Birra DeCicco - Limone Luppolo - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

MarkIntihar

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle. Gracious extra from Mike (AgentZero)!

A - Pours a cloudy yellow orange, with the emphasis more on the yellow. About a finger's worth of head. Looks more like a wheat beer than a pale, but I guess that makes some sense.

S - Smell is citrus dominant, with heavy lemon and orange being the most discernible. Some spice in the nose as well, almost giving a heat-like quality to it, which I'm clearly having trouble describing. Almost a saison-like funk to it as well, which is somewhat odd, but seems to work.

T - Taste is much more hop forward, with a nice barrage of hops hitting the taste buds immediately. Followed and complimented nicely by the citrus that was present in the nose. Fades back to bitter hops at the end. Not getting the funk or the spice that was picked up in the nose, which is actually kind of disappointing. Also can definitely pick up the wheat base in this one.

M - Carbonation is well done, but this one has quite a bite to it, not hiding the alcohol very well. It almost stings the tongue on the way down.

O - Overall a solid offering, but nothing mind blowing. Very grateful to review my first Captain Lawrence beer though! Thanks again Mike!

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 02:58:47 | More by MarkIntihar

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a pale golden straw color with a very impressive head; nice retention and spots of lace

Smell: Smells like Lemon Pledge; I cannot decide whether that is a bad thing entirely, but it is not an enticing aroma to me

Taste: Bready, up front, with a strong dose of pithy, bitter lemon arriving by mid-palate; very harsh, after the swallow

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate to high carbonation

Overall: I decided to score this more highly as I respect what the brewery was going after even though I didn't find it particularly palatable; I'll cast my ballot with Gumballhead for the style

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 00:17:06 | More by brentk56

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle shared by Matt.

Hazy golden straw body with a wispy white head. Aroma is hoppy and lemony, straw, grain, wheat and grass. Flavor is more like a wheaty IPA with lemon than a hoppy wheat. Lemon and grass bitterness persists through the finish. Refreshing and light, but not quite as unique as I hoped for from reading other reviews.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2011 00:18:29 | More by yourefragile

alpinebryant

Connecticut

4.28/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice white head with spiderweb lacing. Clear bright yellow body. "East Coast Ales" on the side of the label, trying to figure out if this is some of the East vs West coast jibe some people talk about.

Aroma is lemongrass, sorachi ace hops (6 oz in my fridge) wheat and a pungent lemon.

Taste is great for a Pale American Wheat Ale. I am a huge fan of gumballhead, but if I had the two of these in six packs next to each other, I would choose Limone Luppolo in a second. Too bad it is not in six packs... hopefully in due time though at the new CL location with a full bottling line. In any case, medium mouthfeel for the style and high carbonation with a little carb tongue sting at the end.

Overall a great APWA. This is easily in contention for my favorite American Pale Wheat Ale, with lil Sumpin Sumpin riding on its side.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:15:51 | More by alpinebryant

Nascartailgatefa

New York

2.53/5  rDev -38%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Sampled at the International Great Beer Expo, Rock Hill, NY.

Wow, I definitely have different tastes than many other reviewers of this beer.

I found both the aroma and the taste of this beer to be overpoweringly lemon. A very strong (and for me unpleasant) aftertaste. Not sure if I had a bad sample or this beer is just not my cup of tea at all. I might have to give it another shot and update my review if it was a bad sample.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2011 19:39:43 | More by Nascartailgatefa

drewd0g

New York

4.72/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The newest addition to the Birra DeCicco series. This beer is awesome, a hoppy wheat ale brewed with Italian Lemons. The taste is clean and crisp, unlike most wheat based beers. The hops are very flavorful. The aroma is Italian Lemons and Sorachi Ace Hops. Taste is refreshing and delicious. The perfect summer beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2011 02:08:01 | More by drewd0g

merc7186

New York

3.55/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Deciccos in Brewster NY, poured into a 14oz glass.

A: Clear Golden Straw Hue, Passes Most Light, Thin White Head, Some Lacing

S: Citrusy, Wheat

T: Citrus, Wheat

M: Mediocre Carbonation, Medium Bodied, Mildly Bitter, Mildly Drying

Overall, a little thin on the carbonation and think it downplayed the taste somewhat.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2012 00:37:53 | More by merc7186

plaid75

New York

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On draft at The Lark, East Northport, NY.

