do a DIPA but this fresh one was highly enjoyable. They successfully straddled the line of avoiding too much malt flavor without dumping in so many hops it became a swampy green mess. Not sure I can say they pulled that difficult task off quite as gracefully as some of the standard bearers of the style but this is another good beer from a very good brewer.

Serving type: growler

08-07-2010 00:35:12 | More by berkey

diddly

New York

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Purchased a growler at the brewery - poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass.

Great thick head on this beer, with an unfiltered dark amber color beneath it.

I love this beer - smell of hops is noticeable from a few feet away, and it tastes exactly like it smells. It's powerful stuff, though - you can really only drink a few. It's a strong, strong hop flavor.

Mouthfeel is great - you really get that bitter hop bite.

This is one of those fairly traditional IPA's - powerful, doesn't hold back, and as long as you love hops like I do, this is a great beer.

Serving type: growler

08-02-2010 04:29:22 | More by diddly

kingcrowing

Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

64oz growler poured into an 8oz alt glass.

Pours a light amber that's very clear, light white thin head with lots of sticky white lacing. Nose is very hoppy and there's even a sharp cheddar note too.

Taste is hops and booze! This is 72hrs old so the bitterness is all there. Very spicy and floral, lots of earthy notes. It is a bit hot but I'm having it at cellar temp. Very nice beer.

Serving type: growler

07-14-2010 01:44:11 | More by kingcrowing

scootny

New York

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A great answer to the Left Coast dominance of the style. Pale copper with a healthy white head and very nice lacing. Retention is impressive as is the superb clarity. Smell is thick with pine and toffee like sweetness. A healthy dose of yeast rich bakery whole grain breadiness. A bit of tropical fruits working subtly. Taste is a balanced hop showcase. First hit is a heavy dose of grapefruit and hop oil that quickly flows into an astringent leafy bitterness. In between that is toffee and caramel malt with more malt and whole multigrain bread. It may try to flex but the hops win. No trace of the alcohol anywhere. Super dry finish with a complex hop blend lingering along with just a touch of whole wheat biscuits. Feel is crisp, quenching and surprisingly lighter that you might think. Feels is more like an IPA. A DIPA in the vein of PtE that goes down smoothly. Drinkability is dangerous. No hint of the potency of this brew combined with a delicious taste and quenching feel begs for respect for the brewers art here. Proceed with caution and joy. Smooth stuff.

Serving type: growler

04-22-2010 03:02:24 | More by scootny

Gmann

New York

3.6/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a golden mud puddle brown color with a dense, creamy head that settles into a light cap. The aroma is of grapefruit and tropical fruit hops and a honey bready malt. Nice sweet and juicy. Not the best aroma for a DIPA but it is nice. The taste is of a sweet malt, almost buttery, a bit dirty. The hop flavor is a bit lost in the malt. Some sweet tropical fruit hops pop through and a touch of grapefruit. A bit disappointing, the hops need to standout more with this malt presence. The feel has a full body with soft carbonation, the brew is sweet but not at all sticky, abv is well hidden. I would like to see a bit more carbonation to help break up the malt. A decent DIPA, not great. Actually I am a tad disappointed in Cpt. Lawrence with this brew, not their best.

Serving type: growler

02-21-2010 01:07:41 | More by Gmann

CupcakeNY

New York

4.88/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Wow.
Had this beer from a friend's growler. It's a pretty ugly beer-cloudy amber, with not much of a head.

Smell was hoppy grapefruit.

This beer explodes in your mouth. It's full of hops, but multilayered with flavor; there's a prevalence of grapefruit/citrus flavors, bitter but so smooth and balanced. I'm told the ABV is 9, but you wouldn't notice it in your mouth; only after sucking down a couple.

This beer could not be more drinkable! I got a couple of bottles to see if the bottle version is as good as what I had form the growler, but this is one of the very best tasting IPAs I have ever had. A remarkable brew.

Serving type: growler

02-03-2010 16:52:59 | More by CupcakeNY

SpeedwayJim

New York

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

Poured from a 32oz. growler into a pilsner glass.

