Rosso E Marrone
Captain Lawrence Brewing Co.

 

 

 

Poured from a 500ml bottle into a Teku glass.

Look is an amber brown with little to no head.

Aroma is a sour grape wine.

Taste is lambic sour in nature.

Pretty well developed sour.

 

 

 

this is absolute dynamite, one of the best sours i have ever had from captain lawrence, one of their best beers overall in my experience! its a strong sour brown as a base, very woody and mature, with cool nutty and cocoa forward malt elements, and a ton of dried fruitiness to it, cherry and fig and raisin and all of it, and then the wine grapes, which add a very cool fruit layers as well, a late harvest sweetness like an amarone wine or something, dense like a port, but this is crystal clear, its not huge on the body, and it seems refined to an almost impossible degree for what it is. really neat with the grapes and the darker grains coming together. toffee sweetness meets raisin and date gummy elements, along with the grapes, which contribute some tannins with the oak, pretty righteous complexity with the brett too. not overly sour, strong tang throughout and the funk later on, but mellowed by fruit and oak, scary drinkable for how strong it is, it doesnt present itself like that at all. really flavorful and interesting beer, warms up super well, and im sure will cellar with the best of them. i would love to try an old bottle, but it was fun to find this one on tap too. some of their very best beer to date in my experience!

Appearance - The beer poured a murky red color with a white head.

Smell - Oak and cherry are very present in the nose.

Taste - Rich sweet cherries are present in the initial. Oak and vanilla are present to a lesser degree. The undertones are of cherry become increasingly acidic which becomes the composition of the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - The carbonation is steady with a thickness to the mouthfeel.

Overall - This is a solid, though not elite versionof the style.

 

 

Decanted from a 12.7 oz (376 ml) bottle into a snifter glass; 2017 vintage year.
A: Pours a light to medium copper color (maybe with a reddish caste) producing a one half inch, tan head, which resolves rapidly to a persistent rim enhanced readily by swirling, but no appreciable lacing.
S: Tart with black cherry, blackberry, cranberry, and caramel to molasses aromas.
T: Very tart with black cherry, vinous, and lactic acid elements competing for dominance, but all contributing to an experience akin sucking on a lemon. Complex. Hoppy component not so evident.
M: Medium bodied with strong persistence of effervescence on swirl. Saliva producing and mouth puckering.
O: Really an enjoyably complex, drinking experience. An exceptional and unique sour. The Brettanomyces really adds to the Oud Bruin base, as does the vinous component. Will certainly have this again.

I don't even know where to begin, this wine was so original and different from anything I have ever tried. It was a beautiful dark amber color, lovely in the glass. It was sour and vinegar but balanced, it was refreshing, It was lovely and decadent and I highly recommend it. I had just tried my first sour a week before trying this beer and I was convinced that sours were not for me, this beer is not a sour, but it changed my mind. I truly loved it and cannot wait to have it again.

 

 

 

 

Deep brick red in color with minimal fizzy, slightly off-white head. Aroma is sweet with a tart nose. Taste is candy like and tart. Jolly ranchers come to mind in the flavor. Overall, a light and refreshing sour. Almost too light but balanced fairly well.

At first I didn't realize that this was a flanders oude bruin, but in retrospect, I guess it does kind of make a little sense, even if its not the most traditional oude bruin out there (and that might be for the better). Pours kind of an auburn and reddish brown color, not the most attractive, doesn't really amass a head beyond the 1/6" range. It looks khaki in color. Aroma is more sour than almost any oud bruin out there (don't mind the difference in spelling). There is a little bit of brown malt earthiness and whatnot.

Taste, plenty acidic and sour, upper echelon in those departments for this style of beer. The red grapes provide an extra mustiness and amplify the humid like presence and more for the brett notes to attach to. They aren't as funky as they are thick and gritty. Its like the dark fruit keep pinging away in the mouth feel, grape, cranberry, black cherry, plum like notes. Not anything as harsh as raisin or prune though, and not really bitter, but rather acidic. Almost no acetic acid.

