Cuvee De Castleton - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

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

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

Treebs

Illinois

4.14/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Bottle served in a Half Acre snifter. Batch #5. Big thanks to cosmicevan for the share.

A: Pours a hazy lemon color with a light orange body. A thin white head forms on the pour and recedes quickly to a thin ring. Some splotches of lace are left behind.

S: Fruity with a little acetone. Sour lemons, a little lactic with some white grape sweetness and tartness.

T: Lactic sourness, some cheek puckering dryness. Oaky finish with some lemon grass and white grape.

M: Light bodied. Puckering tartness with a dry, mildly acitic finish. Medium carbonation

O: Very nice beer. Definitely enjoyed the subtleties of this and the mouthfeel was spot on.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 14:30:16 | More by Treebs

beagle826

New York

4.46/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful big fizzy head. Amazing color and aroma. Lip puckeringly sour, maybe a bit too much so for my tastes. Excellent for the style though.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 02:00:33 | More by beagle826

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.38/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

375 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Batch 5. Reviewed from notes.

Appearance - Clear golden with almost no head. Looks pretty flat.

Smell - Slightly fruity. Lemon comes to mind. Mostly vinegar here, though. Not intense, but dominant. Touch of funk and some peaches.

Taste - Quite sour. Lemon fruit flavors. Light vinegary flavors, at least compared to the nose. Clean, but intensely acetic. Too much for my taste. Bready in the finish also.

Mouthfeel - Puckering. Clean sour. Low carbonation.

Overall - I see why everyone loves this. It's incredibly sour, with some nice fruity notes. I just don't dig the acetic sourness, especially in a pale sour.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:16:19 | More by Alieniloquium

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cuvee De Castleton pours a starbright yellow-gold that, indeed, looks something special. It struts the bling. Despite this obvious radiance, however, its ash blond complexion is hopelessly distorted (though I suppose technically still clear). Whatever head it might have once procured is now long gone, likely an unintended consequence of the barrel aging.

Though the bouquet is a relatively inward one for the style, muscat grapes are apparent from the start. I also wouldn't be surprised to learn the oak barrels in which it's aged at some point contained Chardonnay; the wood purrs like a cat asking to be stroked and there's also a touch of must. Smells like a wine cellar. It has the tartness (though not exactly the flavour) of a Granny Smith apple and a few other cider-like qualities.

Malty flavours are now a distant murmur, long since infected by the acidic tartness of wild yeasts and an almost savory oak wood taste. Its exquisite inner perfume is simultaneously juicy and off-dry and features nuances of Limoncello, yellow plum, and wafting florals. The bubbles are less than vibrant, leaving the acidity to settle on the palate like a heavy net (practically burning a small hole in the back of the throat in the process).

Cuvee de Castleton may taste unusual to most beer drinkers, but if you're a sparkling or white wine drinker this will all seem very familiar: steely, bubbly, elegant with apple and citrus acidity - this is definitely suited to a champagne flute (and given the rarity and price, champagne-worthy occasions). Were it not for those unfortunate facts, it would be more than advisable to bring to a party; a real conversation starter.

Batch #5 was released just over a year ago but I wouldn't allow it much more time to mature; it certainly doesn't taste young. The acidity is already powerful enough to make things feel a bit disjointed and its energy is far from outstanding. Despite impressing some sensation of weightlessness, the finish isn't exactly overly persistent either. Were it actual bubbly, it'd be the Borat of the champagne world.

So-called "wild ale" is a style where anything is possible, good or bad - surviving extended barrel aging and the onslaught of savage yeasts and bacterium aren’t easy conditions for a beer, but it’s a challenge that builds complexity and character. Despite the latter being added free of service, Cuvee de Castleton lacks the real drive and beautiful detail that describes the best beers, 'wild' or not so wild. Wish I could say better things...

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 08:05:59 | More by biegaman

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.43/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Michael for sharing this one. Batch 5.