A: Vigorous pour leads to a 4.5 finger quickly collapsing head that retains nicely at 3 fingers. Head is white, semi-coarse, powdery, fluffy, and very foamy. Also incredibly dense. Brew is a crystal clear orange that reveals a ton of carbonation. Lacing is second to none. Frothy, thick, and ruler-like, measuring my every sip.

S: Nose is a creamy lactose, citrus, and cane sugar. Very simple but not as clean as I'd hoped.

T: Creamy start that dissipates into citrus, sweet brown sugar, a touch of cinnamon, all over a slight pine hoppiness that is subdued but prominent nonetheless. Malty at times, this finishes with an aftertaste of brown sugar.

M: Medium bodied, lightly carbonated, and incredibly smooth. Mouth is very warming. Finish is messy and lingers quite a while.

D: This is a fantastic example of a DIPA if just for how outstanding it looks. Mouthfeel really adds to the flavor of the beer though the nose is not much to consider. Still, quite enjoyable and hihgly recommended.

Serving type: growler

12-28-2009 03:22:49 | More by SpeedwayJim

asabreed

New York

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

From a growler purchased at the brewery. Poured into a traditional pint glass.

Appearance: Lighter golden color, deceivingly so in some ways. Little lacing in drops on the glass. Not a lot of carbonation gurgling to the top.

Smell: Insanely aromatic and wild, and one of the most powerful and intense IPAs I've had in a while here. Huge candied fruit and tropical fruit. Yet there's a good balanced citrus bitterness also. Just insanely aromatic and fresh. The leafy nature of the hops comes out too, but the tropical fruit aromas are wonderful.

Taste: Almost sweet initially with the tropical fruit, but there's a nice spiny and leafy and rind-like citrus element that somehow hits on all three points. Long finish with bready and malty caramel and lingering candied, tropical fruit.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with good carbonation to balance the booze and the sugar, as the prickly bubbles don't make it cloying.

Drinkability: Love this beer. The freshness factor has to be one of the things that makes it so great, but it achieves the harmony of both balls and balance, and is extremely aromatic and highly drinkable. Wish I could get this more often. Pick some up if you can.

Serving type: growler

11-29-2009 19:34:07 | More by asabreed

grub

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

group tasting at Derek's place. i contributed this one, acquired in a trade with gregc, so thanks greg!

64oz growler. sampled aug 7/09.

pours clear orangey amber with a big dense off-white head. the head drops slowly with lots of lace.

aroma is great. light alcohol. multi-grain bread and biscuit. light pine. grapefruit, orange, and tangerine. light caramel. hints of pineapple. touch of spice too - maybe rye or a bit of a spicy hop?

taste is great. light alcohol. biscuit. bit of cracker. whole wheat bread. resiny pine. grapefruit. light orange and tangerine. caramel. bit of toffee. just under medium bitterness level. some light vanilla notes too. bit woody.

mouthfeel is great. just over medium body. slightly below medium carbonation level.

drinkability is good. nice balance. fairly good complexity. nice hop profile. good stuff!

Serving type: growler

09-17-2009 14:49:33 | More by grub

Darkhorse09

New York

4.33/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance is amber, bordering too dark for the style, with a thin, nearly white head. Moderate amount of lacing on the glass, on the way down. Head disappears pretty quickly.

Smells of big hops flavor, much like a west coast IPA. a little sweet, some pine aromas. really great nose. I get just enough pale malt on the nose for the hops to not be totally overpowering.

taste is of citrusy (orange, dark apricot) and just a ton of hops. Malt gives a little sweet flavor and some understated alcohol on the finish. Nice and bitter, a great representation of an Imperial IPA. Great for hop lovers.

Full-bodied and chewy. The high alcohol precludes this from being a session beer, but it could drink like one. Goes down nice and smooth. Heavy in the mouth. Hop oils all over the place.

I really enjoy this beer.

Serving type: growler

08-26-2009 19:49:22 | More by Darkhorse09

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to grub for sharing this growler.

