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

gkatsoris

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Yellowy, murky and a nice white head; giggity.

S: Flower hops, and slight citrus hops. Fruit tarte. Slight maraschino cherries. Vanilla. Bread. Honey.

T: Very malty. Very balanced also. White toast. Vanilla. White tea. Caramel. Icing. Absolutely no bitterness what-so-ever.

M: Thick and chewy. Not foamy. Leaves a
beautiful coat on the tongue.

O: One of the finest IIPA's in the world. This brew really doesn't get the pub or credit it truely deserves.

Thanks redliner8 for grabbing this for me!

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2012 02:49:13 | More by gkatsoris

smakawhat

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass. No visible dating noticeable.

A dull and hazy yellow lemon body is produced off the pour, with a good sticky and foamy good white head of two to three fingers deep. Lots of sticky retention.

Nose is a very solid hop presence, but also a good deal of malt and resin. Some interesting chewy presence, resembling a big wheat sense or something. It's smells really solid.

Really chewy and dense malt and hop body hits the palate. Great lingering malt rolling taking extremely faint citrus. Dense body takes over with a mild sugar. The beer feels extremely heavy but the palate is all balanced and nothing outrageous or big. Everything feels in control. There's even some faint milk chocolate on the finish.

Overall may not be the best bouquet or look, but the taste is flat out great.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:49:17 | More by smakawhat

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured into my Samuel Smith pint glass, got the whole bottle in there 16oz of awesome. No sediment and a very sweet inch and a half of bubbly head means I got a fairly fresh bottle. Beer is A nice orange tinted bright yellow.

S - Smell is slight alcohol (hopefully mild) and tons of bitter tropical hops mostly mango and pineapple. Hopefully it's as balanced as it smells.

T - Sweet hops at first then it turns bitter as piney that travels all the way down the palate into a bitter finish. I guess I could have used more malt since the finish is way bitter and the alcohol is quite noticeable.

M - Acidic and ABV is not well covered. Medium body at best.

Overall I guess with the reviews and everything I expected more balance and less noticeable ABV but to me it's really quite a forgettable DIPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:36:06 | More by DrDemento456

sacrelicio

Minnesota

4.43/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very nice tropical imperial IPA. Pours a nice goldish orange. Smells like candied pineapple and tropical fruits. Taste is very tropical, almost like a tropical juice blend. Mouthfeel is smooth and slick. Overall, an excellent beer and one I was glad to drink on the street of NY.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 22:27:28 | More by sacrelicio

fmccormi

New York

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

Straight pour from a 500ml pry-off bottle (NO DATE) to my trusty Cigar City snifter. But, according the person who assisted me when I purchased this bottle, it was picked up at the brewery about two days prior; I’d imagine this bottle is two or three weeks old at most.

Appearance (4.0): Very aggressive head, starting at around three full fingers and collapsing into two fingers or so of a slightly rocky, white crater; it’s a good head but nothing insane. Body is crystal clear, and the color of pure gold. Some sudsy, spotty lacing, not a ton but enough. Nice look, I like the head.

Smell (3.5): Tropical fruit, like passionfruit, mixed with some resin comes out first, with a light sweetness underneath it like light brown sugar. Not a ton going on with the malt profile, but it’s not bad—understated, certainly. Good smell, the hop profile smells very nice.

Taste (4.0): Balanced. One of those nice DIPAs that’s truly balanced here. The malt profile is slightly toasty and bready, with a bit more of that light brown sugar sweetness to help anchor down the hops—and they are significant, but not blinding. The hops bring a nice tropical sweetness followed by a great, piney bitterness mixed with a bit of spice that lasts a long time. In fact, the finish is probably the best part of the palate. A bit of alcohol in the back dries it out and keeps you from going too fast, and it’s appreciated. Yeast note is neutral, typical American ale yeast. Very nice.

Mouthfeel (4.5): Oily hops, dry finish from the alcohol, leaves you wanting some more. Just on the lighter side of medium-bodied, with a nice, forward but not overbearing carbonation that is prickly and evenly distributed—very nice work with the carb, actually. Great body for a DIPA, because it’s more substantial than a dry IPA but isn’t burdensome like some of the behemoth DIPAs out there.

Overall (4.0): This is a really tasty Imperial IPA. I’ve enjoyed this quite a bit, and hope that it comes into distribution in upstate NY on a regular basis. Plus, I like the 500ml bottle size: for something as strong as this, it’s big enough to share but small enough to handle solo without getting destroyed. Very tasty beer, and it’s nice to know there are more East Coast brewers handling the DIPA category well!

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 02:51:00 | More by fmccormi

tobelerone

New Jersey

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

App: Dark gold and almost clear; good-sized head with decent retention, lots of creamy looking lace.

Smell: Big time pineapple aroma with noticeable sweetness underneath.

