Captain Lawrence Smoke from the Oak (Apple Brandy Barrel)
Aged for close to 8 months, this beer has taken on the flavor of the wood and the spirit and turned into smoothing new and exciting. We did not add anything to the beer; Just Smoked Porter and freshly emptied Apple Brandy Barrels. The beer does have some acidity to it, but it is very faint and adds to the complexity of the beer. Bottle conditioned, so it will age, but we recommend you store it cool/cold if you plan on aging it for longer periods of time.
3.7
154 reviews
Elmsford, United States
Community reviews
750 ml bottle. Bottled in ’10. Imagine my surprise walking into Superstar Beverage in Bayport a week and a half ago and seeing this bottle on the shelf. I’ve been trying to score a bottle of this since it first came out and there it was. As they say, timing is everything. Pours just about black with a moderate dark tan head that lasted through the first quarter of the glass and left partial lace. Very pleasant smoky aroma along with roasted malt, and oak. Surprisingly, I’m not getting any influence from the apple brandy. The flavor is roasted malt, smoke, oak, and a bit of vanilla. Some fairly strong heat rises after the initial taste which I attributed to the influence of the apple brandy barrels since the abv is not that high. Otherwise, there is no other influence from the apple. Solid.
Tasted in mid-August from a capped 750mL bottle obtained in a trade, Batch 1. This one gushed just a bit. Pours an opaque brown-black with a thick tan head that slowly recedes to uneven lace. The nose is spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, along with oaky vanilla, sweet apple, darkly roasted malt, dark chocolate, brown sugar, and molasses. The flavor features the sweet apple and vanilla oak up front, moving to the spiced nutmeg and cinnamon, and a bit of smoked dark chocolate and roasted malt. The body is medium with average carbonation and a long smoked dark chocolate and roasted malt finish.
Nose is smoked applewood. Sweet dark malts with some espresso, peaty notes and tannic, light sweet with a carbonic sour edge. Some citrus and herbal hops, with oaky, smokey finish.
750ml corked bottle split at a tasting. Very nice appearance. Opaque brown-black, massive steady rusty beige head. Apple brandy aroma sort of shines. mellowed by some faint chocolate. Awesome belgo-mouthfeel, luscious. Interesting balance. Some raisin, dark fruit tones, brown sugar. Sweet and big, but very drinkable. The barrel really adds an intestign touch of depth to the Porter. Oaky, sour. Great beer.
@dmacs-750ml bottle-thanks to pineypower/Dean for sharing–pours a foamy light brown head with heavy trailing lace and brown color. Aroma is smoke/peat-apple brandy, wood, some medium malt. Taste is smoke/peat-apple brandy, wood, some medium malt.
Batch 1. Pours a lightly viscous, opaque black with a frothy, tan head. Big brett aroma, medicinal, a little nail polish, a little wood. Flavor is tart, apples, brett, band aid. Very infected. Dry finish which is also lightly tart. If you like your barrel aged porters infected, you’d probably love this.
Bottle: Deepest of browns, huge fizzy light beige head, sticky lacing. This one is like many of the other SFTO beers, overcarbonated. Faint apple brandy aroma, otherwise some soft toasted malts and powdered chocolate... nestle maybe? Bright and tart up front, semi-sweet, bubbley, with a apple brandy coming in through the middle, giving way to a slightl astringent roasted malt background. Not what I would call smooth. Almost seems like this one is about 10% ABV given its POW factor. Surprised to see its only 6.4%. This one is pretty tart, like the others. Its almost as if its not ready to be bottled... or its on its way to being infected. Body and mouthfeel are moderate, albeit its very airy with its carbonation. As soon as it hits my mouth its just like super fizzy. Tame the tartness, and and give it a bit more body and you have something. Thanks Larry for the bottle!
