It's officially warm out, which means it was time for us to hit up Astoria for the famous Beer Gardens. The Czech-run establishment boasts a large outdoor drinking area, a fantastic array of taps, and enough patrons to never be boring. It can be difficult to find a table but let's not get into the details here, we'll save that for a profile. Onwards, then, to yonder brew.It seems that many individuals that own ships also enjoy brewing beer or, in the case of one very famous captain, rum. This here is Captain Lawrence Pale Ale, brewed by the Captain Lawrence Brewing Company. As far as I can tell this seems to be their only brew. Too bad, because its got one hell of a unique taste. To begin with, the initial taste is a sledgehammer of hops. Not quite Hopstoopid, but still a shock to the taste buds. Then, to the surprise of the Beerventure and their respective mouths, the taste transformed to a piney, outdoorsy type taste as we waited. More interestingly, you could actually feel the taste transforming. Fascinating, unique, and tasty. Unfortunately, the drawback was the initial hop blast as it mars the more complex aftertaste with its own. Nevertheless, its a quality beer and we gave it a 3.5 out of 5 for its unique-ness and overall flavor. I'd suggest a pint of it to any serious beer drinker, but if you're not into bitter, stay away.
Playing with Hops is like playing with fire, it might ruin your day but it's essential if you plan on doing anything except beating your chest.