Taste: Again, pineapple hoppiness leads the way with a lot of sweet, caramel malt flavor as well. Lesser notes of orange, grapefruit, and pine. Well balanced, and although the hops come first, this is a DIPA with a substantial malt presence. Definitely on the sweet side. Bitterness emerges in the finish.

Mf: Medium bodied, just a touch sticky and creamy, with medium to low carbonation. Pretty nice mouthfeel.

Overall: Sort of a prototypical DIPA; a friend called this an “east coast classic” and I feel that’s a pretty apt description. Much more malty than the best west coast examples; booze is fairly well hidden until peeking its head out in the finish. Very good, very tasty, but you have to like your DIPAs on the maltier side to love this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 15:23:27 | More by tobelerone

diesel59

New York

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

i tried this at there pleasantville location while retrieving parts @ kent supply one afternoon... i will not mention what oil co. i work for.... otherwise it was outstanding... and soon to be found on tap for growlers in pawling discount... to which i and some friends frequent... great double I.P.A.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 01:24:47 | More by diesel59

ghostwalker

Massachusetts

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

Provided as an extra in a trade with GuisseppeFranco. Thanks for filling in the huge want, Nick!

Clear yellow body with a light and frothy white head. Simple and beautiful.

Nose is piney and sharp with residual sweetness. Very nice.

Flavor is zesty and sharp resinous pine. Malt is there to help carry the tune, but it's all about the hop bite. Really a taste treat!

Mouthfeel is very carbonated, toothstripping and full of character.

The label says five different hop varieties. Overall, it's nicely complex and very satisfying to a lover of the humulus lupulus.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 19:48:53 | More by ghostwalker

rmcnealy

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one from an east coast trader.

Served chilled. Poured an extremely light amber gold that was translucent and totally filtered. Produced a dense, frothy head that fleeted to a thin layer. I'm amazed at the light color. Had I been handed this beer unknowingly, I would have thought it was a pilsner or lager. The smells are not very robust but there is a hint of slight pine and slight citrus. Any smell of malt is unnoticeable. The tastes mirror the smells and are very minimal, almost lackluster. It is quite bitter and the 9% is not obvious. The mouthfeel is pleasant with that high bitter factor. Tastes exit the sensory receptors immediately. A decent beer. The bros rating of 100 seems a bit unjustified. I'm not sure of the bottling date, but perhaps it is a bit old. It's Hopslam season and I believe those are a way better example.

Enjoy!

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 02:10:28 | More by rmcnealy

BlurryVisi0n

New York

3.73/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured unto a pint.

Appearance: Light transparent amber not super bubbly but just right, white head is roughly 1/4" after initial pour but settles after a sip.

Smell: Piney, slight caramel hint which comes off very light.

Taste: Floral and malty. Beer is not overly bitter like some other IPA's, just pretty intact balance of hops and malts.

Mouth: incredible balance, and super smooth.

Overall: Pretty good beer but not the king of IPA's. Just needs a week here and there but definitely worth trying out, any real beer drinker alike would love to have this watching his favorite game. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 07:39:41 | More by BlurryVisi0n

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not much on the nose but a little bit of hops that come across as floral in nature. Maybe a bit of sweetness on the back-end.

Appearance is a bit light for an IPA, but it's a beautiful looking beer. Perfectly clear other than the condensation haze on the glass. It's a straw-like color topped with a persistent foamy white head that leaves a nice lacing in it's wake.

On the palate the hops shine through as a wonderful floral and light citrus (lemon?) flavor. It's not too bitter, actually it's well balanced. It's very hoppy due to many late addition flavor/aroma hops, rather than bittering hops. Finishes with a bit of a sweet candy (toffee?) like flavor.

Feels right on in the mouth, it's a bit more of a full-medium bodied ale, and well carbonated.

Highly drinkable due to the ABV, which until you're half way done with it, you don't even feel. This is quite a nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 22:54:27 | More by tlazaroff

mdvatab

Indiana

3.53/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Received 16.9 oz bottle in recent trade w/ a NY BA. (Cheers!)
Poured into imperial pint glass.

A: Some sweet pineapple, tropical fruit, and honey. Simple, pleasant aroma profile. Was hoping for a bit more of a hoppy punch for an IIPA.

A: Beautiful golden body w/ a very slight haze. Dense 3 finger off-white collar of foam, which left nice lacing.

F: Very light and subdued for an IIPA. Pineapple, apple, graham cracker, grass, some peppery booze, and relatively mild bitterness for the style. Not bad--just not as great as I'd hoped for.

M: Crisp, medium-high carbonation. Medium body. Alcohol warmth felt in the throat and nostrils.

O: Not a bad beer at all. I'm wondering, though, if the bottle I received might have had a little bit of age on it. The hop profile was definitely lower than other reviews would suggest. Nonetheless, would definitely like to try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 20:37:47 | More by mdvatab

oline73

Maryland

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a Chimay goblet.

