Hops N' Roses - Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

portia99

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

375ml bottle received in trade with Hoppymcgee. Big thanks for this one Greg! Poured into a Russian River stemmed glass.

A - Pours as a hazy pink hued ruby red grapefruit juice bodied beer with two fingers of dense pillowy foam tinted pink and showing good staying power. Foamy lace is left on virtually the entire surface of the glass as the head slowly falls to the surface. Good looking wild ale.

S - From a long distance away, the funky and barnyardy brett hits the nose immediately. Alongside the funk is the distinctly noticeable floral content of the beer...rose petals especially. Quite perfumey which is interesting and a bit odd as an offset to the barnyard...although somehow it really works well. As the glass sits a bit, the floral overpowers the funk and gives a welcoming soft aroma.

T - Would have never guessed the level of sourness from the aroma. Quite tart on first sip which gives way to a strong earthy component, some mild medicinal bitterness, and lots of herbal and floral character. After the initial few sips, the level of sourness seems to be less intense and blends a lot more evenly with the other flavors in the beer.

M - Lighter body buoyed a bit by the firm and foamy carbonation of the beer. Combination of tart, earthy and heavily floral flavors fill the mouth with a complexity of flavor.

O - Overall an interesting wild ale. Not super tart, especially after the first couple of sips, lots of earth and a plethora of floral character. A bit different than most other wilds out there, but in an enjoyable way. Probably a good call with the 375ml bottle, as I'm not sure I can put down a lot of this...375 seems about right. Another interesting offering from CL...they just keep the wilds coming - more hits than misses on their stuff.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 23:40:50 | More by portia99

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.36/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.25

375 mL bottle poured into a snifter. Bottled 5/12.

Appearance - Amber body with a nice white head. Nice consistent foam on the surface. Lasts forever.

Smell - Wow that's unique. Extremely floral. Definitely hoppy. Fruity acidity to it as well. Complex and nice.

Taste - Far less interesting. Hoppy up front. Not really that sour. Sweet malts are prevalent and stronger than the sourness. Floral flavors are strong and a little odd. No bitterness.

Mouthfeel - Surprisingly heavy. Medium low carbonation. Needs to be drier.

Overall - The smell is really fascinating and the taste just isn't. Captain Lawrence continues to be mediocre for me. It is a clean tasting sour though.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 01:09:59 | More by Alieniloquium

SpdKilz

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A huge thanks to my buddy Dan (Dslim71) for this beer. Cheers friend!

Appearance – Pours into a CL pint glass (yes I know I should have used something else but I had to match the beer  ) with a gorgeous red/deep orange hue and about a half finger of white head that dissipates quickly leaving slight lacing.

Smell – Lots of floral notes (derrr), hay, must, barnyard funk, perfume, hops, and honestly rose petals. Ton’s going on here. An utterly amazing aroma.

Taste – A slight tartness up front, with a decent amount of yeast. As with the nose, you can really taste “flowers” if you will. I may be off but the flavor is reminiscent of the aroma of lilac bushes. A nice sweetness comes through midway, but not in a sweet malty way which I often disagree with. It is more of a candy sweetness that melds quite well with the heavy floral flavors. Finishes with a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel – Medium to lighter bodied, crisp carbonation, finishes quite dry.

Overall – A very interesting beer. Very glad I was able to try it. I’d love to sit on one and see how it becomes, but wanted to drink this fresh. I am happy I did! Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 01:12:39 | More by SpdKilz

russwbeck

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -12%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks SpeedwayJim for the trade at the Voodoo Barrel Room Collection release.

A: Pours out of the bottle with an aggressive carbonation, which yields an off white or light pink head about two or three inches in height. Bubbles race up through the orange-pink liquid at an impressive rate and make this quite the attractive brew. 5

S: The aroma is yeasty, with notes of hibiscus, hay, slight oak, and is floral. The aroma is particularly tart, but there are some hints of it. There's a slight fruitiness in there as well. Intricate and interesting, the aroma also is quite inviting. 4

T: The tartness fills the middle of the taste, but the yeasty hay taste is dominant. Fruits and hibiscus fill the backend, which leaves a dry and tart finish. The taste isn't as full as I wanted it to be, but it is balanced and tasty. I think more tartness would have done this beer a lot of favors. 3

