Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Saison
Southampton, New York USA

Bottle, 75cl corked. (RBNAG 07) Sure a quite special beer, but a real beauty. Pours a mostly clear, golden body with a white head. The flavor is flowery, slightly sweetish and with a pleasant spicyness from cinnamon and some ginger. The flavors has the same flowery and spicy approach, and there’s a malty, sugary background. Medium to full body. Long, sweetish finish with some ginger. Just lovely, pour me another one. (071103)

Sampled at Oakes’ ’05 Xmas Party
Golden color, head and lacing are noteworthy. Nose of curry and lots of floral notes. The flavor is very herbal and tangy, cardamom like. Tasty and full flavored. I like the combination here. Finishes balanced and elegant.

This beer has a really authentic Belgian feel to it. Although I should have guessed from the name that it had some sort of floral theme, I wouldn’t have suspected all that stuff listed in the blurb had been chucked in. In fact., although there’s certainly a herbal accent to the flavour, it’s quite subtle and well integrated. The nose certainly is aromatic and spicy but, again, not over flowery. There’s a slightly sour, funky edge to the aroma, which counterpoints the aromatic elements quite nicely. Cloudy orange colour. I seem to have done this review in reverse order, but never mind, it’s a nice beer. Bottled at the DC gathering (courtesy of eyedrinkale, I think) on 20 November 2004.

Bottle from Capone’s. Pours turbid dull coppery with 1-finger off-white head. Nose is florals, spicy yeast, hopcitrus, mild funk, fruit. Tastes very floral, hoppy, semi-sweet to semi-dry, with malt, spicy yeast, Bartlett pear, and a rich, complex palate. This one is a true joy to drink.

Tasted at Belgium Comes to Cooperstown, July 16, 2005. Lightly hazed blonde with a big beautiful white head. Sweet honey aroma with light coriander notes. Rich sweet honey with cloves and coriander, ginger and alcohol. Pleasantly rich saison.

Head is initially average sized, fizzy, mostly diminishing. Body is hazy dark yellow, bottle conditioned. Aroma is moderately malty (toasted grain), moderately hoppy (flowers, herbs), lightly yeasty (cobwebs), with notes of chamomile (etc.), lemon zest, pepper. Flavor is heavily sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is moderately sweet, moderately acidic, moderately bitter. Medium to full body, velvety texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic. A little to overtly flowery to be in the mid/high 4’s for me, but underneath it all is a really solid beer. Phil is an amazing brewer.

Beer 2001, shared with Capflu, tiggmtl, Rastacouere, Radiomgb, beerhugger, and DumDum in Ottawa. 750 ml bottle. Luminous orange-amber, nearly opaque, with a fair bit o’ head. Fresh flowers, delicate nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon, ginger and vanilla, are masterfully blended into an intoxicating, perfumy monstrous nose. Imbibing, an immensely sharp, sweet and sour apple and honey character wraps around and transforms the tongue. Odd eddies of more pungent herbs (onion? pepper?) seem to whisper upward, through the full, living body. A masterpiece, a Space Odyssey indeed.

Sweet, dough-like yeast, citrus-lemon in the flowery aroma. Opaque golden-yellow with dense white fluffy head that lasts nicely. Floral and citrusy, sweet yet lightly tart, fantastic complex flavour. Soft, creamy textured body with contrasting prickling strong carbonation. Bottle enjoyed with beerbuzzmontreal, MartinT, Rastacouere and a gang of Bierophoux. Resampled with beerhugger, CapFlu, DumDum, muzzlehatch, radiomgb and Rastacouere and bumped up the overall score. This is one very tasty beer.