Barrel Select Red
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

Barrel Select RedBarrel Select Red
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From:
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
 
New York, United States
Style:
Wild Ale
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
87
Avg:
3.85 | pDev: 9.35%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
37
Status:
Active
Rated:
Dec 12, 2018
Added:
May 25, 2016
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
A blend of several oak barrels that we have been patiently aging in the back room for up to 3 years. The result is a beer with flavors that are sour, wine like, and very assertive.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Hopheadhiker:
Photo of Hopheadhiker
Rated by Hopheadhiker from New York

4.04/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Jun 13, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

4.57/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
Decanted from a 12.6 oz (375 ml) bottle into a custom Captain Lawrence tasting pint; purchased at the Captain Lawrence Brewery recently, so 2017 or 2018 vintage.
A: Pours a cloudy, dark copper color with a brick red hue. Cidery in appearance. Explosive head formation, starting at a 3 to 4 finger, foamy, mocha/tan (with a red caste) head displaying excellent retention and fluffy rings of lacing.
S: Tangy. Aromas of toasty malt, caramel, vanilla, red delicious apple, and lactic acid predominate.
T: Nicely tart. Palate definitely follows nose, although red delicious apple, vanilla, and caramel outweigh the rest. Maybe a cocoa note. Bitterness in the background but definitely present during consumption; dregs particularly so.
M: Light to medium bodied with robust carbonation.
O: This is the fourth Barrel Select from Captain Lawrence I have tried and it is definitely my favorite. It definitely does simulate a vinous flavor akin to a pinot noir. Flavorful without being overpoweringly tart. A real winner!
Dec 12, 2018
 
Rated: 3.52 by Jhfinn from New York

Oct 31, 2018
 
Rated: 3.7 by CraftFan5 from New Jersey

May 30, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by BEER88 from North Carolina

May 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.01 by GregSemenza from Connecticut

Apr 30, 2018
Photo of mikeinportc
Reviewed by mikeinportc from New York

4.18/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a hazy, slightly redddish, cider-brown. Long-lasting light brown head & lacing. It's been ~ 20 min, while I let it warm up, & got interrupted. Still ~3/8" head left. :O

I could smell the red wine barrel as soon as the cork was out, before pouring. A very jammy red wine + woody aroma. After pouring, it became more sour cherry, a la a kriek. Also some "fresh" yeast+malt , similar to a gose.

As it has warmed it added some "old carpet" funk (being torn up). It has become completely the proverbial "horse blanket", though a comparatively mild version, compared to most of those I've encountered.

On to taste : .......starts off with the funk, quickly followed by something fruity/grapey(red) , plus wet oak (as in sawdust, from cutting green wood) , and a slight brown bread flavor - the base bread of ginger bread, etc.

Labeled as a sour, but I really have to strain to get any glimpse of "sour". More on the nose, when cold, than on the palate. At most, like the "sour" of a semi-sweet wine.

Medium creamy feel, with very fine tingle on the tip of the tongue, on the finish.

Overall, I like it . Nothing off, and well-balanced. I'll look for more, especially as it was only $5. Not sure of vintage (no dating that I can find), but as the bottle shop put it in clearance, I'm guessing at least 1yr+.
Oct 22, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by djrn2 from New Jersey

Sep 25, 2017
Photo of scootny
Reviewed by scootny from New York

3.58/5  rDev -7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.5
Quite turbid in its complexion. A ruddy and bleached mahogany. A huge and surprisingly lovely head that promises lots of lacing, but alas while some is present, indeed a nice amount, it falls short of the heads promise.

The nose has lots of barrel and cherries. Oak is the predominant aroma. There are the usual players as well. A healthy amount of funk and horse blanket. Wine flexes a bit. There is some faint toasted malt in the background. There is a sharpness in the back end as well. A bit of apple and grape sweetness adds a touch of sugar to the nose.