Bottle provided by pineypower, thanks Dean but what the hell did you drink..a 4.0 for this?? Poured a dark brown with orangey edges and a large foamy quickly fading beige head. Aroma of sour wet barrel, bad green apples, old chocolate and grains. FIZZY body that is thin with just way to much carbonation. Flavor of wet wood, sour, chocolate, earth, cherry and band aid. Not impressed with this one at all.
Pours out black with a moderate off white head. Aroma is of apples, light smoke and some chocolate. Taste is very complex with a nice apple note, oak, light smoke and some chocolate in there also. Very well done, the apple goes very well with the base beer.
Bottle shared by plineypower at Dmac’s tasting. Pours brown. Off white head. Nose of smoke, apple brandy, vanilla and roast chocolate. Taste is same. A bit over-carbonated.
A: The pour is amber in color, and surprisingly not as explosively carbonated as some of the other Smoke from the Oak beers I’ve had.
S: Definitely get a smokey aroma in the background and throughout the sniff. Some light tartness and fruitiness to the beer and quite a bit of brandy aroma.
T: The tartness is a bit more pronounced on the palate. Light fruit notes of green apples and pears, maybe some lemon zest. Apple brandy is in full effect and maybe makes this a bit too boozy. The smoke is omnipresent, but not overpowering.
M: Medium in body with a rather high carbonation.
O: Hard to evaluate this beer. I like what the tartness adds to it, but it’s still not all that successful.
Reviewed from notes.
Pours dark brown with a large, billowing off white head with very nice retention. Great lacing as well. Clingy on the sides of my tulip. Nose is a bit smoky with some light, tart fruit and a bit of booze. Mild roast. Taste is similar with a light tartness and some heat. Feel is over-carbonated, offsetting some of the flavor. A bit of booze as well. Drinks well and is pretty tasty. I hope to make the release of the sampler pack they’re doing.
Serving type: bottle
Reviewed on: 11-04-2010
Bottle at Papsø’s
Black color; highly carbonated, hence with a generous head. There is a strong nose of chocolate and dark malts, very nice; nevertheless I don’t think that the sourness goes along very well with it; but it’s good anyway; there is also a light smoke note. The mouthfeel is affected by the high carbonation; strong dark chocolate flavor, with a light acidity, some liquorice, and some ending astringency; the alcohol is a bit too much evident. Good, but difficult to drink in big quantities.
750ml bottle into my Rochefort glass...Dark brown with TONS of carbonation, at least four fingers of light tan head. Good retention, really really great lacing. Full bodied...The aroma is super sweet apples but a nice tartness to it, wasn’t expecting tartness. No porter notes of smoke or coffee, domainted by the apple brandy aging...Taste is also not at all like a porter, almost like a heavy wild ale. Super funky but smooth throughout, I guess the porter really balances it out. Slightly sweet but in tart way. Very unique and tasty...Feel is robust, very carbonated and bubbly, super easy to drink.
This is a totally unique and easy to drink beer, love it.
Bottle @ Papsø. Pours a dark amber brownish color wit a small longlasting off-white head. Has a fruity woody and slightly sour dark fruit aroma. Fruity malty apple flavor with hints of caramel. Has a sweetish malty woody apple finish.
RBSG ’10. Nice apple and cola nose, some caramel and berries, a bit of oak. The taste is lightly sweet, lightly tart, lots of cola and berry, some light tannins, a bit of citrus.
cask at chris’s ... dark black ... big tan head... aples ... light funky nose ...soft roast ... ligt funk sour ... dark malts ... but odd sourness dominates...really not my thing at all
25oz Bottle split with Linh at Monks. Pours an extremely active, dark brown body with huge thick brown head - lots of carbonation. Aroma is tart, sweet apple, and light roast. Mouthfeel is at first a strongly carbonated sourness with notes of sweet roast, apple, oak, and tart.
Seems to be over carbonated. Once I got past the carbonation there was a nice balance of smokiness and sweetness from the apple brandy. The scent was also nicely balanced but somewhat understated. Getting better the more carbonation comes out of it and the closer to room temperature it gets.
