Golden Delicious - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from tap into sampler.
Pours a hazy light golden with a good amount of head. It doesnt look very out of the ordinary.
The smell is fantastic. You really smell the apple, but its mixed well with bready belgian malts and yeast, and some nice floral hops.
Taste is also of belgian yeast and some slight hop notes. Apple isnt as in your face in the flavor as the aroma, but it is still there.
Its a bit "light" or mild, especially for a tripel and the alcohol is hidden extremely well. You would never know it was 12%!
Overall, really nice unique brew from a great brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-29-2012 13:51:49 | More by DrinkSlurm

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured out as a golden color with a white head on top. The smell of the beer wasn't too much like apple, but it did have some nice sweet grain with some barrel aged aromas in there too. The taste gave off some of the apple flavors that I was hoping for. The beer had a crisp taste to it. The mouthfeel was sharp and dry feeling. Overall it was a pretty interesting brew, I enjoyed it but I wouldn't go out of my way to have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

02-06-2012 07:24:36 | More by Knapp85

timtim

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

wow... pours a slightly hazy golden color with an off-white head that holds and leaves a touch of lace. nose is bright, brilliant, golden delicious apple up front, followed by hops(?), a spicy belgian-style malt/yeast backbone and a faint vanilla/brandy/wood character. very, very pretty. everything comes together in harmony in the taste as flavors play off of each other extremely well. my palate can't tell what is what, and that means it has come together seamlessly. fruit coming from the barrel, the hops and the yeast, with just enough sweetness to turn the spiciness into yumminess. beers like this are usually not my cup of tea, but this turns my gears like crazy. awesome. medium body with lower carbonation than expected, and the booze never seems to get hot. awesome. great beer from one of the US's most talented breweries. thanks captain!

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 11:58:02 | More by timtim

metter98

New York

3.8/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear golden yellow in color and has a thin ring of off white bubbles around the edge of the glass and some lacing in the center.
S: There are aromas of apples and spice in the nose.
T: Flavors of apple brandy are very apparent in the taste due to the barrel aging; there are also hints of spices and a light amount of bitterness. It tastes quite acidic at first but becomes sweeter as the beer warms up.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a bit dry on the palate with a light amount of carbonation. There is a bit of warming from the alcohol in the finish.
D: The drinkability improves as the beer warms up, although I'm still not sure if I could have more than one of these in a sitting. It's definitely a beer that needs to be sipped.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2011 14:39:34 | More by metter98

david18

New York

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I've written about this beer before and always like everything I've gotten from Captain Lawrence. They make great American and Belgian style ales and this one is among the ones I really enjoy. I had a twelve ounce draft of this at Rattle & Hum in Manhattan.

Color is a very hazy and light yellow/gold. A lot of head with good belgian lacing and even some viscosity on the glass.

Aroma was an intense combination of yeast, alcohol and fall fruit (apples, pears).

The flavor was a little on the hot side but, again, featured the same qualities as the aroma.

This was a very quaffable beer that I hope to see again soon.

Serving type: on-tap

03-02-2011 22:49:03 | More by david18

mltobin

Connecticut

4.1/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served on-tap at the Birdsall House.

Appearance is a cloudy honey tone with very little head. Its` smell has apple, caramel, alcohol and some oak. Taking a sip of Golden Delicious, some of those same flavors are still there, along with some brandy, and in the end, a tartness. MF is medium bodied, light on the carbonation. I believe this clocks in at 10% abv and with all that is going on with the beer, is a sipper. GD is definitely a very good reincarnation of Xtra Gold with some new characteristics.

Serving type: on-tap

02-19-2011 14:38:11 | More by mltobin

tempest

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had a large snifter at the Ginger Man in NYC - certainly an interesting beer. There's a slightly funky apple aroma, the from barrels I presume. That mild tang and fruit carries over into the flavor with dry grains and Belgian spice followed by a kick of citrus hops. The ale has a medium body with a little sweetness, enough to enjoy more as a sipper.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2011 18:35:47 | More by tempest

kranker23

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the Ginger Man in NYC on 2-4-11.

A -Lovely brandy color poured into a snifter. No noticeable head.

S - Boozy with cider vinegar aromas, some sour apple.

T - The apple brandy characteristics are immediately noticeable. They linger slightly and then are replaced by the booze characteristics. Not sure what the abv is on this, but if you tell me it is anything less than 10% I think you are pulling my leg.

M - Moderate to high viscosity, coats the tongue nicely.

D - This is obviously meant to be a low slow winter or fall sipper. Even a 12 ounce pour is a generous serving.

