Southampton 10th Anniversary Old Ale

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

If I’m not mistaken, I have moejuck to thank for this one. Received in a trade well over a year ago, and kept it hidden for awhile. Decided to crack it open tonight and after drinking the 750ml bottle, I’ve become fairly intimate with Southampton. <rb>
The beer pours out medium amber color (more orange than brown though) with a medium sized 2", creamy off-white head. The staying power of the head was nice, and although it took me a good while to finish the bottle, the head stayed with me like a good friend throughout. Aroma is incredibly flowery, with notes of star jasmine, wet dirt, caramel, rum raisins and a touch woody. Some oxidation seems to benefit this beer, as it somehow keeps everything together. Notes of caramel, tobacco, woody hops, cherry, cognac and figs all show up in one form or another during my stay with Southampton. Mouthfeel was really small. Just no real presence. Finish was nice, as it reminded me of a small barleywine.

750 ml corked and caged...Pours a deep ruddy ruby hue. Steady carbonation, mostly lasting, creamy beige head, sticky lacing. Earthy, dark fruit, rusty nose. Solid malts, toffee, dark dried fruit, leather, floral notes. Light to medium bodied, silky smooth, earthy through the finish. Nice...

750 mL cork and cage. pours hazy brown with big bubbly head. aroma is sweet caramel with roasted tones and fig. mouthful is robust with a hint of some bourbon and dried fruit. held up well.

Bottle thanks to Drewbeerme. Cloudy, ruby color with large, off-white head. Aroma is cardboard, caramel, a little mollases, nuttiness, dark fruit. Flavor is quite similar with a little less cardboard but more port oxidation, nuttiness is quite prominent past that with caramel. Medium body with light carbonation. I could see where this used to be but it is past its prime.

[Bottle] Pours dark ruby with a huge lingering, rocky, light tan head. The aroma has dark fruits, brown sugar, walnut, and a good deal of yeast. The taste is very bready, with some dark fruits, a little alcohol, light bitterness, plums, prunes, walnut again, and a little grape. Medium-thick mouthfeel, smooth. Good finish that contains yeast, malt, dark fruits and some walnut. Overall there is nothing over-the-top here. It is just an outstanding, balanced beer that does a great job with the dark fruit and yeast. Subtle, but great.

Bottle shared by Hophead22. Pours a cloudy reddish brown with no head. This was the last taste of the day so my notes suck and I don’t remember much, but it did have a lightly sweet aroma with a mellow caramel malt character, medium to full bodied, and moderate carbonation. Maybe I’m not being fair to this one, but it just seemed average.

750ml bottle from goryshkewych. Hazy copper color.Not much of an aroma. Slight sweetness, but not much else. Pretty good brew, but not great.

i remember being excited about this, southampton is a cool little brewery ... lots of caramel and brown sugars... in nose and mouth .. goes down like a champ but maybe not the most complex of old ales..