MF: The body is light with a huge twinge of carbonation on every sip. Very drinkable, the beer is receding in my glass much quicker than I want it to! 4

O: This was a really nice beer, but not one that blows the style away in the taste category. Definitely made a good trade for this, although I don't think I'd search it out again. 4

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 19:03:15 | More by russwbeck

TheBrewo

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

We pour a pink, rosy colored brew. It puts up a one finger head of the lightest pink bubbles. This shows okay retention, but recedes into aggregates of fat white bubbles all around the glass. These are easily bolstered by a simple swirl. Lacing is spotty and creamy. There is a thick haze throughout, but no sediment is noted. Carbonation appears medium. The aroma is tart and juicy, with bright citric hops and massive loads of Brett goodness. The mix of the flowers imparts a breezy tropical air that helps to cut the vinegar-level tartness. Oak is faint, yet sticky, and comes on the back with some medicinals, toasty pale malts, and light booze, all arriving with warmth. Our first impression is that you can really taste the flowery inclusions much more than you can smell them. As we sip, tart Brett mixes with airy malts. The blend is nice but puckers the mouth severely. This bite is added to by lemon and tangerine juiciness and earthen hops. The peak hits with light medicinals and some of that woodiness from the barreling. The sourness of the yeast continues, weaving in and out of the pale and slightly sweeter and bready grain profile, which is most apparent at this point in the swallow. The finish shows more sourness and more hoppiness. The flowery profile starts to work in much more heavily towards the end, with herbal and earthy qualities again, mixing nicely with the finishing bite. The aftertaste breathes of raw roses and plant vine, citric hops, big Brett sourness, chalky malt sourness, and light fusel booze. The body is medium but a bit syrupy, and the carbonation is medium. There is beautiful slurp and smack to each sip, with a soft frothy cream building as you swirl it around your mouth. The mouth is wet and satiated, with only slight astringency after a little while. The abv is appropriate, and the beer has great drinkability.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was how light and drinkable it remained, despite the big flavoring. The Brett was huge, but still somehow worked very nicely with both the hop flavoring and the interesting mix of aromatics. We were expecting much more of a flowery pop to the nose, so we were surprised to find that they were much more apparent towards the very end and aftertaste of the sip. It seems though that that is where they belong, as the flowery goodness adds a unique dimension to a big, sour beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 22:09:35 | More by TheBrewo

alpinebryant

Connecticut

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a pinkish hue pretty clear in color with a very white sticky head that left heavy lacing.

S: Aroma of floral funk. Rose hips , hibiscus and other flowers, but clearly the rose hips as I had a beer a week ago that also had that familiar rose hip flavor. Funky brett along with a light wheat presence.

T: The rose hips clearly stand out and are rather pronounced here. Perfumey and floral just as one would expect a beer with flower parts in it. The funk is light but mostly bretty in nature with a bit of funk. Behind the brett and tiny bit of funk flavor, this is overwhelmingly light and non complex. It is relatively refreshing, and a nice treat, but not the most sour of Captain Lawrence's American Wild Ales.

M: Heavy carbonation with a very light mouthfeel. This could be the weak point although it is slightly refreshing it is somewhat of a letdown with the complexity.

O: I enjoyed this as a refreshing American Wild Ale. I typically prefer a little more sourness in my beers and the sourness to prevail over a flavor addition from a spice or flower. In any case, it is pretty good and worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2012 00:22:57 | More by alpinebryant

brystmar

New York

3.55/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks Josh! Bottled 5/12.

Pinkish-red body pours thin, watery, and active. Fizzy bubbles retain a pink hue. Lace forms with an almost grainy consistency.

Oak and hibiscus aromas right off the bat. Flowery bouquet receives support from soured fruits & funky yeast. The full aroma package reminds me of an Oude Bruin with some flowers thrown in to liven things up. I quite enjoy smelling this brew, despite how British that phrase makes me sound.

First taste is floral and yeasty. Subsequent sips taste like munching on a floral arrangement. Hibiscus & rose hips are out in force as the funky, farmhouse-esque yeast charges forward alongside. Finishes with oak and bitter yeast remnants in the back of my throat. Can't say I like this; also can't say I hate it. But where are the hops?!

