Golden Delicious
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
- From:
- Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.
- New York, United States
- Style:
- Belgian Tripel
Ranked #131 - ABV:
- 10%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #21,086 - Avg:
- 3.9 | pDev: 13.85%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 236
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- May 23, 2025
- Added:
- Feb 01, 2008
- Wants:
- 109
- Gots:
- 110
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
Triple Aged In Apple Brandy Barrels
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Pahn:
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Sinfull from New York
3.69/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.69/5 rDev -5.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Clear golden color. Medium-sized, white head. Belgian yeasts, apples, and oak in aroma. The same notes follow in taste. Sweet start, dry finish with wood bitterness. Noticeable notes of booze.
Jan 31, 2025
Reviewed by Rug from Massachusetts
3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Canned 10/16/20
This seems like quite an interesting concept. As far as BA tripels go, I've only had Curieux, which I was not a huge fan of. The fact that this was aged in apple brandy barrels is the reason I picked it up to begin with, as I'm sure it imparts a great flavors
Pours a cloudy gold amber with a finger of white head that fades to a ring at a reasonable rate and leaves minimal lacing
The alcohol is strong in the aroma here. Very hot and sweet, some grain, maple sweetness, and spice to match the subtle but present green apple character, which seems mildly tart. Maybe just a hint of dry oak and malt but it's mostly just boozy
No surprise here that the taste is boozy. The sip at first reveals notes of clove, pepper, grain alcohol, and light apple. The swallow brings further notes of green apple and pepper, as well as lightly sweet honey and deep malt
The body is full and slick, with the only "carbonation" coming from the alcohol tingle. Finishes hot, dry, and sweet
This was, uhh....an interesting case. Absolutely a contemplative sipper, but hard to drink at some points, especially in the absence of food. Probably the booziest beer I've ever tasted, and I've had plenty of beer with a higher abv than this. Pretty good all things considered, but something I won't have again for a long while
Dec 07, 2020This seems like quite an interesting concept. As far as BA tripels go, I've only had Curieux, which I was not a huge fan of. The fact that this was aged in apple brandy barrels is the reason I picked it up to begin with, as I'm sure it imparts a great flavors
Pours a cloudy gold amber with a finger of white head that fades to a ring at a reasonable rate and leaves minimal lacing
The alcohol is strong in the aroma here. Very hot and sweet, some grain, maple sweetness, and spice to match the subtle but present green apple character, which seems mildly tart. Maybe just a hint of dry oak and malt but it's mostly just boozy
No surprise here that the taste is boozy. The sip at first reveals notes of clove, pepper, grain alcohol, and light apple. The swallow brings further notes of green apple and pepper, as well as lightly sweet honey and deep malt
The body is full and slick, with the only "carbonation" coming from the alcohol tingle. Finishes hot, dry, and sweet
This was, uhh....an interesting case. Absolutely a contemplative sipper, but hard to drink at some points, especially in the absence of food. Probably the booziest beer I've ever tasted, and I've had plenty of beer with a higher abv than this. Pretty good all things considered, but something I won't have again for a long while
Reviewed by haines710 from Delaware
3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.79/5 rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Fun to drink but not my favorite. A little sweet with nice kick. This is easy to drink with nice apple flavor and not obvious alcohol given the ABV. I’m glad that I got just one as part of a make your own at Wegmans. Great brewery that makes some fun beers. I prefer IPA but this one is a nice one to try and savor at the end of the night.
Jun 27, 2020
Reviewed by Beginner2 from Illinois
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
3.83/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.75
Very clever -- and fitting -- to make a tripel taste like apples.
But it proves this adage: if you want good ratings, jack-up the alcohol.
While enjoyable, Golden Delicious is over-rated.
I'd like a tripel to have more foam, more effort being made by the yeast; so its Looks are just average.
Smells are accomplished; smelling this much apple in a tripel reminds me that fruit is, indeed, fruit.
And Golden Delicious Tastes like it Smells, only at the finish line the alcohol hits me in the face and loses some points.
I had this before dinner; but had I had it with dinner, the tripel would not have improved either.
Captain Lawrence is 14 years old; yet 3 of its top 6 BA rated ales are Belgians. In my book, this is worth something. But I'd like to try their other Belgians to see if they have figured out the centrality of yeast.