Beer pours a clear light yellow without much head - it's really not much to look at. The smell here is excellent - white wine, oak and lactic sourness really come together nicely to make a mouthwatering aroma. The flavor too is fantastic, it's incredibly vinous and pretty sour with a nice grape aspect to it to go along with a little bit of oak. You can definitely see how the white wine factored in here, as it's one of the more wine-forward beers I've had. Mouthfeel is light-medium bodied but coats the mouth very nicely. Overall, this is a great beer and a must try for wine lovers who also happen to enjoy sour beers. It's what I hoped Russian River Temptation would be.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2012 04:50:03 | More by starrdogg

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.93/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Batch 2 received in trade from mcallister, thanks for the opportunity.
Pours a crystal clear deep golden color with a huge white head that dissipates like the head on a diet soda. I can smell the funk as soon as I pop the cap on this one. Lemony tartness mixed with a sour grape fruitiness along with a mild bit of sweet candy malts and a solid hit of barnyard funkiness make up the aroma. The flavor is extreme lemony citric tartness. The grape flavor comes through a little along with a hint of sweet candy like malts and barnyard funk, but this one is all about the tart. Medium body with a spirited level of carbonation and a tart tongue piercing mouthfeel. Nice mouth puckering wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:55:59 | More by johnnnniee

cosmicevan

New York

4.43/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

consumed on 7/6, while I was "on Hiatus." picked up at the brewery a while back. enjoyed from my captain lawrence tulip.
Batch 5

a - brew poured a mostly opaque orange with lively carbonation. at first there was a big fizzy head, but it fizzled away in moments, yet i could still see a geyser of champagne like bubbling at the center of the surface of the beer.

s - smell is dynamite. sour tarts, white wine, green grapes. some brett sweetness.

t - taste is spot on. super sour green grapes. lemons and fruit drenched in white wine. good sourness without being off putting. the oak is a bit present in the finish. the brett shows in some sweetness, the funk can be found as the sourness rolls off your tongue.

m - tart, prickly carbonation. some spiciness in the finish.

o - overall, super refreshing. really well made sour. captain lawrence is no joke when it comes to sour beers and castleton is a fine example.

bottle

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 01:33:33 | More by cosmicevan

brystmar

New York

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch 5. Had this plenty of times, finally getting around to reviewing.

Looks like white grape juice in my glass with almost zero head and poor retention. Brett and lacto amongst the grapes in the nose. Tart fruit, citrusy, oaky, and inviting.

Taste initially reminds me of lemon-lime Gatorade before jumping into full-on sour mode. Plenty of grape presence and tart citrus. Less bretty and acidic than expected; tons of lacto though, and I really like that. Reminds me of Oui Oui, but without the sulfuric aroma. Why can't I give a 4.25?

Either the carbonation is dying out with time, or this bottle was lacking. I still enjoy the creamy body, though more bubbles would be nice.

An excellent sour from the guys at Captain Lawrence. Wish I had more than one bottle left.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 04:11:34 | More by brystmar

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Props to cavedave for this blind share, batch #4 release.
The beer pours a clear straw yellow with a razor thin halo of white head. The nose is sweet and slightly acidic. The taste is slightly tropical with a bit of Brett funk and a mild, dry finish. It's not a bone dry finish as expected making this beer quite drinkable. The body is light and effervescent. This is an outstanding sour, but I wish the grapes came out more than they did. It's similar to beat, but not as intensely sour.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 22:56:54 | More by ThePorterSorter

merc7186

New York

4.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Id like to thank Cavedave for this bottle share.

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

A: Hazy Golden Straw Hue, Passes Little Light, White Head Ring, Minimal Lacing

S: Sour Mash, Bitter Green Grapes

T: Green Grapes, Lemons, Sour Mash

M: Decent Carbonation, Light to Medium Bodied, Mildly Sour

Overall, a really solid grap based sour, totally recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 02:04:11 | More by merc7186

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

375 mL bottle from batch 5, poured into my Duvel tulip.

Cuvee de Castleton pours a golden yellow, with a good amount of clarity. Maybe a finger and a half of white foam caps the beer, before fading quickly and without leaving any lacing behind. The nose has lots of white wine-like acidity. There's also a distinct oakines present, and just a hint of brettanomyces funk. There's just a touch of fruitiness right on the front end of each sip. As with the nose, a vinous tartness fills the lion's share of the flavor profile. A tropical fruit like brett funk provides a nice bookend around the acidity, before a light oakiness fades in for the finish. The mouthfeel's a little slick. The combination of a slightly heavy body, and carbonation that's a little bit dull just misses the mark. Despite one or two technical flaws, Cuvee de Castleton still comes together stunningly well. Muscat grapes, oak barrel aging, and brettanomyces all come together to produce a great wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 05:26:50 | More by axeman9182

birchstick

Missouri

4.05/5  rDev -8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a straw yellow color without much of a head. Nose is grapes with a lot of lemon and sours and a lot of Brett funk. Taste starts off with sour lemon flavors that fade to a funky Brett musk. Some soft muscot grapes in next but are pushed aside by more lemon sourness. Mouth is pretty good. Overall this is a decent American wild. I don't know if it is worth the ammo, but pretty delicious.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 23:39:00 | More by birchstick

claspada

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Batch 5, courtesy of of mrand01.