The minimal fruitiness came as a surprise to me; this flavor profile is much different than I expected. Has more similarities to a saison than a sour, and it helped me realize I'm not a big fan of hibiscus/rose hips/elderflowers -- particularly when they're this strong. Could use more body too (feels watery). A polarizing flavor profile, for sure.

Man, that was interesting. Can see how others would love this (some in our group did), but the abundantly floral taste doesn't suit me. I'll stick to Mother Barrel.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 17:35:03 | More by brystmar

chugalug06

Colorado

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Very unique foggy pinkish red color of the brew. Head poured one-finger, and bubby white. No lacing

Tons of flowery roses followed by tons of flowery hops! Brett is in abundance, yum! Light vanilla too.

Very light and refreshing for a hot 100 degree day. Perfect light carbonation, no bitterness or heat. Flavor is a bit non complex and rather underwhelming, but still nice. Flowery and bretty, barrel is noticeable too, just not overwhelming.

I would like more tartness from H&R, but it's very good. Highly recommended, it went down FAST!!

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 00:19:59 | More by chugalug06

Dreadnaught33

District of Columbia

4.39/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle shared thanks to Andrew MacWilliams, a huge rate beer contributor.

Pours a nice rosy red with gold mixed in. Not much head, but a nice fizzy ring remains.

Th smell is very complex with the flower additives, really reminds me of walking into a greenhouse in many ways. Some honey and a touch of funkiness, a nice amount of slight fruitiness in a berry variety. Nce oak too.

The flavor also explodes with the flavors of flowers, honey, strawberry, straw, and slight funk and yeast. Oak in there as well as an overtone to all th other flavors, it is very tasty but I can't imagine drinking a whole lot of this beer.

The feel is good, almost feels like an artisan soda in th way it drinks with good carbonation and a slick, easy to drink body. Overall a very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 01:22:28 | More by Dreadnaught33

yamar68

Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a wine glass, split with my older brother. Big thanks to cavedave for gifting this one! Bottled 5/12:

Pours like a glass of fresh grapefruit juice - ruby red to pink, with a finger of fizzy whiteness that actually retains pretty well before forming a neat collar around the glass that laces nicely.

The nose is stuffed with floral acidity - tart lemon peel, smooth citrus character, sweet cherry or raspberry, smells gorgeous. The floral qualities really open up as the beer warms.

Refreshingly tart, like lime or grapefruit. Lavender and hibiscus play an obvious role. Slight sourness, and a pleasantly dry finish. Very smooth.

What a unique beer this is. Very thankful to have had the chance to taste this one. Thanks Dave!

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 23:54:43 | More by yamar68

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.58/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to merc7186 for grabbing this bottle for me...

A: Pours a pinkish-red, watered down cranberry juice like color. There is one full finger of light pink head that fades quickly after the pour. No lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is brett, rose hips, lemon citrus, funk, and sour. Damn this beer smells good. It's exactly what I like in funky beers.

T: It starts out sweet and floral, but it the citrus and sour take hold in the middle of this beer. the flavors transition perfectly on the palate without any note becoming overwhelming. The finish is sour and funk mixed with light floral sweetness. This is really enjoyable.

M: Medium bodied beer. It starts out sweet, sours up, and then finishes with a mix of both. Not too drying, not to bitter, and not too sweet. Just right.

O: I seriously enjoyed this beer. It has all the flavor and funk that I love in sours and wild ales. I love the floral components. I love the lemon citrus notes. I love the barnyard. Really nice beer. I'd love to drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2012 06:28:53 | More by trxxpaxxs

davey101

Connecticut

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

375ml bottle into a snifter. Bottled in: 5/12. Extremely slow gush after opening. Thanks Os!

A - Dark orange body with a pink tint. Somewhat hazy yet it lets a lot of light through. Really lasting bone white head with excellent lacing and retention.

S - Really saison like. Grass, hay, lemons, and then the floral kick comes into play. A bit of spice and sweetness from the different flowers. I can't describe this aroma other than calling it "floral". It works really well though and its never comes off as being too floral. Some warm oak and red grape notes in the finish.

T - Definitely a liquid gold base. Hay and grass, a bit of spicy coriander, tart lemons, light brett and oak notes. This is followed by some very subtle but interesting floral flavors. Earthy, spicy and cheesy with some sweetness. Mouth feel is spritzy with a surprising alcohol presence despite the low ABV.

