Name: Xtra Gold

Brewer: Captain Lawrence

Style: Tripel

Vintage: 2006

Cellared On: November 30th, 2007

Original Tasting: December 29th, 2007

This past weekend I found myself facing my common problem of trying to select a beer from my ever-growing stash. I wanted one that would not only be great at kicking off a fun evening with friends, but would provide a memorable tasting experience for my last review of 2007. As soon as my eyes glanced over the 2006 bottle of Xtra Gold American Trippel-Style Ale from Captain Lawrence, the choice was clear. I had just seen a recent review of this brew in All About Beer magazine by beer author and fellow blogger Stan Hieronymus, and it sounded like a perfect way to start off a night out!

I was Fortunate to have had a glass at the ready, as bubbles immediately started flowing out of the bottle as soon as I had popped the cap. The carbonation wasn’t as explosive as my Jolly Pumpkin La Roja tasting experience, but it was definitely significant. I would recommend chilling this beer down a bit in your fridge before popping if you’re going to have one yourself! Almost needless to say, Xtra gold’s head formation and retention were outstanding.

Underneath all of that carbonation was a fairly clear, bright yellow (golden) brew. Clean fruity yeast scents were everywhere in the air.

There were big and unique fruit flavors just bursting everywhere in this beer. I’m mostly reminded off tropical fruits - bright orange citrus, mango and peach flavors, even some pineapple. Balancing the fruit are cookie-like malts and a very subtle hoppy bitterness, both of which accentuate the fruity flavors very nicely. I would say this a medium-bodied brew with a slight creaminess to it. The finish is long and fruity with a bit of honey sweetness at the end.

Six-Month Tasting: June 1st, 2008

I broke this out at a BBQ on a beautiful spring day - things don’t get much better then that!

This brew is just holding up fantastically. It’s still dripping with fruit flavors - peach seems to be the most prominent right now, but the citrus and tropical fruits are still there too. The body may have a bit more thickness and creaminess to it.

I would also say the hops seemed to have pulled back a bit (not that they were prominent before). I also didn’t have the explosive carbonation issue that I had before.

Cellar Outlook: I’m not sure how this beer will do long-term. I’m really going to miss the big fruit if it starts to fade in a few years. At the very least we should see the body get even creamier.

Six-Month Cellaring Notes: I’m not sure when in 2006 this was bottled, but it’s sure going strong. I know the fruit esters will eventually fade, but they’re sure not showing any signs of it. I expect the hop flavor the fade almost completely away over the next year or so, while the body develops even more creaminess.

Next Tasting: November 2008

Jason

jason@brewbasement.com

www.brewbasement.com