O - In a bottle, I would say this needs time to cellar (probably a year would mellow it nicely). Young and on tap, the booziness overwhelms the balance of the beer. It is a nice sipper, and would pair fantastically well with some slow cooked pork loin, but for me it was too hot right now. That being said I am happy to have tried it and if I found a bottle I would buy it to cellar.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2011 15:09:22 | More by kranker23

claspada

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Aromas of apple cider, but green/granny smith apple cider if that makes sense. Some lesser earthy qualities with some sweet and sour candy smell to it as well. Wish there was more going on here, but anyway...

The taste is exquisite. Begins sweet and tart like the granny smith apple again but quickly transitions into a woody/oaky flavor and then quickly again switches to raisins and brandy. It finishes light again though with a dry biscuity and bready nature. Really complex, invites you to keep sipping but you really should savor this creation. As it warms the ABV/alcohol show itself a little but never harsh or unappealing in the slightest.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with less than adequate carbonation, would definitely benefit from some more in my opinion.

Overall this is a really unique beer worth trying if you can find it. It's dangerously drinkable, a little sweet, but not cloying. Just imagine the sweetness of a tart green apple and that is a good indicator. By far my favorite offering from Capt Lawrence hands down.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2011 23:14:01 | More by claspada

clearlydiluted

New York

3.25/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

I had the first batch of this...and it was equally as boozy as this batch. I'm assuming it probably needs a minimum of 2 years to really meld together...

served 11.5 oz in a kasteel glass
a - pours a golden with a slight orange color

s - boozy with hints of estery profiles of the beer and the apple brandy

t - when it's cold the main thing dominating is the boozy apple brandy barrels; it's mostly the booze and bits of the . as it warms up hints of vanilla, pear (among other) esters, and a hint of maltiness pull through to provide a good profile of the tripel. though the booziness tends to still dominate the front end, you get a slight sense of the apple in the finish

m - medium body and sweet on the front, but it finishes dry with that hint of

d - the boozy nature of the beer diminishes the drinkability of the beer. I'd really like to try it a year from now to see how a more balanced beer would taste like. Nevertheless it's a terrific example of the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2010 20:47:12 | More by clearlydiluted

CharlatanSin

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at The Bronx Ale House. This is definitely not a beer I ever expected to find on tap, so I was super excited as Mr. Duffy at the Ale House poured.

Golden Delicious isn't the prettiest beer in the world. It pours a dull, somewhat murky straw color. The pour creates an enormous puffy white head that dissipates pretty quickly. But it's called Golden Delicious, not Golden Attractive, and the beer brings the goods.

The aroma is excellent. The distinctive Belgian yeast and fruitiness that characterizes the tripel style and the sweet, sticky brandy booziness mesh beautifully.

The taste is similarly well-blended. The booziness, predictably, is more pronounced than in Xtra Gold. It's an unmistakable brandy taste, sweet and tart, but not at all overwhelming. The yeast and spice common to tripels are present, and despite my trepidation before trying it, the fruit character definitely is almost entirely apple. Well done, guys. This beer is delicious, and well worth seeking out.

The mouthfeel is thick for the style with pretty low carbonation, and so the beer is extremely sticky. It's not as crisp and refreshing as a typical tripel, but that's not really the point here, is it?

This is a unique beer well worth trying, so keep your eye on Captain Lawrence and hope that they'll do more batches.

Serving type: on-tap

09-02-2010 16:54:42 | More by CharlatanSin

STEG

New York

3.6/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at lazy boy saloon. Pale golden yellow into a flute type glass at the lazy boy saloon. What little head there was was almost completely dissipated by the time it got to me leaving a collar of thin bubbles.

The smell has Belgian yeast, breast notes, as well as booze and apple (brandy).

Taste is very boozy, alcohol is very much present and accentuates the apple brandy character. It's pretty sweet but has a lot of nice triple characteristics.

Mouthfeel is syrupy, kinda smooth with light carbonation.

The drinkability really takes a hit due to the sheer amount of booziness present but it's certainly a nice glass to have, it's a nice concept as well.

According to CL this is an attempt at apple pie using alcohol as the sweetener and apple brandy barrels for the apple character with the spicy breadiness of a begian triple for the pie crust. Nice concept, it could be better executed but I'm not sure how. Maybe starting with a less boozy beer to start with?

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2010 21:59:01 | More by STEG

CHickman

New York

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

Pours hazy gold in color with a nice foamy white head, and very good lacing.

Smells of wheat, lemon, grains, floral hops, sweet malt and faint spices.

Tastes of wheat, lemon, floral hops, light caramel, apple, grains, grass, wheat, faint spices and skunky sweet malt, which bordred on cloying. Very nice, light and crisp feel with a very good complex flavor.

Mouthfeel is light, crisp, smooth and almost watery, like a hefe-weizen, but better since it has medium carbonation and a medium body.