O - Captain Lawrence is on a real roll for me. This is a really interesting and well executed wild ale. The flowers are rather subtle and just compliment the oak aged base beer and the critters. I was thinking it would be either too much floral, or synthetic like an air freshener. I'm happy to say thats not the case.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 02:44:52 | More by davey101

sisuspeed

New Hampshire

4.05/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Joey for the bottle. Poured into a Russian River tulip. Beautiful cloudy pink-orange body with a thick white head. The aroma is very floral. Reminds me of rose hip tea. Light funkiness with a touch of Belgian ale spice. The taste is that of a lightly spiced Belgian pale upfront, but then transitions to a slightly bitter, earthy, floral-brett flavor. Body is well carbonated, but still smooth. Nice dryness on the back end, which mixes well with the sweetness of the base beer. Overall, this was another tasty beer from the Captain. I could easily drink a bottle by myself. Might even improve as the brett becomes more dominant.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:31:40 | More by sisuspeed

cavedave

New York

4.2/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours very thick and cloudy, the color of dark pink grapefruit flesh, a thin beige cap aloft that retreats almost instantly to a lasting ring. A line of lace lingers.

Wonderful tart notes in the medium strength aroma, full of gentle vinegar, fruity funk, hoppy citrus, and a resinous floral perfume which is just faint enough to not overtake the other scents. Intoxicating and alluring.

I could see some not liking this, but in fact, second bottle now, I have fallen in love with it. A well-balanced combination of flavors, light candy sweet and rose water on this side of the tracks, bright sour, light grassy and fruity funk, and tropical/citrus hops on the other. Well balanced and interesting, quite delicious.

Low carb. could even use a bit more fizz, very viscous and resiny, lasting finish, a sipper for sure.

Delicious, interesting, and part of what I like best is it tastes quite different, and is fantastically crafted. Another gem from Mr. V

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2012 21:55:34 | More by cavedave

ShanePB

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

375 ml capped bottle shared by Neffbeer at our epic tasting. It wasn't on the line-up but he pulled two bottles from his cellar for my birthday. Thanks Andrew!

A: Semi-hazy reddish pink colored body with a small white head that dissipated quickly. Thin film on the surface with a thicker ring around the edges. Sporadic lacing.

S: Huge flowery notes, rose hips, brett and ripened citrus fruits (orange, lemon). Slight acidic sour quality but the funky brett and rose really make up the majority of it.

T: Earthy and herbal, not a big sour punch. The brett works its way into the flavor profile bringing tons of flowery rose notes with it. Hibiscus and hints of oak towards the back end.

M: Bubbly, nicely carbonated. Pretty spot on for the style, this would be an interesting one to let develop. Slightly dry in the linger.

Well, if you like funky brett forward beers and want to experience what flowers would taste like in your beer, this is the one to try. Another awesome small batch experiment from CL that is always fun to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 13:18:31 | More by ShanePB

cfrances33

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle thanks to WhereTheWildBeers, poured into a HF tulip.

Pour: A completely hazy blood orange with a finger of light pink white head. Head leaves fantastic lacing, and leaves a nice rim and film on the body.

Smell: A clean barnyard funk, followed by a nice lemon zest. Floral notes come out in the form of lavender and roses.

Taste: Barnyard funk and lemon come out up front. Then, the floral aging comes out in full force - lavender and roses create for a tart and floral affair that has a nice lingering presence.

Mouthfeel: Sticky as it sits in the mouth, but incredibly dry after the sip is over.

Overall: This, like the other wild ale WhereTheWildBeers sent me (Old HLT) was unlike any other wild or sour I've ever had. The aging process with hibiscus, rose hips, and elderflowers really created a bouquet, especially mid-palate through the end of the sip. Seek out if you can!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 22:07:22 | More by cfrances33

pmlondrigan

New York

3.88/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Love, love, love this beer. Poured into a wine glass. Really red but towards pink and has a decent foam that creates a little lacing. Funky bretty nose but it is also slightly flowery and peppery. There is a slight bit of jalapeno on the nose. Very well balanced flavor. There is funk, horse blanket, for sure flowery goodness from hibiscus and such. Sour it is not, tart....sure. Really loving what the hibiscus, elder and rose hip additions are doing to this beer. Nice tart dry finish. Thin. While this is certainly not CL's best sour ale it is one of my favorites to date because of it's originality. Some times a beer just jives with you even though you know it is not technically good to style.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 02:56:53 | More by pmlondrigan

MadScientist

New York

3.95/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: A glowing medium amber with a red hue and a fair amount of haze. The head quickly dissipates leaving a ring of pink, rocky bubbles around the edge of the glass.