Poured a hazy brass hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a wave of fruity esters (grape bubble gum) and s grassy hop.

The taste consisted a spicy and earthy lemon, with a grassy hop spice and zesty wheat malt.

The mouthfeel was typical of the style with a residual spice.

Overall an interesting and very tasty ale.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2012 19:27:13 | More by plaid75

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from growler purchased at DeCicco's Brewster into a pint glass. Pours a golden clear with thick head. Great cotton candy hop aroma with slight citrus notes. Really nice wheaty hop flavor; slight lemon flavor but it is there. The hoppy wheat flavor is really great, mild, and flavorful. Overall, a great session brew with a lot of flavor.

Serving type: growler

08-28-2012 01:30:13 | More by DrinkSlurm

metter98

New York

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Mugs Alehouse, Brooklyn, NY

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color. It poured with a thin white head that died down and left just a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass.
S: There are aromas of citrus in the nose—lemons seem to stand out the most.
T: Like the smell, the taste has citrusy flavors of hops. The lemons aren’t quite as prominent as they are in the smell, but seem to stand out in front of orange and other citrusy flavors. No wheat flavors are noticeable. There is a moderate amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is extremely flavorful for the style and is also very drinkable. It almost takes like a well-hopped citrusy IPA but without much of the bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

08-20-2012 00:17:16 | More by metter98

Momar42

Maryland

4.48/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Paradiso in DC

A - hazy deep yellow with nice head inthe 12oz pour.

S - lemons, citrus, and hops. Amazing smelling beer especially hit this category.

T - less pronounced in the taste but immensely drinkable. Wheat body carries along the hops and refreshing characteristics. Tasty.

M - light crisp and refreshing. Perfect

O - just an exceptional wheat ale. If I could find this it would be my summer beer of choice I think. I prefer this to Gumballhead.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2012 21:31:13 | More by Momar42

brystmar

New York

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Growler shared by Mac, thanks!

Straw-colored body & decent white head. Fresh hop aroma billows from my pint glass, imparting a cloud of juicy fruits and floral scents around the table.

As is typical of me with Single IPAs, I love the aroma more than the taste. There's definitely some wheat-infused sweetness here, though the overall flavor profile is merely decent to my taste buds. Not overly hoppy, though, and that's a good thing. Clean and refreshing; should pair well with a hot day spent outdoors.

Serving type: growler

08-01-2012 16:22:34 | More by brystmar

mltobin

Connecticut

3.58/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Digging out some notes from a visit to DeCicco`s last year.

Appearance is yellow with a one finger, fizzy head. Its` nose is a mix of lemons, flora and wheat. The taste contains more lemon, crackers, some clove. Mouthfeel is low key, just a bit dry in the finish. This is a good summertime beer, perfect for enjoying while sitting next to the pool or beach.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2012 19:46:52 | More by mltobin

beenitty

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours dark yellow, nice head and exploding carbonation makes this one look very nice

S: Hops, Lemon Rind, Tropical Fruits

T: Spice, Lemons

M: Creamy Slight Bitterness, Feels like IPA

D: Super High, Light and Tasty.

Downed 1/2 growler w/o missing a beat.

Lemon taste isnt an all night type of beer, as Im thinking this, I'm pouring another pint.

At first felt like too much lemon, but this one opened up nicely. This one is borderline hype. One of the best CL offerings I've had.

Serving type: growler

08-23-2011 22:43:40 | More by beenitty

Retail1LO

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Got a growler of this for my first ever BA trade. So glad I had the opportunity to try this. This is a very refreshing, light beer. Lots of citrus notes, a good hop profile, and a smooth finish. This is a perfect summer type beer. I wish it was more readily available. Looking forward to trying more of Captain Lawrence's offerings in the future.

Serving type: growler

08-05-2011 01:40:42 | More by Retail1LO

Sean9689

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler thanks to cosmo4u. Split with the crew and poured into Bruery tulip.

A - Pours a clear golden yellow, whisps on top, thin collar, white head.

S - Lots of citrus up front, some straw/hay, and then follwed with some bitter hoppy notes. The combo of citrus/wheat/hops is enjoyable and really unique.

T - Big citrus, nice amount of bitter hops, some off-putting metallic character. Kinda has a Pine-Sol/kitchen cleaner taste to it on the finish, which I don't much care for. The finish doesn't ruin the taste, but it would be a lot better without it.

