Captain's Kölsch - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

flagmantho

Washington

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Pilsner glass. Had this at Horsefeathers in Tarrytown, NY.

Appearance: golden hue with a light haze and a moderate effervescence. Head poured a finger of creamy white foam. Nice.

Smell: fruity, sweet aroma. A bit on the mild side, but decent.

Taste: floral and lightly fruity right off the bat. A bit sweet, but I really like it.

Mouthfeel: light body with a good carbonation yielding a surprising creaminess. Good stuff.

Overall: a non-traditional but tasty and refreshing Kölsch. I'll definitely have this again, given the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2012 20:31:20 | More by flagmantho

alexgash

Connecticut

4.4/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle.

Clear, clean, golden lemon yellow body. Small, bubbly, eggshell white head with some spidery lacing. Bready, apple malt sweetness underneath a spicy, peppery, herbal hops. Very nice.

Toasted bread malts up front. Peppery, spicy hop bitterness comes on soon enough though. Bready malt becomes sweeter, with notes of apple and honey. Hints of coriander and maybe citrus (lemongrass?). Herbal, peppery hops take it to the finish, which is oh so dry and refreshing. Lingering sea air hops and peppercorns. Moderate body, with a lively, refreshing feel. A great summer quencher and a nice hoppy twist on an under-appreciated style.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 21:02:41 | More by alexgash

Pahn

New York

4.15/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into Duvel tulip. No freshness information, but the Captain's Kolsch hasn't been available in my area for very long.

Appearance: Free pour yields a one inch fluffy white head that, like the beer, leaves no lacing. Crystal clear pale yellow.

Smell: Mild citrus, with some musty grape and apple. Very lightly floral. Interesting overall aroma.

Taste: Very bready up front, with some sweetness and slight fruitiness coming in before the very dry finish. Crisp and refreshing. There's a sweet, creamy pastry flavor way in the background that underlies the mild but succulent fruit and fruity candy flavors (grape, citrus, mild berry, slightly floral).

Lots going on, but all of it very subtle, which contrasts with the bold feel (sharp bitterness and carbonation, very dry). I like it.

Mouthfeel: Between light and medium bodied. Sharp carbonation, harsh but not over the top bitterness. Very dry finish. Very lively feel, making every sip "pop." I could see being able to drink a lot of this based just on the mouthfeel alone.

Overall: Par for the course with Captain Lawrence: lots of flavor, really well balanced. Awesome hot weather beer as well.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 23:37:27 | More by Pahn

BrewDocCT

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. Bottle poured into my Bell's pint.

Appearance is yellow. Very yellow. Crystal clear. One finger white head sticks around.

Smell is of crackers. Some lemon.

Taste is lemon, more crackers, spice, and a touch of sweetness.

Mouthfeel is crisp. Super crisp. Really nice.

Overall this is a great summer beer. It's crisp and clean and more complex than other beers I've had in the style (which is admittedly few). Will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 20:12:53 | More by BrewDocCT

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

Quite good to actually get a single for under 2 bucks from Halftime beverage.com

A - Clear straw yellow with a 1/2 inch of frothy rocky head that seems to stick around for quite a bit.

S - Smell is of floral hops, German style pretzel, zesty lemon, and some coriander.

T - A very clean tasting Kölsch that has all aspects of dough like taste, zesty spice, and a hop finish.

M - Light to medium a good beer.

Overall I had the "liquid gold" yet to try but this was way better than that DIPA they made. Great flavors and easy on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 17:29:42 | More by DrDemento456

davey101

Connecticut

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle into a tall pilsner glass. Date unknown, but it has the newer style logo cap AND its the first time I've seen six packs in CT so I assume its on the fresher side of things.

A - Crystal clear dark straw yellow body with rising carbonation. Bone white three finger head forms and sizzles down to a nice one finger high head with large bubbles. Moderate amount of lacing and retention.

S - Very spicy. Coriander, lemons, grass, bubble gum, and some floral qualities. Earthy with a bit of a dough like finish.

T - Really transcends the line between sweet and spice. It goes back and forth between honey, cracker malts, peppercorn, coriander, bubble gum, and fruity hops. Crazy delicious and easy drinking. Medium to light mouth feel with just the right amount of crisp carbonation.