The rest of their story is not uncommon: home-brewer in a suburb in 2004 follows his bliss, grows his business, moves to a bigger suburb closer to the metropolis, gets better distribution, grows some more and, finally, an obscure Poo-bah from the Midwest finds his beer in a nearly-foreign land (Florida) and gives the brewery his first review. (If that is not a common story to your ear, I tell it all the time.)
Jan 28, 2020But it proves this adage: if you want good ratings, jack-up the alcohol.
While enjoyable, Golden Delicious is over-rated.
I'd like a tripel to have more foam, more effort being made by the yeast; so its Looks are just average.
Smells are accomplished; smelling this much apple in a tripel reminds me that fruit is, indeed, fruit.
And Golden Delicious Tastes like it Smells, only at the finish line the alcohol hits me in the face and loses some points.
I had this before dinner; but had I had it with dinner, the tripel would not have improved either.
Captain Lawrence is 14 years old; yet 3 of its top 6 BA rated ales are Belgians. In my book, this is worth something. But I'd like to try their other Belgians to see if they have figured out the centrality of yeast.
The rest of their story is not uncommon: home-brewer in a suburb in 2004 follows his bliss, grows his business, moves to a bigger suburb closer to the metropolis, gets better distribution, grows some more and, finally, an obscure Poo-bah from the Midwest finds his beer in a nearly-foreign land (Florida) and gives the brewery his first review. (If that is not a common story to your ear, I tell it all the time.)
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey
3.76/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
3.76/5 rDev -3.6%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25
Based on notes from 2013. Had this in a bottle.
A: pours golden body with small white head with ok retention and lacing
S: sweet, golden delicious apple taste with some alcohol and toffee notes
T: sweet, dry alcoholic taste; some apple aftertaste; sweet, subtle toffee aftertaste
M: medium bodied and smooth; pretty crisp as well
D: excellent mouthfeel and taste combo; great drinking beer
Dec 29, 2019A: pours golden body with small white head with ok retention and lacing
S: sweet, golden delicious apple taste with some alcohol and toffee notes
T: sweet, dry alcoholic taste; some apple aftertaste; sweet, subtle toffee aftertaste
M: medium bodied and smooth; pretty crisp as well
D: excellent mouthfeel and taste combo; great drinking beer
Reviewed by avalon07 from South Carolina
3.82/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
3.82/5 rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
L: Poured from a tallboy can to a goblet. Had a golden yellow color (of course), and a mostly clear consistency. There was a quarter inch of foamy head that quickly dissipated. Below average lacing.
S: A decent, but not spectacular of apples, hops, malt, booze, and tropical fruit.
T: Tasted of hint of hops (not a huge presence), a lot of apple brandy (a big factor in the flavor), a little malt (present throughout, though subtle), and a tinge of tropical fruit (passion fruit). This is an odd, sometimes off-putting, but interesting flavor. It's boozy as hell, but doesn't really resemble a tripel. Still, not a bad flavor.
F: A fair amount of carbonation with a warm, somewhat slick finish. Medium-bodied.
O: An uneven beer with some interesting characteristics. Worth a look.
Nov 23, 2019S: A decent, but not spectacular of apples, hops, malt, booze, and tropical fruit.
T: Tasted of hint of hops (not a huge presence), a lot of apple brandy (a big factor in the flavor), a little malt (present throughout, though subtle), and a tinge of tropical fruit (passion fruit). This is an odd, sometimes off-putting, but interesting flavor. It's boozy as hell, but doesn't really resemble a tripel. Still, not a bad flavor.
F: A fair amount of carbonation with a warm, somewhat slick finish. Medium-bodied.
O: An uneven beer with some interesting characteristics. Worth a look.
Reviewed by hman43 from North Carolina
4.1/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
4.1/5 rDev +5.1%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Look: It pours golden and clear with a white head. Head retention is good.
Smell: It has aromas of apple and spice. There are some light honey notes with bread dough.
Taste: There are some brandy flavors with apple. It has some spice to it with a bit of honey. It has some doughy elements in the background.
Feel: It has a medium full body with noticeable alcohol which is pleasant and warming.
Overall, the apple brandy element brings this tripel a new dimension which is quite good.
Nov 16, 2019Smell: It has aromas of apple and spice. There are some light honey notes with bread dough.
Taste: There are some brandy flavors with apple. It has some spice to it with a bit of honey. It has some doughy elements in the background.
Feel: It has a medium full body with noticeable alcohol which is pleasant and warming.
Overall, the apple brandy element brings this tripel a new dimension which is quite good.
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!