High drinkability that's very refreshing and a very nice beer. Could drink these all night and all summer since there was no hint of alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2010 00:16:24 | More by CHickman

TaddyPorter

Delaware

4.88/5  rDev +24.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I figured I should give a review of the draft, since I had the rare opportunity to try what was reportedly the only keg of this beer ever, at the Captain Lawrence event at the Blind Tiger in NYC in April 2008. Previously, I'd had a bottle of this beer and found it very enjoyable. On this particular occasion, I was very lucky to get to the Tiger in time; my beer guru arrived a few minutes later and found himself denied.

The color was a richer golden hue and its cloudiness was greatly increased in this draft version, as compared to the bottled version. I also found it to be more heavily apply, both in its aroma and its flavor--all positives. I found this beer to be dangerously drinkable and could have enjoyed a few more, but alas its ship had sailed...

Cheers!
Taddy

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2008 19:47:40 | More by TaddyPorter

smakawhat

Maryland

4.51/5  rDev +14.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a tulip glass. Much thanks to DaSolomon. Brandy barrels from one oldest US distiller? I call Lairds duh.

Minor gush off the pour, very bubble bath foam shocking white, but lots of retention. Extremely soapy but manages a thick 3 finger head. Body is a muted dark apricot and brown peach, a bit opaque with some good thin streams of carbonation, and a roaring middle column. Very nice looking, with an impressive aggressive head.

Nose has spicy apple and cinnamon, with some buttery oaky qualities. Real nice fruit sense to this which matches nicely with the Belgian character, going to pear and flesh white fruit. Got some good thickness to it, and a nice sweetness but not too much. Not boozy heat either.

The mouthfeel is exquisite, it's big thick and creamy which matches the nice sweetness. Lots of oaky tannic aftertaste, but there's classic buttery sweetness to match. Controlled heat and warmth with a nice control. Definitely big, but not overpowering. Some of the Belgian character and sweetness is a little slammed down, but it's expansive thick mouthfeeel provides lots of flavor exploration. Fruity, creamy, dense, heavily oak, nice combination.

The finish is just a bit too tannic and woody, but this is still very impressive taste wise glad I got to try it. I'd be curious if they used barrels that housed the real brandy or just ordinary Applejack. Either way it made a memorable tripel.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 03:13:39 | More by smakawhat

dogfishandi

New York

3.74/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

750ml capped bottle at fridge temp poured into a snifter. No freshness info.

Pours out a slightly hazy golden color. Nice 1/4 inch or so of white head shows decent retention, decent lacing as well.

Smells really off at first, kind of like a vinious, oxidized concentrate apple/ grape juice. As it warms this diminishes a bit bringing out some nice caramely brandy booze notes and a bit of barrel. A bit of tart green apple comes in as it warms even further.

Concentrate apple juice with a bit of concentrate grape juice, a touch vinious, a bit of tart apple and brandy barrel. Carmel candy green apple. Still tastes a bit oxidized and old, however maybe not as much as the aroma suggested.

Crisp carbonation and just a touch dry, but there is some sweetness mid sip.

I was really planing on liking this beer a lot before I opened it, but it was a bit of a letdown. Most likely an older bottle. It would probably be great if it wasn't for all the oxidation type flavors, right its just topping out as good to OK. I'll have to seek out a fresher bottle.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 16:42:41 | More by dogfishandi

joefuzz

New York

4.45/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Pours golden orange with a small off eggshell white head. Smells like a belgian triple should...candi sugar with bready malts. Tastes like apple pie! Absolutly amazing starts off as a classic belgian triple bananna, clove, belgian sugar and ends with a very nice apple brandy finish...really reminds me of liquid apple pie. Mouth feel has the high carbonation of a triple and a light mouthfeel with a semi dry finish. Overall amazing beer on this first warm night in front of a fire.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 01:48:26 | More by joefuzz

beagle826

New York

4.3/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A-Golden blond appearance, barely any head

S-Smells like autum harvest. Fantastic apple aroma

T-Great fresh fruity taste mixed with a really nice malt balance

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2013 01:58:00 | More by beagle826

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -32.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

I did get this bottle at the brewery. Either this is just a sub-par beer, or the bottle they sold me was past its prime. With no printed bottle date, it's hard to tell.

Poured a slightly hazy golden color, with a small white head that fizzled out pretty quickly; minimal to no lacing. Aroma was woody, toasted grains, pale malts, vaguely floral with a hint of peppery spice. Taste was pretty bland and uninteresting, woody like the aroma, fusel, boozy, floral notes, fruity esters and stale cinnamon sticks, but really nothing "apple" coming out in any significant way. Mouthfeel was pretty dry and on the metallic side, light-medium body, and moderate carbonation. Not a very good drinker, and a taster was more than enough of this one.