O - I wasn't expecting to be blown away by this one, but I kind of was. Extremely delicious hot weather beer full of flavor. I'm a noob to the kolsch style, but this is a winner in my book. So glad to have this in six pack format.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 03:30:01 | More by davey101

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big thanks to ferillo for hooking me up with this bottle as an extra in a recent trade. This is one of my favorite styles, especially this time of year. 12oz bottle, no date that I could see, poured into a stemmed lager-glass. Pours a straw gold with a thin white cap. Fair spotty lace clings to the glass. The aroma is earthy and "green." Slight veggie scent, with a bit of green hops.

Cool crisp bite to this. Carbonation level uplifts this "light" beer making this one quite zippy and refreshing. Great flavor profile of mild bittering hops, grass, fresh bread - all melded together beautifully. This beer really hit the spot. Were this a local offering, I'd have a sixer of this on hand most anytime during these warm months. Cheers, Todd! Thanks for the hookup!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 21:36:34 | More by Onenote81

rlee1390

Indiana

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A-Translucent yellow, some carbonation, two finger light head.

S-Straw, wheat, lemon, some grass and bread

T-Starts with a refreshing wheat/bread notes, grassy hops (not bitter) are present along with some spice

M-Light, well carbonated, crisp

O-A great Kolsch, a beer style I've never bond fond of until this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 01:32:36 | More by rlee1390

Lordquackingstic

New York

3.8/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first CL since they started doing six packs. Let's see how it holds up...

A: Honey gold with a huge puffy cloud-white head. Lots of carbonation is visible. Decent lacing.

S: Lightly sweet honey, bread, biscuits.

T: Very crisp with (not sweet) honey tones, slightly spicy, and at the end of the swallow you get the bread dough flavors. There's also a nice hop character to it which is a nice twist on the style. Very nice.

M: Medium to high carbonation with a nice long finish. Bread dough flavors linger on the palette.

O: A fantastic summer beer, probably going to drink many more of these this summer. I'm happy these guys are basically in my backyard.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 22:37:11 | More by Lordquackingstic

oscarthebrody

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A reasonably good kölsch -- on the hoppy side for this style, which I gather is the brewers' intention with this beer.

It was substantially better after a few minutes out of the fridge, at a little warmer than refrigerator-cold -- a bit of the sweet body behind the bitterness comes out.

Not a very thrilling drinking experience, as the color is disappointingly pale and the mouthfeel is fairly foamy.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 21:13:11 | More by oscarthebrody

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours a glowing yellow color. Brilliant head is large and bleach white. Head retains for quite some time and laces thickly and consistently. Body is completely transparent.

S-Light but enjoyable nose. Yeast and cereal. Light grassy hops. Mild spice and lingering malt sweetness. Animal crackers too. Mild nose but there are some nice aromas there. Also it's supposed to smell light.

T-An upgrade over the nose. Hop bite is more than substantial. Crackers and cereal mixed with spice and lots of yeast. Herbal hop flavors. Clean and enjoyable.

M-Light and sessionable. Carbonation is not as prickly as I expected it to be.

O/D-The Kolsch style is great for the warm weather. This beer is light but it is complex and a nice sip. I found this to be a solid beer. I love the company. This is a great summer brew. Won't blow you away but miles away from subpar.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 04:14:05 | More by VelvetExtract

rdilauro

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a light color like many other German Pilsners or Lagers.
Not a lot of aroma, small amount of hops. But the taste was near to perfect as a light German brew, but much smoother.
The mouthful was full and smooth with a small but enjoyable aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 00:45:47 | More by rdilauro

Sharkophile

New York

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a Deschutes pint glass. Appears a slightly hazy, shimmering golden color with a sizable white head. Retention is pretty poor, however.

S: Sweet pale malt, alot of raw grainy aroma and a grassy, herbal hop.

T: Clean malt, a light indistinct fruitiness and a nice orangey, grassy, floral hop character. No bitterness. Finishes pretty dry and crisp with lingering grainy flavors.

M: Lively carbonation and a light to medium body. Nice drinking.

