Southampton Biere de Garde (French Country Christmas Ale)

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

(bottle - 22 oz) Orange color with a fizzy white head. Aroma is sweet and fruity with a decent hint of spices (cinnamon and cloves), yeast, and some light pepper. Flavor is smooth and sweet at the beginning with some good spices and yeast mixing well together before moving to a caramel and malty middle and a lightly spiced and peppery finish. Leaves a pleasant and lightly sweet taste on the palate.

I have seen this bottle for a while, but never got around to buying it. Pours out a nice orange / brownish color with an offwhite head on it. Smell is fruity, peppery, has a little bit of hops and some grass in it. Taste is kind of sweet, fruity, and not really what I was expecting it to be. I am still not sold on this style. I think the French should stick to making Wine. Not so sure about the BDG style. Even though I know this isnt a French beer, its still in the style of one...

(750 ml bottle from McKean and Charles) Caramel and pepper...This bottle required some extra effort to get the cork out. Was a bit of a gusher. Poured hazy amber with a big billowy biege head. Aroma of caramel, pepper and some candyish malt. Mouthfeel initially kind of smooth, light and effervescent. Dryish finish. Later samples (which I enjoyed more) had less carbonation and a bit thicker, smoother texture. Light, patchy, broken lacing. Flavor features light pepperiness over caramel and some candy-malt sweetness. Even a bit of smokiness in warmer samples. Lightly bitter. As it warms it seems to become more of a big beer with a nice warming alcohol presence sneaking in near the finish. Light peppery aftertaste. Perhaps a bit heavier and maltier than some other nice examples I’ve had of this style but I found this quite enjoyable in its own right.

orangish-red appearance with quickly diappearing white head. high level of carbonation. mild malt flavor, a very pleasant yeast component that adds some fruity esters and some chestnut-like flavors. a very dry finish with a little hop bitterness coming through. a subtle, but very complex beer. a great effort from a premier brewery

Nice beer. Pours out a nice lighter brown color with a nice biege head. aroma is spicy, with notes of sweetness, and fruit. Flavor is malty with a nice amount of fruit with a dry finish. Over all a nice brew.

750ml Bottle Caged/Corked Got a nice POP! on opening. Poured into a chalice a very nice cloudy golden orange/mahongny color, high carbonation, nice one-finger plus creamy tan head, you are left with some nice small islands and sticky lacing. The nose is malty, slightly yeast, spicy, apples, blueberries, and some caramel. The taste is tangy/sweet, malty, fruity, with some caramel. The finish is dry, with a nice bitter finish. Medium body, a very nice well rounded/complex brew. Very drinkable, this is an awesome brew, I’m starting to really like this style. Highly recommended.

750ml bottle from NYbeer, thanks Steven. Nice orange/yellow pour, with a nice white head. Yeasty aroma, kind of metallic. Very smooth and drinkable, quite nice. very god brew.

Bottle courtesy Durhambeer. Dark gold pour with a huge fluffy white head. Very light slightly fruity aroma, not very distinct. Clean crisp slightly malty taste with a hop pepper bitterness. Very easy drinking with a slightly bitter finish.