The strength is massive for style, but not nearly as hot as you might think, does a relatively good job covering it up from the senses.

2016 version.

Pours deep, leathery reddish-brown with a ring of off-white lacing.

The nose is sour cherry jam and lemon. Intense. A little bit of a chocolate-covered cherry vibe as it warms and the malt character comes out.

The taste opens with big black cherry. Hints of lime and fresh cut herbs. Mild oak and breadiness in the background. Cranberry on the finish. 5/10 tartness. There's enough of an herbaceous/woody note to balance out the fruit character, but black cherry is the star of the show. 10% alcohol is almost completely hidden. I drank the whole bottle without any palate fatigue.

Overall, right up my alley. A red wine sour with a nice malt character.

Batch #2015, poured from 12.7oz caged & corked bottle into a tulip glass.

A: The beer is a dark reddish brown color, with a very thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a very thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains grapes, esters, Belgian yeast, light caramelized malts and oak aging essence.

T: The taste starts out with a strong burst of sourness from esters and wine grapes. Then some very mild breadiness comes in from Belgian yeast and a thin malt character. There is some oak aging essence and some faint sweetness in the background, but the sourness seems to grow as you drink the beer. The after-taste is slightly sour.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, light carbonation, finish is clean and dry.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, strong kick, good representation of style, this is a very solid sour beer to drink for a long time if you’re in the mood for the style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a tawny brown with ruby highlights at the edges of he glass. Khaki head holds up reasonably well to crest a thin mousse like layer. The aroma is very fruity and with heavier influence from oak. The cherry scent plays nicely with the vanilla and spiced oak tones.

The flavor is very fruity with the grapes coming through well. Still has a nice cherry pie background throughout. Mild tannins create structure and body. Finishes with a tart acidic bite and mild alcohol warmth. Very good.

 

This beer courtesy of @cavedave.

The pour looks more like a cognac than a beer - very smooth, no real head, just a ring of minute bubbles that fade quickly. Looks virtually still, but a stream of bubbles flows from the bottom of the glass eventually. To me, this beer looks like maple syrup that is amazingly clear with a touch of red thrown in for interest. Beautiful to behold.

The smell takes a while to evolve. Initially it's just a little sour fruity thing, but it opens up. The red wine grape influence is evident - more so from a distance than from a heavy sniff from the glass. Fruity esters in general, and I get a faint note of bubble gum and banana. A little oak contribution from the barrel, and a promise of a vinegary sourness. There's a spice note I can't quite pin down that I will say nutmeg but could be cinnamon. A little malt sweetness and a delightful level of barnyard funk earthiness.

The taste is a riot of flavors, but none competing and none dominating. The opening is soft. A mild spiciness, a little sweetness, and a tingle from the carbonation. The assertiveness grows yet nothing becomes overwhelming. Tart fruitiness with just a touch of vinegar, and a little more fruit sweetness - cherries and grapes - pickled cherries make any sense? Red wine and oakiness. Tannins and earthiness add a layer of depth. There is a just a little hay-like character. As it warms, a bit of caramel comes in and there is a more floral note over the top. Slight peppery spice on the finish and the taste lingers gloriously and unwraps itself. There is a lot going on, yet it isnt super-intense. The sour level is fairly mild. Medium bodied, the flavor lingers nicely, and as it backs down I swear I do get a little Belgian-style bubblegum/banana note and more bright, fruity esters.

More or less medium on the mouth feel and a nice sensation of "reversal" as the aftertaste fades. Minimally carbonated, nearly still. Very wine or brandy-like experience, but not as "thick".

Overall - this is a well-conceived and well-executed beer that I would enjoy drinking repeatedly. It is full of flavor, yet it isn't delivered in excess - just a nice blend of flavor components that don't compete. It's a beer you can sit and dissect for a while, yet just as well drink it and just savor the experience. It blossoms as it warms yet doesn't completely change character. Well done, and absolutely recommended.