O: A very nice and refreshing beer. Easily sessionable. More great work by Captain Lawrence. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 21:56:24 | More by Sharkophile

cosmicevan

New York

3.88/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle picked up locally. Enjoyed from a capt Lawrence taster tulip.

a - brew poured a transparent pale yellow with a huge foamy head. Subtle visible carbonation could be seen racing to the surface from the bottom of the glass.

s - distinct pilsnerish lagerish grainy smell. Some green grape as well. Pretty decent for a style that I typically don't love the smell of.

t - taste follows the nose. Very grainy. Reminiscent of pilsner crossed with lager. Some green grape, but mostly malts and grains. True to style.

m - even carbonation. Lit and soft, great warm weather brew.

o - overall, pretty good for a style that I don't always love. This one was very easy too drink. Well done by the captain!

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 00:52:06 | More by cosmicevan

Gmann

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a pale straw color, slight haze, with a small dense white head that settles into a chunky ring.

The aroma is grainy sweet and has a general fruitiness. The hops are a touch grassy and limey. Perhaps some pepper as well. Definitely a noble hop aroma.

The taste is of a pale malt, dry, perhaps a pilsner malt. Not as grainy as the aroma. The hops are grassy with a lime flavor. General fruitiness from the yeast.

The beer is light with fizzy carbonation. It drinks dry and balanced. Some residual bitterness in the finish. Refreshing.

Very good light summer brew. Light dry malt with a good dose of grassy hops.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2012 21:51:34 | More by Gmann

DSlim71

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle from Captain Lawrence's brand new bottling line.
I've been going to the CL tasting room since my college days, so it's great to see them up and running in a new location. Cheers!

A - Pours clear yellow with a 1 inch white head that's gone pretty quickly. Bubbles stream up throughout, leaving a ring around the sides.

S - Smell is mostly bready malt, with a light grassy, almost vegetal, hop aroma.

T - The malt leads with bread and cereal flavors. The hops come out at the end with a grassy, herbal bitterness that finishes pretty clean.

M - Light, crisp, refreshing, exactly what a Kolsch should be. This is definitely an easy drinker.

I could easily throw back a few of these on a hot, summer day. Having said that, I remember this being a little better in the tap room. Still a solid American take on the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 04:41:39 | More by DSlim71

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.3/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from growler purchased at DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. Poured into tulip. Pours a slightly hazy golden. No real head but some ok lacing, so slightly above average look.
Smells very great. Slightly fruity, but its hard to pinpoint...apple/pear hops. Smells fantastic.
Taste is crisp and clean. Taste is fruity...a bit of hops. Bread like malty finish. I havent had many Kolsch brews, except in Germany, and those were a bit more malty and bitter, so its hard to compare the style, but this is fantastic. I love a nice brew from CL, and this did not disappoint at all. In fact, its fantastic.

Serving type: growler

01-22-2012 02:06:58 | More by DrinkSlurm

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer arrives essentially clear with a golden hue and a few centimeters white foam. The aroma is of lightly toasted malt with lots of bread and some huskiness. This continues on to the palate, with a touch of sweetness. Smooth as it roils across. A vague fruitiness emerges as the beer warms. This beer is, perhaps, not as clean as a Kolsch should be, but still plenty enjoyable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-28-2011 01:46:48 | More by BeardedBoffin

CHickman

New York

4.03/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Shorty's in NYC; pours hazy gold color with a small creamy off white head that faded quickly and left OK lacing.

Smells and tastes of sweet malt, light caramel, corn husk, herbs, floral hops, citrus, light toasted grains and toasted notes like wheat or cereal; the flavor was sweeter and grainier than the nose, with a light hop bitterness and citrus notes, as well as bread/yeast and grass in the mix.

Mouthfeel was very light a crisp, with a light body, a light, thin and almost watery feel and a refreshing overall experience. This beer is highly drinkable, tasty and a fine session beer that is on par for this style with much better than average flavor. Definitely worth a try, especially if you like this light and easy drinking style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 04:16:13 | More by CHickman

JizackFH

New York

3.53/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - This beer pours a nice clear golden straw color. It has a soft 2-finger white head on it. The head has good retention, and it leaves behind a nice sheet of lace.

S - It smells of light grainy malt and some sweetness. There is also some fruit smells, as well as some yeastiness. I am getting some mild hop presence as well. Pretty nice nose.

T - The taste starts off with a hefty dose of bready malts. There is a a big grassy flavor here as well. I am also getting a mild hop flavor, as well as a toasted flavor that comes in at the end. The finish has a lingering earthiness and hop flavor.