Batch 1 bottle from hbmason...thanks Tim! - Pours murky cola with a fine-bubbled tan head. Sharp alcohol on the nose with a smoky cinnamon smell with a bit of apple and wood. Smoky malt with chocolate and some lactic notes and the same sharpness. Not getting a ton of apple or brandy, but really woody. Not smooth and well-integrated--kind of sharp and disjointed. But as it warms up, it smooths out, has a ton of malt, and gets real oaky. Better, but still not my thing. Carbonation is really harsh on the tongue at first, but as it warms becomes real smooth. Overall just a crazy flavor combination that’s too oak-forward for me.
Bottle from Rciesla. Thanks man. Batch 1. This is the second SMTO I’ve tried with the other being the wine version. The pour is a deep drown that’s nearly black in the glass with a big fizzy tan head. As the case with the SMTO Wine, the carbonation is high (although not quite as high as that one was). The aroma is a bit chocolaty at first before the apple brandy takes over. Whiffs of tart fruit; apples definitely there but with cherries and slight vinegar. The flavors upfront are a bit tart and funky with the apple brandy showing itself. Chocolate, light coffee, some roasty notes show towards the tail end. There’s a bit of a wood presence too but it kind of takes a back seat to the other flavors. Again, the carbonation is high so it’s a bit spritzy on the palate that’s somewhat distracting. Much better as it warms in the glass. This is a beer I went back and forth on as to whether I liked it. It’s interesting for sure, and complex too, but just a little off the mark for my tastes. Still, pretty fun to try.
Bottle at Papsø’s - Thanks. Dark bronw - brown head. Smokey, hogh smokey, burned, nice light apple notes, dryness, high carbonation, coconut, vanilla, light malty sourness, oakey, nice wooden. Pleasant.
Bottle 750ml.
Clear dark red brown color with a large, frothy to creamy, good lacing, fully lasting, light beige head. Aroma is moderate to heavy malty, roasted, caramel, sweet tobacco, berry - fruit tart, wood light smoke. Flavor is moderate to heavy sweet and light to moderate acidic with a long duration, tobacco, wood, red wine acidic, smoke notes. Body is medium, texture is oily, carbonation is soft - lively. [20101024]
Bottle at Papsø.
Dark brown coloured with a medium sized beige head.
Sweet and light roasted aroma of dark chocolate and brett with notes of brandy.
Roasted flavour of berries, brandy and dark chocolate.
Roasted and berryish finish.
Bottled. A pitch black beer with a huge brown head. The aroma has notes of malt, caramel, and straw. The flavor is sweet with notes of over ripe fruit, malt, and caramel, leading to a dry alcoholic finish.
75 cL bottle. Pours hazy dark brown to black with a small tan head. Aroma is fruity, slight acidic and malty. Rather carbonated. A bit ashy, dark wooden and fruity. Mild acidic. Acidic and dry finish.
Bottled. Dark brown coloued with red gleam. Brownish dense head. aroma of sweetness, light sourness, light roast, smoke, chocolate. Flavour of smoke. chocolate, sweetenss, light sourness, vague roast. medium bodied. Medium bodied. Light roasted bitterness in the end with a smoky touch.
pitch dark large smooth light brown head.
apple and roasted grains, in the aroma.
flavor is apple, roasted grains.
Bottle 75 cl. Courtesy of daknole. Pours a cloudy and opaque dark brown with a huge and lively yet creamy and lacing beige head. Very fruity and tart aroma. Medium body, ashy hard roasted malts, a little smoke with a dry, woody underlying tartness. Ends smoky dry. 241010
bottle batch 1 pours dark brown with a thin tan head. Aroma is fruity, apples, yeast, some wood and funk. Flavor is sweet apples, faint smoke and wood finishing tart with lingering barrel presence. Awesome.