Cuvee De Castleton - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

Bmoyer0301

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:

Tonight I am pulling out my favorite glass in the cabinet, my Dogfish Head goblet which I am finding out that I need to try and buy more of these since I'm always washing and using this one. As I pulled the short bottle out of the fridge I took a glance at the classy light blue and ornate writing which reminds me of a mini fine champagne bottle. As I pulled off the cap everything seemed to go picture perfect and a beautiful loud hiss came from the neck and the carbonation gasses lingered around the mouth's bottle. On the pour I decided to go slowly and give slight tilt to my glass trying to not create a overflowing head while not pouring out the yeast dregs on the bottom. When I was finished I was left with a slim half inch thick bone white head that hung around the whole time and had tiny champagne like bubble floating up from the bottom. This beauty is a deep golden hay like color that is absolutely clear with some lemon and golden apple undertones. Bright and sunny with no haze or yeast floating around this is just perfect and when I give a slight swirl the viscosity appears to be pretty light only leaving some little legs crawling down the glass walls.

Smell:

Right out of the gate, this has powerful citrus and lemon notes surrounded by slight sweetness and acidity. Very floral perfume like aromas are surrounding all of the fruit and acid which really balances this very nicely. Slight hay and barnyard funk is there as well, almost reminds me of my moms old musty basement but in a warming familiar way. In the finish, loads of white grapes and apricots tingle your nostrils and resemble a Pinot Grigio wine.

Taste:

This is an aggressive start to a sour beer! Very mouth puckering and full of acid but the grapes really are the major component here. Vinous and sweet-tart like with lots of citrus and wood and slight vanilla undertones. Funk beyond belief and almost hard to describe, its amazing what those brett bugs can do to a well crafted base beer. Green apples, and slight vinegar round out the middle and balance out some of the cloying sweetness. In the finish, almost a slight burn of the lemon like acid hits my throat and reminds me that I got a whole glass left of this delicious punishment to my esophagus.

Drinkability:

What can I say, this was a stellar beer and I am sad to see it go. This was big and bold yet so complex with lots of flavors going on that are stellar. As I drank this to the end my palate became a little shot from all the acid but it was worth every last drop. I only had a tiny sip of this last time at a tasting and was hoping another one would find its way to me again and thankfully it did. I would highly recommend this beer to any sour head out there and if you can find it or trade for it I'd say jump on the deal ASAP. Thanks again to Chris for hooking me up and I hope we can work out something again soon

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 18:59:42 | More by Bmoyer0301

MarkIntihar

Michigan

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

05-22-2013 13:40:30 | More by MarkIntihar

Busker

Connecticut

5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-21-2013 18:06:59 | More by Busker

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

05-18-2013 21:03:41 | More by Photekut

Pete27lax

New York

5/5  rDev +13.6%

05-02-2013 17:23:19 | More by Pete27lax

Franch

New York

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-29-2013 22:42:23 | More by Franch

THECPJ

Delaware

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

04-29-2013 16:17:26 | More by THECPJ

zachattack555

New Jersey

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-28-2013 20:43:27 | More by zachattack555

Gonzoillini

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-14-2013 01:44:36 | More by Gonzoillini

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

4.75/5  rDev +8%

04-12-2013 02:32:56 | More by oldp0rt

Dasein11

Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

04-09-2013 00:52:11 | More by Dasein11

BruChef

New York

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

04-06-2013 18:08:00 | More by BruChef

joel66

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

04-04-2013 20:11:05 | More by joel66

Sparky44

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

03-24-2013 19:33:49 | More by Sparky44

tom10101

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

03-20-2013 20:12:23 | More by tom10101

fiver29

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

03-20-2013 12:55:31 | More by fiver29

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.46/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Batch 4, so I've been storing this one for a couple of years.

A: Brilliant golden color, with a small white head the dissolves into a ring. Wish there was a little retention. Effervescent. A little haze from the yeast.

S: Sweet and tart fruity smell, and with a strong brett kick. It's almost like a white wine mixed with brett, which now that I think about it is the point, I suppose.

T/M: Tart and funky. Lactic. Funky. Woody. Distinct grape flavor -- even more like white wine than I remember it being a couple of years ago. A little grainy on the finish, with a mild earthy bitterness. Mouthfeel is light and dry with low-ish carbonation.

O: Sad to finish off my last CdC, but beer is made for drinking, no? Excellent.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 22:14:34 | More by CharlatanSin

doucmehu

Wisconsin

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

03-01-2013 13:34:08 | More by doucmehu

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

02-23-2013 21:12:30 | More by Luk13

Azrael

4.75/5  rDev +8%

02-21-2013 04:26:35 | More by Azrael

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

02-19-2013 15:09:23 | More by ShanePB

Hugonaut13

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +8%

02-06-2013 00:36:32 | More by Hugonaut13

KickInTheChalice

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

From notes. Batch 2, 3, 4, and 5 tasted side by side. Batch 2 seemed much different than the other two and is worth scoring separately. The overall score is the score of the newer recipe.

Batch 2:
4/4.5/4.75/4/4.25
Batch 3, 4, 5:
4/4/4/4/3.75

Tangerine peach color, transparent with a bit of haze. Lighter, more transparent edges. A small cap fades to a ring fairly quickly.

The aroma is fairly tart, white grape, lemon zest, and peach. Acidic and some musty funk.

The flavor is quite sour, although not quite as extreme as the batch 2. Just a touch of sweetness from the malt, then the white grape comes through a bit. Peach, a bit of tangerine, and then some lemon zest in an escalating sour flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2013 05:03:48 | More by KickInTheChalice

Soonami

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%

01-29-2013 21:08:37 | More by Soonami

hansgruber

Indiana

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%

01-29-2013 04:05:02 | More by hansgruber