More Captain Lawrence

We had some people over last night for fajitas, beer, and soccer (LA Galaxy v DC United, Beckham's MLS debut), which gave me the opportunity to crack the two remaining growlers from Captain Lawrence. Specifically, I'm talking about the Smoked Porter and the Captain's Reserve Double IPA. Absolutely fantastic.

The porter was just as smooth as I remember it. Full of chocolate notes and dark maltiness, finishing with a beautifully subtle smokiness. My brother, who just turned 21 and doesn't have a lot of experience with craft beer, said it was OK until the aftertaste. I asked him if it was smoky and his face lit up and he agreed that's what he was tasting. Mandy and I each had a pint, so it's probably about half full. Of course we'll have to finish it tonight, which definitely won't be a problem.

The IPA is, without a doubt, one of the finest DIPAs I've ever had...right up there with the sublime Maharaja from Avery Brewing. My simpleton's grasp on the English language can't do it justice, but Mandy sums it up pretty well when she called it glorious. I'm actually not generally a huge fan of DIPAs, which is strange since a nice American IPA is my favorite go-to style. A lot of DIPAs are overly sweet and too hot...trainwrecks. Every once in a while I'll stumble on one that is sublime, where the extreme bitterness can actually stand up to the sweetness and the extra alcohol. Maharaja certainly does this. Stone's Ruination does this. And now, Captain's Reserve does this. I can't wait to refill this growler on our way to AL in a few weeks.