M - Body is light, good carbonation, oily citrus finish.

O - A solid pale wheat but Gumballhead is miles and miles better then this one. They are different, but still, if I want a pale wheat (or something similar), I'll go local. Decent but not outstanding.

Serving type: growler

08-01-2011 14:33:41 | More by Sean9689

MasterSki

Illinois

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

Thanks to Sean for sharing this one a random Friday night. Served in a Bell's tulip.

A - A half-finger of white foam settles to a thin cap and thicker collar, leaving behind spotty lace. Hazy, pale golden straw body.

S - Grain, sweet caramel malts, and the trademark Sorachi Ace lemony hop character. There's a slightly cloying note that I can't totally identify in the aroma - sort of Pledge-esque.

T - Taste is a nice blend of citrus hops, sweet sugar malt, and lightly toasted grains. I actually think this tastes better than it smells, which is unusual.

M - Medium-light body, pleasant moderate carbonation, and a particularly smooth texture for a wheat ale.

D - A solid hoppy wheat ale, but with a slightly off-putting saccharine quality to the aroma. I'm slightly disappointed by this one, as I generally love Sorachi Ace. Still, quite easy to quaff, with no trace of the 6% to be found.

Serving type: growler

07-30-2011 19:53:50 | More by MasterSki

dfclav

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to cavedave for this in our awesome growler trade!

A - pours a fairly straw yellow color, a touch more rich - with a nice two finger head that hangs around thanks to the active carbonation.

S - they sure picked a good name for this beer because lemon overpowers all. Don't get me wrong, there's still some tropical esters and a fairly weak grassy-like yeast smell underneath it all, but the lemon dominates.

T - the lighter malt bill used here combined with an ass kicking hop like sorachi ace makes this one hoppy beer. It's very tasty though. Lemon again sits strongly but gives way to lesser tropical flavors in the end.  Thankfully not very sweet, as that would have wrecked this beer in my opinion.

M - fairly light bodied, but the hop resins hang around forever. The complexity of this beer is hurt by the malt bill, because the flavors dissipate rather quickly and the hop resins take over. I like it, but it is admittedly boundary pushing for the style.

O - this is a very good beer. Although not as popular as a lot of styles, CL has done something good in making this beer with these particular hops, and should make it more often. In the end, it's a keeper. Nameless homebrewer, you've done very well!

Serving type: growler

07-27-2011 12:29:50 | More by dfclav

jrbuch

New York

3.88/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pour quickly into a Lost Abbey tulip to give a 1 inch head. Copper, burnt orange color. The head disappeared quickly into a thin ring.

S: Lots of citrus, lemon, and cut grass. A musky dry hop like smell. Very pungent, but great.

T: Upfront hoppy with a fairly sweet malt backbone from the wheat. More citrus in the taste and sweet fruit. Seemed a little bitter for the style. Has the CL house flavor.(?)

A great beer, but I would want even more pop from the citra and sorachi.

Serving type: growler

07-24-2011 14:28:14 | More by jrbuch

Supes

Arizona

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to cosmo4u for the growler hookup!

Appearance- Golden with a slight amber hue. 2 finger head the slowly goes down and leaves a ring all the way down.

Smell- Nice floral hops with a good amount of citus to it

Taste/Mouthfeel- Grassy hoppy start with lemon zest that lingers till the end. As it warms I get alot more tropical fruit notes. With that perfect creamy wheat finish.

Overall- Love this beer. Its a perfect meld of hops and the malt to make a really wonderful beer. This would for sure be a staple in the house if I didnt have to trade across country to get it. I cant thank cosmo4u enough for introducing such a great brew to me.

Serving type: growler

07-21-2011 00:11:10 | More by Supes

drabmuh

Maryland

4.53/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

At the time of this review, this is the #4 American Pale Wheat Ale on the beeradvocate best of lists. And deservedly so. Served in a pint glass.

Beer is amber and hazy with a thin white head of small bubbles, nicely carbonated, some lacing, looks good.

Aroma is awesome, fruit, lemon, grass, strong, hoppy throughout.