Pours a translucent golden dark yellow with zero head. Zero; no bubbles. Some mild lacing if I swirl the beer a little.

The aromas remind me of champagne straight off the bat. Vinous white grapes, tart granny smith apple and oak. Funky Brett emerges more as it warms with some mild barnyard and earth, like a wet piece of wood.

The flavors directly follow the nose, but are definitely more complex and enjoyable. Sweet pale maltiness alongside a mild of lemon sherbet with a pop of bright acidity. Vinous muscat grapes with lingering honeydew melon juiciness and subtle funky flourishes of Brett. As it warms you get emerging notes of spicy oak.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a lower than expected amount of carbonation. I expected more for the style. The finish is dry and acidic with a final bump of tart fruitiness.

Overall this is a great American Wild Ale. It's not the best I have ever had but it is definitely not a slouch by any means. I feel I would like it better if the ABV was a little lower and the carbonation was bumped up a little. A little unbalanced but extremely drinkable and one of my new favorite wild ales that skews towards the white vinous flavor spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2012 04:27:16 | More by claspada

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.25/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to bigsexy410, thanks Ben. Batch 5.

The look is on par for a wild, it has a nice straw yellow color with little head or lacing whatsoever. Hazy and pretty much opaque.

The smell has a heavy white grape aroma with a great tart wild yeast overtone to it that is very cohesive, especially for a sour. Some more welch's grape flavors as well.

The taste follows the smell, with some great dry white grape flavors with a very refined sour flavor, that isn't really in your face but is very elegant overall and certainly tart enough for a sour head. The flavor plays out with some sweetbread and tart flavors, like a nice pastry blend. Quite nice.

Mouth is very dry and decently carbonated, some body to it.

Overall the beer is nice, worth a buy if you're in NY.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 22:22:43 | More by Dreadnaught33

jmarsh123

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review 500!

Pours clear gold with little head and lots of bubbles.

Lots of white wine notes in the aroma. Some lemon, pear and a bit of funk. Not overly sour on the nose.

Flavor is similar. Lots of sour apple and lemon up front. Finishes with a lot of white wine, heavy oak and nearly bone dry. A little bit of a funky flavor on the back end too.

Light mouthfeel with adequate carbonation.

Pretty good, but doesn't compare to some other highly rated sours I've had lately. The funky aftertaste isn't bad, but isn't my favorite either. Would drink again although I'll save my trading ammo for stuff I like better.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 20:18:08 | More by jmarsh123

FosterJM

California

4.45/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

1299th Review on BA
Bottle to Wine Glass
500ml

Batch 5

30th Birthday Party
Shared by Callmecoon

App- Glowing golden yellow with zero head or cling. A few bubbles around the edges.

Smell- A great wild ale. The booze levels are incredibly hidden with a lot of sour on the nose with some oaky lemon fruits. The tart level really balanced the lactic out. Smooth and tasty with a small white wine tannin note.

Mouth- A bit of a light medium with a fairly medium carbonation level. A bit of grape and lemon residual flavors.

Drink- A damn fine wild ale. Great layers and very smooth. Thank you Steve for sharing.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2012 15:40:29 | More by FosterJM

UCLABrewN84

California

4.38/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle shared at FosterJM's birthday celebration.

Batch 5.

Pours a murky light yellow with no head and no lacing. Smell is sour, tart, and funky with some sour grape and woody aromas. Taste is much the same with some woody flavors and a super sour and acidic quality on the palate. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is an excellent sour with some very well done aromas and flavors.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 22:29:46 | More by UCLABrewN84

ehammond1

California

4.48/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Bottle (Batch 5)

Thanks for opening this with me, Jordan!

(Aged for 6 months)

Cloudy bright yellow and a small white head that leaves the glass spotted with lace.