Appearance: Pours a golden light amber with a half finger of fluffy white head. The head fades to a layer with some very mild lace on the side of the glass.

Smell: Sweet malt in the background with some citrus peel hops. There is some tangerine and pineapple in there as well.

Taste: Citrus peel hop bitterness with enough sweet background to balance out the bitterness. The alcohol is just a bit harsh. The sweetness has some pineapple in it, just like the smell.

Mouthfeel: The body is a bit syrupy with fluffy carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: If the alcohol was a bit smoother it would help this beer, but it's quite good as it. I would probably have another.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 00:55:24 | More by oline73

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

merc7186

New York

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this beer poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

A: Mildly Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes A Lot of Light, White Head Ring, Decent Lacing

S: Floral, Piney, Mild Malts

T: Piney, Resin, Mild Grapefruit

M: Decent Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Bitter, Dry

Overall, this would be a great IPA but they list it as a DIPA and it kind of lacks from that aspect. Good but not great.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 20:30:40 | More by merc7186

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

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

On tap at The Drafting Room on New Year's Day 2012. Served in a tulip FREE of charge!

A - Slightly hazy golden tangerine-tinged liquid with a frothy white head that retained well and decorated the tulip with plenty of thick lacing.

S - Fruity, citrusy hops paired with sweet malt. Aroma isn't quite as bold as I remember it.

T - Fresh tropical fruit akin to pineapple, mango and grapefruit takes center stage, giving the flavor of this DIPA a boldly hoppy yet sweet character. Sweet caramel and bready malt keeps the flavor balanced throughout while not compromising the bitterness. Finishes with a citrusy tang. Delicious.

M - Medium bodied with a slightly oily texture and moderate carbonation, giving the mouthfeel a hint of bristle while remaining slick on the palate. Finishes bittersweet.

D - This is definitely much better on tap, as the tropical fruit character really shines due to the freshness of the keg. Captain's Reserve is easily one of the finest East Coast DIPAs I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

01-02-2012 16:56:08 | More by ffejherb

ehammond1

California

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

Bottle (2011)

Acquired via trade
Thanks, whartontallboy!

Perfect appearance: clear, golden orange, light amber, with a pillowy, tight off-white head that leaves messy, crooked lines of lace all the way down the glass.

Somewhat bready aroma initially punctuated by some citrus elements--seems simple, though nice and appropriately hoppy. Though as this beer nears room temperature, the citrus pineapple, orange, and grapefruit elements shine through nicely.

Moderate bitterness initially, with some stinging, strong pineapple and grapefruit citrus notes. Big and flavorful, though simple and straightforward, all at once. Complete. Very nice.

Medium to full mouthfeel with high carbonation.

A terrific DIPA. My first experience with Captain Lawrence is a good one. The whole of this beer is better than it's individual elements. It's fantastically drinkable, and just gets better and better.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 01:35:11 | More by ehammond1

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

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

Poured from tap at (very) local bar, into pint glass...yes the wrong glass but I'm not complaining, not with this beer.
Its an absolute must try for hopheads. Full of hop flavor, some citrus and pine, and refreshing yet slightly bitter finish.
Its strong and absolutely great. Seek it out!
Not much more to say about it...

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 21:31:28 | More by DrinkSlurm

ckeegan04

Texas

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to CooperEllis for this one from the Secret Santa BIF. Excited to try my first CL beer.

A - Lightly haxed golden yellow with a thick cap of off-white foam. Head has excellent retention and as it does slowly fade it leaves thick chunks of foam on the glass.

S - At first pour the aroma was rather mild including just a hint of pine and some flroal notes. Within a few minutes of pouring though the nose comes to life. Lots of floral and citrus notes with an underlying aroma of pine throughout. A faint biscuity sweetness lingers in the background as well but this nose is almost all hop juice.

T - Very fruity hops on first sip but a surprsing lack of bitterness. There is a faint sweetness in the mid-palate that balances the little bit of bitterness that is present. A bit of biscuit and maybe even a touch of caramel sneaking in. As the beer warms the hop tastes begin to become more floral and a touch of bitterness does begin to sneak in.

M - Medium bodied with a velvety smooth feel. A light lingering bitterness is present as well.

