Southampton 10th Anniversary Old Ale

Formerly brewed at Southampton Publick House
Style: Old Ale
Southampton, New York USA

I was a bit worried upon opening the bottle. There was next to no pressure behind the cork. No worries though, as an aggressive pour produced a nice tan pillow head. The body is slightly cloudy chestnut. The nice is plenty sweet - raisin and port, brown sugar and dark fruits. There is a bit of grape pop (something I often find - not sure what this is actually called) and hints of spices but nothing I can put my finger on. That slight spice keeps does a good job keeping the nose from being cloying. At first the malt is overwhelming but it’s quickly met by spicy hops and dark fruit. There is some juciy fruit going on here buried under figs and tobacco. The alcohol comes through in an odd cheap-vodka-and-iced-tea way that detracts from the overall richness.

Poured from a 750. Fairly thick brandy color. Simple and warming aroma of green apple and pine, with honey and belgian sugar on the back end. Charming flavor of Christmas spices, aromatic and evocative of happiness with friends. Juniper and bark, crisp apple cider, anise, and cedar fill in the fragrant earthy profile; a definitive cold weather and campfire experience. Medium to full-bodied, smooth and robust; well attenuated. Finishes with a warm pulse of vanilla in barrel smoke and sweetness. Very pleasant and unassuming. Thanks for sharing, Mike!

75 cL bottle, thanks to Papsoe. Pours golden orange to amber brown. Quite dried fruity aroma. Dried malty and quite dried fruity. Slight spiced finish.

Bottle. Cloudy orange red coloured with an off white head. Sweet aroma of caramel and fruits with flowery notes (hyacinths). Sweet flavour of caramel, liquorice and hops with notes of dried fruits.

(Bottle 75 cl) Courtesy of boboski. Hazy amber golden with a handsome, light brown head. Fat aroma of wood and overripe fruit. Quite full-bodied, sweetish with notes of burned caramel, nuts, brown sugar and a hint of wood. Fairly high carbonation and a fairly hoppy finish - a little brutal hoppiness actually. 280907

Bottle. [Courtesy of Papsoe, quality tasting @ Papsoe] Large creamy like beige head that mostly lasted. Good display of lacework. Light cloudy body with an amber color. Lovely sniff of bread, caramel, grain, toasted malt, nutty notes. Light floral, perfume and some citrus. Also some wood, honey and fruity notes could be detected. Medium to full bodied with an average carbonation. Moderated sweet flavor with some counter hoppy bitterness. Light dry and bitter finish. 28-09-2007

Bottle. A dark amber beer with a big beige head. The aroma is of roasted malt, caramel, raisins and hops, much like a Barley Wine. The taste is dusty, roasted malt, caramel and hops. Medium to full body with a dry finish.

Murky brown pour, small white head. Perfumy aroma and sugary. Taste is caramel, brown sugar, raisens, and smoke in the background. Creamy easy drinking and just a good tasting beer. More dark berries, chocolate and smoke come out as it warms.