Smoke From The Oak (Bourbon Barrel Aged)
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

 

Look is lighter than your normal porter. Smell is funk, mild vinegar and malts. Some bourbon comes through. Flavor follows the nose. Obviously this has changed over the years, but it is very pleasant. Basically, this has turned into a slightly sour porter. But then again, it is 10 years old. Pretty nice.

I just read a bunch of earlier reviews and it sounds like this has pretty much always been a 'sour' porter, so it really hasn't changed too much. I do like it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bottle from Batch 1 courtesy of mcallister, thanks for the opportunity. Pours a solid dark brown/black color with a huge off white head that fills half the glass and takes forever to recede. The aroma holds some roast and chocolate with a solid hit of bourbon and oak and a curious fruity tartness. The flavor follows the aroma with the sour cherries and lemons taking over the lead role and just about obscuring the porter that was once in this bottle. Medium body with a ludicrous amount of carbonation and an tart ashy bubbly mouthfeel. This beer is a shell of its former self. Some wild yeast have gotten into the bottle and turned this beer, or maybe I just sat on the bottle for too many years.

 

Batch 2 bottle that I've been holding on to since it was released.

Appearance: Pours an attractive deep mahogany to borderline black with a 2 finger dark khaki crown that displays nice retention and lace.

Smell: Faint bourbon and oak mixed with a vinous quality that puts some sourness forward. The malt profile underneath is fairly nondescript but it definitely isn't very roasty or sweet.

Taste: Basically all about the light sourness at this point. Bourbon is really subdued and coupled with the bugs in the barrel it comes off more like a sour cherry flavor than anything else. Finishes a little bleh.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall: Goes down fairly easy, tastes decent, but nothing special. This one ain't getting any better IMHO so drink up if you still have one.