Taste is light and surprisingly bitter. There is a medicinal quality that seems a bit out of place to me. Having said that, it still works in this setting. To backtrack, cherries and oak are the main flavors and they are quickly covered by a medicinal bitterness that at times, kind of takes over. Probably because of the incongruence with the style. The tartness and sour flavors flow across the tongue in the front of the beer lightly and to its credit, the bitterness seems to bring them forward in the swallow, with the bitters coming along for the ride. There are plenty of wine notes as well and the brett does a nice job of bringing the barn and funk. The dryness and vinous character have me looking for a variety of cheeses, smoked meats and mushrooms. The balance improves as it warms.

Feel is the strongest point after the head. Velvety and rich, while remaining light in the body and across the tongue. Carbonation is creamy and lush, while reaming crisp and refreshing.

An interesting mix of highs and lows that seems to somehow come out better than its flaws would have it. Not bad and in the right setting of foods, quite enjoyable.
Sep 21, 2017
Photo of Jmamay22
Reviewed by Jmamay22 from New York

4.23/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Pours a ruddy brown with ruby highlights and a tan head. Smells of cherry and raspberries. Very fruity. A sour and mild vinegar aroma. Some vanilla and barrel char notes as well. The flavor begins fruity and moves to a tannic fruit skin flavor with a vanilla and burnt sugar note. Light bodied with medium high carbonation. Finishes clean and dry.
Jul 15, 2017
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Rated by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
C / AVERAGE
Mar 12, 2017
Photo of LeRose
Reviewed by LeRose from Massachusetts

3.89/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Moderate pour resulted in massive tan foam that lasted about ten minutes, fell to a finger or two, then left chunky rafts of bubbles. Streaky lacing all over the glass as it fell. It is knd of a rusty brown color, pretty cloudy.

On the nose, it is pretty laid back. Earthy, mild cherry, mildly oaky, and a bit of cider vinegar. Nice, but subtle.

The taste is cherry and woody, so there is a definite barrel presence. Very manageable level of sourness, earthy, a decent amount of residual sweetness, mild malts, and a little wine-like character. The only objection is there's a bitter hit that falls just short of crashing the party... seems almost like it doesn't belong, but it is fleeting. The sour isn't sharp, so it isn't a tooth-cleaner.

It is quite dry, which makes it feel more wine-like. Carbonation is at a good level, actually pretty low. Kind of expected a gut-buster with the super foam. Recommended - it would be a good sour to introduce someone to the style or just for easy drinking. Usually expensive in my area - have to thank @cavedave for this one.
Feb 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by rolltide8425 from Pennsylvania

Jan 20, 2017
 
Rated: 3.58 by beergorrilla from Michigan

Jan 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.6 by Zaphog from Michigan

Jan 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.94 by cambabeer from New York

Jan 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.67 by Sammy from Canada (ON)

Jan 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.92 by Casey3236 from Pennsylvania

Dec 10, 2016
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

4.12/5  rDev +7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Too small a bottle (11.2 oz), purchased at the brewery for $15. Corked and caged

Captain's description "A Belgian-style Golden Ale aged in Italian Oak Tanks until ripened into a tart, oaky, uniquely-tangy and highly-drinkable Sour Ale."

Pours dark and ruddy, under an initially huge cap, going to a frothy darker khaki froth and leaving tons of low sheeting and ample fileds of froth all the way up the glass. A lot of character to the look here.

Sniff reveals waves of cherries, smokey wood and a hint of lactic sourness.

Tasty and compex beverage, with more cherry, more wood and more sour coming forward. Also some earthy, barnyardy qualities adding to the interest quotient, The level of sour is is about right for my tastes, def present but not overwhelming or super puckering.

Nice creation from the Captain...if you enjoy a well crafted sour and tart brew, this one is worth a try.

An enjoyable treat for sure
Dec 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by halo913 from Connecticut

Nov 10, 2016
Barrel Select Red from Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 37 ratings