S: It's and interesting aroma reminiscent of a gauze blended with an herbal tea. A moderately-strong brett aroma of horsey tartness with wet blanket and an acid sharpness. There is a moderate hibiscus and rose hips, herbal tea aroma as well. As with most sours the malt is faint but not absent.

T: There is a straight forward sour from the fermentation followed by a slightly astringent, herbaceous sourness that the hibiscus and rose hips are bringing and probably from the elderflowers too thought I've never tasted those. There is a delicate honey like flavor but a malt sweetness with a light vanilla flavor blended with the oak character. The balance is fairly tart and the finish is very dry. The aftertaste is herbal and a touch oaky.

M: Light bodied and highly carbonated with a light prickling astringency on the back of the tongue.

O: An interesting and ambitious sour that blend the fermented sour flavors with three sour adjuncts. There is a funky herb aroma that I find a bit off putting however I enjoy this would definitely pick up another bottle. I like dry, tart sours and this defiantly dry and tart.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 23:56:49 | More by MadScientist

kscaldef

Oregon

3.43/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours cloudy pink with a quickly receding head. Aroma is fruity and floral and slightly musty. There's bright fruit in the taste, light oak and herbal notes, finishing with slight bitterness. Moderate to high carbonation. Better than I thought it would be (I'm not a fan of rose hips or hibiscus in general), but still not one of CL's better offerings.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2012 01:48:17 | More by kscaldef

sukwonee

Washington

4.13/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Rosey pink with 3-4 finger head. Lots of bubbles.

S: Brett, citrus, some floral-ness. Very unique.

T: It's a floral sour. It kind of tastes like a Korean gum I used to chew growing up haha. It's nice. I also taste some fruit...

M: It's not as carbonated as it looks but it's good (maybe I am serving it too cold).

O: This beer is quite unique (at least unique to me). Floral sour. Nicely done, imo.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:04:38 | More by sukwonee

joefuzz

New York

4.23/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pink tinted gold with a good sized head. Smells of wild flowers and brett. Taste is very sweet up front and ends with a huge funky brett character as it goes down. Mouthfeel and carbonation are just as expected. Overall this beer was not all that great right out of the fridge...but after it warmed up a little it transformed into something pretty great. At $16 a 12oz I don't think I will be picking up another bottle but I am very glad I tried it.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 08:47:26 | More by joefuzz

Lordquackingstic

New York

3.65/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared with a buddy of mine in two snifters.

A: Shiny ruby red with a frothy pinkish white head. Looks delicious.

S: Sour berries and funkiness. Definitely get a floral aroma.

T: Fucking weird. It's like a hopped up sour. I get the sour berry taste with a light hoppiness to it. The sweetness of the floral additions actually comes through nicely, but not strong enough in my opinion. Very small amount of funk to it.The flavors seem a little too weak.

M: Long lingering taste floral sour taste, but a little watery.

O: This DEFINITELY needs some age on it before it should be consumed. As it is right now, this is a pretty weak sour to me. In time it should gain a little bit more funkiness and lose that weird hop profile that doesn't mesh well with the sour flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 20:06:50 | More by Lordquackingstic

Chase_Myhran

4.54/5  rDev +11%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4.75

The body of the Captain Lawrence Hops n' Roses is ruby/orange with a thin white head that gives way to a less impressive outer ring. Beautiful yet short lived lacing as one swirls the glass. A cloudy and bright sense of beading lends to a lively looking glass of american sour ale. The aroma gives a sweet grapefruit type sensation to the nostrils with only a slightly boozy finish with sour notes ta boot. A healthy mix of smooth citrus flavors meets the front of your palet. The middle doesn't set off any fireworks but does set up nicely for the grand finale. This masterpiece finishes like a prized stallion at the Kentucky Derby with fruity flavors that lead to a dry finish much like that of a fine champagne. This particular brew by Captain Lawrence is sure to please, even at such a steep price.
Enjoy, my friends!

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2013 03:50:43 | More by Chase_Myhran