Beer is thin to medium in body and has a lot of hops going on in there. The sorachi come out first with that sort of spicy lemon grass, the finish is moderately bitter. I really thought this beer could have finished a little less dry and more bitter, it would have improved it in my opinion but overall a great little beer. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2011 11:57:34 | More by drabmuh

smakawhat

Maryland

4.58/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured on tap at Pizza Paradiso Dupont DC into a tumbler.

Cloudy slightly in body with a very simple gray lemon hue. Real nice soft white head kind of creamy giving to some light foam texture. While drinking we have some random scattered lacing. Looks good.

Bouquet is a nice wheat grain, with an incredible soft and fresh hop body. It seems like that soft grain makes the hop come out fresh like true fresh hop beer!, and it's big on tropical fruit. It is flat out fantastic.

Taste brings a solid hop profile, and what a wonderful one it is. Dense, giving to tropical notes I felt of mango and melon. Citrus zest in the mouthfeel with spritzy lemon, giving to almost brut crisp feel, but with a good wheat density.

Overall WOW. What a great marriage, this wonderful play of wheat density and chew, with a tropical hop body, crisp sharp feel and palate, so much going on, so distinct. This is fantastic beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2011 00:25:45 | More by smakawhat

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

On tap at Pizzeria Paradiso - Dupont. Served in a skinny pint glass.

Pours a slightly-hazed very light golden color with a good-sized white head and some nice spotty lacing as it goes down. The nose carries the distinct markings of Amarillo hops with some really nice floral and citrus notes. The flavor takes it up a notch with a touch of wheat and accompanying feel plus a major hop presence. Light body with crisp carbonation and an absolutely-gorgeous lingering bitterness on the palate that I can still feel 5-plus minutes after my last sip. Simply astounding. In my opinion, this beer has just taken the torch from Gumballhead. Bravo, Captain Lawrence.

EDIT: Apparently this is brewed with Citra, Sorachi Ace, and lemon peel. Well, that combination tastes a hell of a lot like Amarillo to me. Either way, very good stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2011 21:10:46 | More by Thorpe429

dragonWhale

New York

4.6/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A little something fantastic from Scott..A pale yellow pour with a white head that shirks away from my mouth. Big citrus, lemons and oranges, with a little wheat coming through too. The aroma is fantastic. Crisp and bitter, strong citrus again. The lemon is delicious, the beer well balanced and excellent. I'll put this beer up there with Gumballhead any day. Great stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 05:23:11 | More by dragonWhale

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to brees6221 for gifting me with this 32oz growler. You are entirely too generous Ben, thanks again. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears a polished clear color of golden copper. A finger of white head forms across the top. The retention of this brew is pretty fantastic, it lasts throughout the entire duration. As the cap slowly fades and sips are taken, a webbing of lace sticks in frothy patches along the glass.

The smell of this brew is bright and lively with hints of lemon and lime that are quite dominating before I even take my nose close to the glass. This brew is quite juicy with hops, I am unfamiliar with this brew's background but I am guessing sorachi ace. I can't imagine what other hop would create this type of lemony fruit aroma without actually adding lemon or lime zest. As the brew comes up to temperature, it picks up a light stinky cheese note, lightly catty and even dank. I cant help but think of how similar this brew smells to Hill Farmstead's Ephraim only much more mellow.

The taste is an intriguing mixture of the previously mentioned lemon rinds and contributing bitterness of such. Whereas the aroma was mostly lemony, the flavor is more in-line with grapefruit pulp. Through the body is a faint wheat grain taste that doesn't last long before going back to the bold hop flavoring. What grain flavoring that is evident is mildly toasty and provides a very faint sweetness. There is no joking here, the hops are the star of this brew. The hops across the back get mildly catty, dank, herbal and just like the aroma led on, somewhat cheesy. The aftertaste is mildly grassy with a persistent moderate bitterness.

This is a medium to light bodied brew, leaning a bit more towards the lighter side. There was a modest amount of carbonation initially that I unintentionally swirled out of solution as I was taking in the aroma. At times this brew gets a bit watery, maybe in part my own fault. Regardless, this brew was pretty much poundable. Without a doubt one of the easier drinking american pale wheat ales I have had with an absurd amount of depth to it's hop characteristics and incorporation. The 6% alcohol level is pretty much perfect in this brew, it provides a mild amount of warmth down the back of the throat as you enter the second half of the glass.

Serving type: growler

07-13-2011 20:34:55 | More by stakem