Incredibly powerful aroma of white grapes, lemon, oak barrel, and big levels of tart and sour. Awesome, impressive, and exactly what I was hoping for.

The flavor too is wonderful and very similar to the aroma. There's lots of lemon, a mild funk, a good amount of oak, big sour notes, along with some white grapes.

Medium bodied with high carbonation.

A joy. Simply incredible.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 02:04:26 | More by ehammond1

mclaughlindw4

Maine

4.33/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Batch number five bottle. A very clear beer with golden color. Not hazy at all as others have described. Oh wait, I guess pouring the last half was. No head.

Aroma is funky, vinous and cidery.

Tastes like sour apple, grapes, lemon, some funk. Very delicious. On the second pour with the yeast (or maybe as it warms) I am picking up some more floral components and some spice, but hard to pin down what.

I cracked this bottle for my 30th birthday and what a treat. Always nice to have a sour of this caliber.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 22:31:03 | More by mclaughlindw4

DovaliHops

California

4.5/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 5. Pours a very hazy, slightly murky golden color with a small white head that diminishes to aggressive carbonation bubble almost instantly. Scent is immediately funky with some Brett and sour aroma. Nice white grapes with a lot of lemon and some other citrus fruits. A bit of saison-like peppery aroma as well. Also some sweet, fruit snack aroma. Very good nose on this one. Taste is very tart and sour at first...very lovely chardonnay characteristics. The spices definitely come through in the flavor, which is what I think separates this one from the other American sour wild ales. Stays very tart with each sip, but nice, sweet green and white grape flavor on the back of the tongue. Tingly tart pucker on the tip of the tongue. Lovely oak and white wine flavors. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, crisp, puckering at times, and somewhat fizzy. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this is a very well-crafted sour wild ale. Drinks like a 5% sour...would never guess it's almost double that. Great complexity and flavor. The spices in it bring together two of my favorite styles swimmingly, saison and wild ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2012 06:16:10 | More by DovaliHops

kscaldef

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch 5, courtesy of rlmartin

A: Poured into my Drie Fonteinen glass with no head, but active bubbles. Looks like sparkling apple juice.

S: Mouthwatering lemon & apple aromas, with wine character like a minerally chablis or sauvignon blanc. Little whiffs of funky barnyard.

T: Quite tart on the tip of the tongue, and an explosion of fruits from kiwi to pineapple to melon with a singing acidity tying it all together.

M: Light and effervescent with moderate linger.

O: First, I absolutely wouldn't guess this was 9%. Tastewise, I'd put this on part with some of the best gueuzes I've had. Definitely at the pinnacle of American Wilds. I do wish the aroma had a little more going on, but it may be that this glass isn't showing it as well as possible.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 02:14:41 | More by kscaldef

auroracrisis

Kentucky

4.23/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Most recent batch poured into a tulip.

Soft cream colored yellow with just a ring of foam that dissipates quickly after a few sips. Some chill haze to the beverage, with some spotty bubble dancing to the top.

Sharp acidic aroma to this with hints of fruit like green apples and muscat grapes. A bit of white wine and barrel as well, but over all it is a very sour smelling beer.

Unripe grape juice and lemon juice on the tongue at first then moves into a sweeter fruit like flavor with some vinous notes. Delicious stuff.

Sticky at first with a little bit of drying on the finish, medium bodied and a tingle of carbonation.

Great use of the muscat grapes in a wild ale. Glad to have tried this one, it did not disappoint.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2012 03:35:53 | More by auroracrisis

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.53/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

330mL bottle poured into tulip - thanks to cjo for opening this

Pours a clouded straw yellow with a tuft of white head on top. Retains for a moment before dissolving into some light film, leaving a few patches of lacing on the glass.

Tart and funky in the nose with hints of white wine and grapes. Sour with oak and faint fruity sweetness and barely any notion of alcohol, despite the ABV.

Pretty sour right up front, supported by the muscat grapes with some grape skin hints. Tart and biting with underlying oak tannins. Some straw and funky tones, followed by a dash of sweetness from the fruit. Finishes sour and lingering on the tongue.

Medium body, slightly higher carbonation, dry and bubbly on the tongue. This might be my favorite CL wild ale so far, even though I don't like muscat grapes. Definitely worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 16:42:50 | More by xnicknj