Bad bottle or bad beer? I don't know, but I'd like to try it again to be sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 08:02:34 | More by Rifugium

flagmantho

Washington

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: light golden-yellow hue with a light haze and a moderate effervescence. Head is a finger of frothy white foam which didn't stick around particularly long and left a little bit of lace on the glass. Not bad, but it's not particularly inspiring.

Smell: sweet malt with a rich apple aroma and a good, but not overdone, dose of herbal, aromatic hops. There's a hint of perfume here, but I think it's subtle enough that it helps rather than hurts. I like it.

Taste: sweet malt, apple, alcohol and, if you can believe it, pecans or possibly hazelnut. The malt and the alcohol together work to form this bizarre nuttiness. This could also be due to the barrel-aging: some tannins along with vanilla could create this same character. Bizarre -- but worthy.

Mouthfeel: medium body with a bodacious carbonation that I would not have guessed based upon apparent effervescence. Great creaminess -- shazam!

Overall: I like this beer. It might be a little bit on the outside of the tripel definition (barrel-aged Belgian Strong Ale maybe?), but I am enjoying it. It's definitely something to try again, albeit maybe a year or two down the road.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2012 17:40:18 | More by flagmantho

ngeunit1

California

4.33/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a hazy golden-orange color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down fairly slowly leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet malts, apples, Brandy, oak, Belgian yeast, coriander and other spices, lemon zest, and some booze.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet pale malts with some tart apples, lemon zest, some light spices and a bit of vanilla. Through the middle, the oak and Brandy come through with some more Belgian yeast flavors with some coriander and other spices. The finish is a mix of apple Brandy, oak, sweet malts, lemon zest, Belgian yeast, and some booze.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet and warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. The apple brandy goes really nicely with the big Tripel base.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 04:27:45 | More by ngeunit1

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another new one from a brewery I haven't tried nearly enough of. Courtesy of Msquared2, thank you!!

Appearance. Pours a hazy yellow gold with almost two fingers of frothy white head.

Smell. Sweet apples and a little spice, some fruity belgian yeast and light grains.

Taste. Fruity belgian yeast and golden apples, imagine that! A little light grainy malt and some fusel alcohol.

Mouthfeel. Medium+ body with medium+ carbonation. A little astringent alcohol, but not all that hot considering the high abv.

Overall. The apple flavours go great with the style, but the alcohol taste wasn't very welcome. Glad to try it.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 03:26:25 | More by Rutager

Durge

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This unique brew is a cloudy yellow tan color with a fantastic creamy white head and blanketing lacing. The aroma brings a wild apple clove and flaky pie crust nuances. Very nice and intriguing. The flavor offers a definitive sweet clove and vegetable hop with a mild corn whisky vibe and orange caramel. There's a little alcohol but it blends well. Medium light bodied with a smooth but spritzy feel with balanced carbonation. Unusual but an enjoyable blend of apple and a trippel. Bravo!

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2012 05:28:48 | More by Durge

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

3.9/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

There's no vintage date on the bottle that I can find, but I believe this is from 2008 Batch 2 its in a green bottle, and thanks to McAllister for the opportunity.
Opened over the sink just in case. Pours a deep clear golden color with a decent white head that dissipates almost instantly. Smells of apple, oak tannins, vanilla, ethanol, sweet fruit, and light sugars. The flavor is a little hot There's lots of sweet fruitiness up front mixed with a bit of sweet brandy then a solid shot of alcohol and oak. Then we get some non descript spices and an earthy flavor. Yeasty esters and sweet light sugary malt fight against a lingering alcohol burn in the finish. Medium body with a moderate level of carbonation and a sweet hot mouthfeel. This is kind of a hodge-podge of flavors and its a bit hot even after a few years. That being said, I really enjoyed this beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 00:22:54 | More by johnnnniee

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.23/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle. Not sure of the date, but purchased at the brewery in July '12. Poured this one into an unmarked snifter.

A: Pours out a pretty clear light orange yellow color. Head is only a slight ring of bubbled white. Some lacing bits are left when you swirl. It's a pretty looking tripel.

S: Pulling that brandy barrel. Nice oak notes giving off some light vanilla. I think I am getting some of the apple sweet notes? Some Belgian yeast notes: peppery spice, breadiness. You also get a touch of hops.

T: Up front you actually get some hop bitterness. Must be from the Amarillo dry hopping. Then you start to get the barrel character: light vanilla, some wood, etc. Sweet apple goodness in the middle. Delicious for sure. More of the traditional tripel characteristics towards the back end. Sweet, dry finish.

M: Medium leading to full.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 13:51:37 | More by inlimbo77