M - This has a medium body and average carbonation. It goes down easy and has a smooth easy feel to it. There is a little sweetness as well as an earthy bitterness. I found it to be pretty refreshing.

O - This has pretty good drinkability. It goes down easy, and is a nice refreshing beer for a hot summer day. Overall, I thought this was a nice beer. While not one of my favorite styles, I thought this one stood out a little more to me than others I have had in the past. I recommend giving it a shot.

Serving type: growler

09-16-2011 10:23:40 | More by JizackFH

cavedave

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear dark straw color, topped by a finger of white foam. Some lacicles cling to the pint glass.

Nice light grainy nose, barley and what I thinks is wheat, even a tart rye aroma that could be from the yeast, even some very light floral and citrus.

Nice light taste with hints of floral hoppiness and gentle bready flavor leading a subtle array of tangy sweet, lightly lemony notes, and even lighter floral and spicy hop. The light bread of this holds through the sip, and allows a refreshing finish of gentle dry.

Low carb., easy on palate, refreshing, interesting, and finish that leaves the mouth in a state of enjoyment and readiness. Not an expert on this style, but this seems everything a Kolsch is reported to exhibit when it excels.

A marvelous beer, highly recommended, I guess those who like this style in southeast/southwest/northwest parts of country will need to trade for a growler.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2011 22:11:45 | More by cavedave

hmk22

New York

4.05/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was in line at the CL brewery buying a growler of their Pale Ale and wondered out loud what my second growler should be... a guy there for free samples recommended the Kolsch. It's not usually my style but I had a sample myself and was pleasantly surprised. It's a bit sweet to start but somehow finishes dry and refrshing -- a neat trick that I have no idea how the brewmaster accomplishes, but it works. I do still prefer CL's hoppier recipes but this is a great summer beer and as one of those that makes you think "This must be what real beer used to taste like."

Serving type: growler

05-23-2011 00:13:48 | More by hmk22

UDbeernut

New York

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on tap at a local pub, poured into a cheater pint.

A: nice straw yellow, slick 1/2" head with decent retention, reduces to a cap

S: neutral scent, slightly sweet, mild floral

T: nice biscuity and grain sweetness well balanced with flowery hops

M&d: as expected, ligh mouth. Excelllent drinkability. Kolschs are the shit and this is an excellent example.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 22:49:08 | More by UDbeernut

Ralphs66

New York

4.38/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first try of the style...so can't make a comparison, but I truly enjoyed this beer. I had it on a cold, rainy, what should have been spring day, and it made me think of sand, sun and summer. Poured beautifully, with a nice thick foamy white head. Clean smelling coming across like "beer"; kinda pure. Taste was sweet and crisp....and very, very drinkable. At 5.5%, the presence of alcohol was almost non existent and after two 10 oz glasses, I felt like I could drink a whole bunch more. I didn't however....I saved it for after dinner...I'll be revisiting this plenty over the coming months.

Serving type: growler

04-11-2011 16:51:36 | More by Ralphs66

SkunkWorks

New York

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

Had on tap at Bar Great Harry in Brooklyn, New York and served in a pint glass. I wanted something light while we killed some time before heading over to Beer for Beasts, so this seemed like a good choice. I've only had one other Kolsch (Gaffel Kolsch), really enjoyed it, and am looking forward to comparing.

Look: bright yet slightly hazy pale golden color. Thin, white head that doesn't stick around for very long and doesn't leave much in the way of lacing.

Smell: balanced with some pale malt, a bit of grassy hops, bread, and fruitiness.

Taste: bread, pale malt, honey, a bit of lemon, floral and spicy hops. A little less flavorful than the other Kolsch I've had, but its still quite good.

Feel: medium-thin, crisp carbonation, pleasantly drinkable. This could make for an exceptional lawnmower beer.

Overall: I'm really digging Kolsch and I'm going to have to keep making an effort to find it. I'm definitely going to be brewing a Kolsch for this summer. I am starting to think that Kolsch doesn't get the respect it deserves from beer geeks. Captain Lawrence always does a good job brewing and this is no exception. Certainly worth a try. Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-27-2011 13:56:46 | More by SkunkWorks