O - An interesting DIPA. All of the hop flavor of your big DIPA's but not near as much of the palate mrecking bitterness. I really enjoyed this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-19-2011 21:43:09 | More by ckeegan04

CaptDavyJones

New York

4.8/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this on tap and was served in a pint-glass.
Slightly hazy straw/golden orange color with a fingers worth of head that dissipates pretty quickly.
Aroma was just heavenly. So much going on here, floral hops evident upfront with hints of pine coming through, only to be completely drowned by loads of tropical fruit. Peach, mangoes, grapefruit with slight hints of vanilla coming through. The aroma is a rich heavenly bouquet of fragrances that are so alluring.
Taste compliments the aroma. There is hop bitterness upfront on the tongue, with the malts and fruity ester sweetness in the middle. The finish has just that right amount of hop bitterness, which doesn't linger. Perfectly, perfectly balance DIPA.
There was no way I would have known this beer had 9% ABV.
Very good mouthfeel and drinkability. Not a lot of lace around the insides of the glass.
Absolutely fantastic ale, a 'must-try' for every hop-head and those who crave for a perfect balance in this style of beer.
Highly, highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 17:18:51 | More by CaptDavyJones

hdelavega

Florida

3.8/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured to a Saint Somewhere wine glass.
Pours a golden straw color with an inch of white head that leaves great lacing all the way down.
Aroma is citrusy with a bit of pine and a tiny bit of malt in the back ground. The nose overall is lacking, it's making me question the freshness which I can't seem to find on the bottle.
Taste is better than the nose. Lots of citrus, some bitter fruit in there, pretty dry. I like.
Medium light mouthfeel, lots of carbonation. Bitter hops resonate on the palate.
Overall a nice IPA, I wish I knew the date. I feel like the nose was just to weak for the intensity of the taste. I will seek this out again.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 23:04:18 | More by hdelavega

nickfl

Florida

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

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a clear, golden body. The head settles down quickly and leaves nice lace on the glass.

S - Pungent grapefruit and pine hop aromas wit some bready malt in the background.

T - Sweet, bready malt up front with fruity hop notes of orange and grapefruit. Some pine comes out in the middle with more sweet malt character. Things finish up with more bready sweetness and spicy, fruity hop notes as well as moderate bitterness.

M - Medium-thick body, moderate carbonation, and a sweet finish.

D - Fruity and pungently aromatic this is a proper DIPA. The malt character is more than strong enough to balance the hops, but it is simple to the point of being one dimensional, which has the benefit of letting it fade into the background so that the hops can shine through. It might be nice to have a little more bitterness in the finish to push back against the big malt sweetness, but other than that I have no complaint.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 04:15:34 | More by nickfl

ThoreauLikeAGirl

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a pale golden yellow with a pretty big foamy 3 finger head. lots of carbonation bubbles up the side of the glass. looks more like a pale ale than an imperial ipa.
big bursts of floral on a nose. a bit of lemon peel and pine.
taste is dry to start with lighter bitterness than i expected. i pick up a lot of pine and grass and less citrus than the nose. the malt comes through on the finish, with a lot more dryness. though, a bit abrasive on the finish.
mouthfeel is medium bodied. carbonation is fine. nothing to write home about.
overall, a pretty solid DIPA, if you prefer yours with more pine and hops, than citrus. nothing wrong with it, but also nothing that made me go wow.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2011 01:46:12 | More by ThoreauLikeAGirl

Blanco

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a clear golden, slightly orange color and a white head. Smell is hoppy, with slight citrus notes. Hints of pine as well. Bitterness is tempered and flavor leans more toward a tropical fruit. Malt backbone is subdued but so are the hops. It's surprisingly balanced but has more of an IPA feel than a DIPA feel. Reminds of when the really strong hop bombs with light malt backbones get a little older. Still, it's actually quite nice.

Perhaps it's an older bottle, but it's a solid DIPA. If this wasn't a fresh bottle, one that is might have gotten a higher score.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 03:16:37 | More by Blanco

scottfrie

California

3.55/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle into Gulden Draak tulip. Thanks for this one, codewarrior.

A: Pour a cloudy glowing tangerine color with a huge, thick, billowing, and oily looking light cream colored head that took forever and a day to fade into a rocky layer of foam while leaving a sticky network of dense lacing down the glass.
S: Sweet tropical fruits and citrus hops fill my nose. I get notes of pineapples, tangerines, fruit nectar, and ruby red grapefruit. Very juicy and inviting. There is a hint of sweet caramel and volatile alcohol vapor as well.
T: Juicy flavors of tropical fruits and fruit nectar. Pineapple and tangerines are easy to pick out, but there is a good dose of pine resin in there as well. The finish is full of caramel and candied sugar, and the aftertaste is very bitter and full of viscous alcohol and citrus pith.
M: The alcohol is definitely noticeable in a bad way. Luckily it’s not too distracting. The body is just a tad shy of full, and the mouthfeel is on the thin side and a bit rough. The carbonation is a bit too spritzy as well. While the flavors are good, this isn’t the most pleasant beer to drink.
O: Not a bad beer but I was disappointed. The flavors were pretty good, a bit straightforward but still very bright, but the mouthfeel was pretty rough. Sits beautifully in the glass though. Thanks again.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 22:33:55 | More by scottfrie