Birra DeCicco - Limone Luppolo - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

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

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

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

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

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

Billolick

New York

4.43/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Freshie growler fill from DeCicco's/Ardsley, NY.
They also have bottles available.

Pours on the clear side, moderate off white head, leaves thicker and higher lacing, and low sheeting.

Spice, hops, dank tropical fruit in the nose.

Hoppy, crisp and refreshing, lots of lemony/citric goodness. Plenty of lemon/lime, some ginger and mint, grapefruit, super juicy and tropical fruit spiked hops. Full throttle summer beer. Bring on the BBQ and spiced food for this one.

Gonna keep getting growlers filled of this one till its all gone, then give the bottles a try.
Well done Captain.

Serving type: growler

06-29-2011 01:35:33 | More by Billolick

mdfb79

New York

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received this in the Birthday BIF from jyounger30; thanks Jay! This has been a Want of mine since it came out. 750ml bottle into my Duvel Green tulip.

a - Pours a hazy, straw yellow color with two and a half fingers of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for several minutes and leaves an inch of head throughout drinking it. Spotty lacing left on the glass.

s - Smells of citrus hops, oranges, wheat, grains, light funk, floral hops, earthy notes, grass, and spices. Really awesome nose; lightly sour and funky and some very nice citrus. Love it.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, floral hops, spices, pepper, earthy notes, grass, fruit, wheat, grains, and bready malts. Very nice again, but more spice then the nose, and not as sour or funky. A small step down. As it warms up, more oranges and lemon, and gets better.

m - Light to medium body and moderate carbonation. Very easy to drink.

o - Overall I thought this was an awesome pale wheat ale. Though they are different, this is up there with Gumballhead as my favorite in the style, and I like this one a little more. I think the nose is just awesome, with a lot of citrus mixing with funk and sourness. Very easy to drink beer that I'd love to get again sometime...really hoping they brew this one again.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 01:20:38 | More by mdfb79

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

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

nickfl

Florida

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

A - Pours with one finger of white foam on top of a hazy, golden body. The foam is supported by vigorous carbonation rising to the surface and takes quite a while to settle.

S - Zesty citrus aromas with some earthy lemongrass and soft, bready malt in the background.

T - Spicy wheat notes up front with some sweet lime flavor. Pepper, basil, and lemongrass in the middle and some fruity notes of pear and tart wheat come out at the finish with more pungent citrus.

M - Medium-thick body, high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - I don't quite know how to categorize this beer, but is definitely interesting. There is a lot of citrus and spice character as well as a perfect balance between thick, bready malt and tart wheat and fruit. Oddly satisfying and actually quite good; it kind of reminds me of a sour beer despite its apparent lack of any wild yeast or other bugs.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2011 23:55:12 | More by nickfl

FosterJM

California

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

1158th Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
750ml

Thanks to Cpabeer & StormKing47 for this one

App- A very clear yellow with a multitude of bubbles come floating up from the bottom. A 1-1/2 finger head that was pure white but more like a puck of foam. Nice sliding foam of head.

Smell- A weird mix in this one. Its very lemony with a good bit of damp grass with a unique yeasty note wofting up.

Taste- Its really starting to grow on me. Has a good flavor profile with a very similar flavor to Ithaca White Gold. Spicy, Yeasty, Lemon, Grass and Earthy. Not overly done but clean and simple

Mouth- A medium body with a high carbonation level. Very bubbly with a lemon, yeast and peppery residual flavor.

Drink- Took a while to get into this one but it finished quite well. Lemony, yeasty, wheat and clean. Enjoyed it a lot.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 03:24:44 | More by FosterJM

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

mcallister

Ohio

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

The appearance makes it apparent how this beer got its name. Pours deep hazy yellow in color with a white crisp head that fades quickly into a nice topper.

Citrusy in the nose. Lemon is up front with orange peel, grapefruit, and some light tropical notes of pineapple and papaya. White pepper and some yeast esters also.

Good beer. Distrust and full of lemon flavors. Moderately hopped with a distinct soft rounded creamy malt in the middle. Again grapefruit, orange zest, papaya, pineapple, and other fruit flavors. Nice spicy finish pepper, and more. Very nice.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 17:50:04 | More by mcallister

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

aerozeppl

New York

3.98/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Very hazy light golden color. A finger of white billowy white head. Quite a bit of lacing. Nice looking beer.

S:The nose screams Captain Lawrence yeast. Like Golden Delicious lite. Just a nice hoppy beer. The wheat comes across nicely as well.

T: You get quite a bit of lemon out of the beer. It is hoppy but a little bit astringent. It is a hard thing to nail down. Well balanced though. Xtra gold light with hops.

M: Lighter side of the body. Carbonation is nice and has some distinct bubbles. Soft mouthfeel.

D: I liked it. Really nice summer beer overall. Nothing crazy but super easy drinking and full of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 22:50:26 | More by aerozeppl

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

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

koopa

New Jersey

4.33/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler purchased at DeCicco's in Ardsley.

Appearance: Pours a very transparent straw yellow with a 1 finger white crown that shows some retention and lace.

Smell: The lemon peels make the first impression, followed by a light wheat tartness, then some citrusy (lemon and grapefruit) hop notes and a hint of pine round it out. Pretty interesting mixture of Italian lemon peels, citra hops, and sorachi ace hops.

Taste: Like a kristal weizen with a slight piney resinous bittering hop used and a few lemon drops added. Definitely not as lemon driven as the nose. Just a little pith in the finish. I'd give it a 4.3 if I could so I'm rounding up a bit.

Mouthfeel: Thin bodied and noticeably undercarbonated.

Overall: An interesting and highly drinkable beer. I think the concept was better than the execution. I personally would have increased the carbonation and used a different bittering hop...one that didn't take away from the citrus as much. Let the DeCicco's product that is featured shine next time. This one falls short in that sense IMHO.

Once you allow yourself to forget about the lemon and you GULP this brew down, it drinks like a very nice herbal bittered pale wheat ale. Super drinkable and enjoyable....

Serving type: growler

07-10-2011 22:21:41 | More by koopa

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

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

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

scootny

New York

4.22/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A hazed gold with a prodigious head. Decent though not overwhelming lace, covering remains throughout the glass. Smell has lots of citrus and pine with faint notes of grass. Taste is like a wheat IPA with a lemon zest squeeze. Notes of wheat malt in the core try to reign in the rampant and deliciously assertive hops. Dry grapefruit finish with lemony pine oil on my palate. Feel is crisp and medium light with gently creamy carbonation. A great summer beer but an equally satisfying winter football beer. Nice

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2012 09:26:11 | More by scootny

cavedave

New York

4.45/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer was made at Capt. Lawrence with the help of a great and overly shy homebrewer BA who shall remain nameless.

Pours a beautiful, clear, straw/gold, with ample white head that lasts, plentiful lace.

A bit of grain, neutral sweet, and yeasty tart back up a bright citrus hop aroma, fronted by alluringly lavish lemon.

Bright in the mouth with a starkly tasty blast of grainy sweet and lemon. It has other hop flavors going on, some orange, grapefruit, a bit of grass, light floral, but the lemon from the rind additions and Sorachi Ace are the star performers and make an exceptionally delicious beer.

Very viscous, coats the mouth with hop and citrus oils, low carb., super finish, this baby rocks the mouthfeel.

Bettah get you some of this heeaahh now! Once word of this gets out, Limone Lupulo ain't lastin' long on shelf, if you catch my drift.

Serving type: growler

06-27-2011 14:52:58 | More by cavedave

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