Pours a clear orange, some golden highlights, thin white head forms, holds a solid ring around the glass, lots of lace spots stick, looks good. Smell is nice, very malty, biscuit and toffee, floral, grapefruit, some tropical aromas, tangeine, orange peel, restrained hops but well done. Taste is similar, all about themalts, caramel, super biscuity, bread, grapefruit, some floral, oranges, very clean flavour, nice bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium to light bodied with low carbonation, very balanced and drinkable. Nice to get a non-hop bomb IIPA every once in a while, this is good stuff. Thanks Russ!

Serving type: growler

08-13-2009 17:30:04 | More by Viggo

bobsy

Ontario (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +15.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Growler shared by the very generous grub. Thanks man!

Orange pour with red highlight and a creamy off-white head. Nice retention and lacing. Wonderful aromas of sweet citrus - clementine, tangerine and satsuma. Very sweet juicy and enticing. The flavour delivers big time. Sweet orange juice, tangerine, candied orange peel - really its all sweet citrus, but with an immense biscuit malt background to balance things out. And balance is the key word here, as its expertly achieved - a feat that is often overlooked by many brewers of imperial IPAs. Decent bitterness in the start and finish. Medium body and carbonation.

So many great beers in one night, but this was prhaps my favourite. Its an imperial IPA that doesn't drink like one. Its smooth and delightfully moreish. The flavours are clean and enticing, and it delivers in every respect. Excellent stuff!

Serving type: growler

08-10-2009 13:45:05 | More by bobsy

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Copper with an off-white head, good retention & lacing.

S: Nectarine & tangerine... great nose.

T: Nectarine, tangerine, awesome biscuity malt (like the highest quality floor-malted maris otter), good bitterness.

M: Moderate body is very smooth.

D: I could sit down with growler of this on my own.

A well-balanced and drinkable DIPA. Thanks for the rare treat Grub!

Serving type: growler

08-09-2009 00:19:29 | More by Derek

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a light golden color with a thin egg shell colored head that leaves a thick coat of lacing on the glass.

S: Smells sweet with citrus notes and light caramel. A whole bunch of grapefruit and pine are in there as well.

T: Nice grapefruit flavor up front with some subtle and light caramel to follow. From there on out, it is all about the pine and grapefruit hop flavor. The finish is still all about the hop flavor.

M: Smooth, well carbonated, sticky, resiny, medium bodied.

D: Great DIPA, glad I have a growler because now I have about 4 servings of this!

Serving type: growler

07-25-2009 22:25:43 | More by Patrick

ThirstyBird

Germany

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from growler into pint glass
A - Orangy/copper color with off white head that falls to skim
S - Huge hops and citrus hops. Smells bangin!
T - Hoppy/malty mix-up that is delicious. A little vanilla in the aftertaste. Really well balanced.
M/F - Medium body and very smooth.
D - This is a delightful DIPA.

Serving type: growler

07-24-2009 22:58:08 | More by ThirstyBird

Georgiabeer

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This superb beer was shared by RustyDiamond out of a growler at the Brick Store. Poured amber with very good clarity, but with little head or lacing. Considering it was a shipped growler, I'm not worried. Quite light aromas. Perhaps grapefruit, honey, and calcium citrate. The taste, on the other hand, packs a punch. Very nice flavors that are tangy and piney with a lot of honeyed malt providing sweetness and structure. Super smooth in the mouth, this is one fine double IPA. Thanks for the chance to try this Rusty!

Serving type: growler

05-20-2009 21:05:45 | More by Georgiabeer

gford217

Georgia

4.47/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Growler shared by RustyDiamond at the Brick Store with the usual suspects.

Pours a crystal clear golden amber with a small off-white head that left decent lacing.

I was really impressed with the aroma on this one. It started out good and became great as it warmed. The first aroma is of pine hops with some bready malts in the background. But as it warms, I really started to get more citrus, and it turned into a seriously good nose.

The taste is really more about the pine for me. There are hints of citrus, but it's the floral hops that steal the show and the finish just piles on the sticky hops after each sip. The bready malts supports the hops but does exactly balance things out (a good thing here).

The mouthfeel is medium bodied but very sticky with the pine hops and leaves the palate coated after each sip.

This brew really surprised me and blew away my expectations. It's a great floral hop-forward DIPA that stacks up favorably against almost any DIPA I've had recently.

Serving type: growler

04-25-2009 02:33:35 | More by gford217