Southampton Biere de Garde (French Country Christmas Ale)

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Bière de Garde
Southampton, New York USA

Bottle (new label, 2006 vintage I think). Awesome chestnut brown color with a big, soapy off-white head. Bready aroma, cheese, salty, metallic, floral notes, light citrus and malts, pear, some fig, Really fresh smelling. Big toasty flavors, fresh malts, citrus, floral grassiness, yeast, hay, woody caramel notes. Really interesting. Almost a burnt popcorn flavor. A little too oily and bubbly on the palate for my taste. Overall, this is a really interesting beer. I don’t know a whole lot about biere de garde, but I like this. Super interesting, complex but fresh. Another good one from southampton, I think it will age nicely. Rerate, 22 oz - 3/5 Amber pour with a loose white head, crystal clear Spiced and hugely malty aroma, light hops - fairly one dimensional 6/10 Big malt backbone with not much else. Watery seltzer like body. Thin, artificial sugary finish. 6/10

Sampled a pint of the 2006 version of this beer on draught at the Publik House in Southampton, NY on 12/4/06. As far as biere de garde goes, I don’t see how you could get any better than this beer. It was flawless, and one of the most delicious beers I have tasted in quite some time. This beer pours to a beautiful, bright, deep copper color, with a creamy white head, and a good carbonation. The nose on this beer is wonderful, with lots of good aromas of pale malt, light toast, light nuts, fresh baked bread, caramel, and some hints of peppery alcohol. The mouthfeel on this beer is slightly slick and buttery, as waves of fantastic malt flavor coat the tongue. As in the nose, delicious flavors of fresh baked bread, light toast, nuts, and caramel. There is a hints of plummy fruit, but a rich, delicious, clean, malt flavor is the star of this show. This beer finishes with more fantastic malty flavors up front, then ends with some good, peppery alcohol that warms and lingers. On draught at the brewpub, this beer is phenomenal. Worth the trip to Southampton, and I was happy to take a growler to go of this one.

2005 bottle. One year old. Dark red color with a big creamy head of large bubbles. Aroma is quite rich. A little spicy, quite dry. The flavor is constantly changing. I tasted hops, spice, alcohol, caramel, dough, maybe a tough of smokiness. A fantastic party on the tongue. Sharp carbonation. Quite a suprise

2005 cork and wire. Poured into a Westmalle goblet. Color is deep murky amber with a small head that quickly turns into lacing. This beer has a strong sweet characteristic to it. Others have called it burnt sugar, caramel and butterscotch but I am going to call it cookie or cookiedough. Obviously, this represents a strong malt character, which I believe is the strongest part of the beer. In the aroma it is accompanied by spices and floral aspects. Mouthfeel is the only aspect I am not fully enjoying - too fizzy, spikey on the mouth. The taste is spikey tropical fruits with that great cookiedough malt kick in the end. Leaves a sweet aftertaste.

2005 bottle from NYC. Tough cork yields a punchy pop with lots of head on the opaque russet body. Fruity esters spill out as soon as the bottle breathes. The fruit smells are much like that of fruit punch and tropical fruits, as well as lemon and guava. Also present in the aroma is a strong licorice and caramel. Sweet upon entering the mouth, with the same fruit punch character, then showing lots of caramel/licorice, sugar, and melted milk chocolate. Orange and spice is prevalent too. A very solid beer, and one that would be much better suited for the winter months.

2005 bottle courtesy of hopdog. Pours a yellowy hazy color with a nice white foamy head. Smells perfumy with flowers, some sugar, many herbs and spices present. Taste is very dry like a sumer Saison with nice malty undertones. Finishes champagne like.

Bottle from Ungstrup. Hazy orange with cream colored big bubbled head. High but smooth Co2 and slick mouth feel. Spicy and buttery nose. Balanced and smooth flavor with caramel and hints of burned sugar. Very dry finish. Complex and tasty ale. The diacetyl makes it smoother, and if it is intentional, it is a masterpiece.

This is the tenth rating that has come from the bottle of this I took to Noogfest. Cellared since July ’05. Clear pour of medium amber that easily hold up a thick, creamy, tan head. Fresh candy apple aroma. Light and creamy yet a full palate, with some tartness that transforms into a dry finish.