Southampton Double White Ale

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Belgian White (Witbier)
Southampton, New York USA

Aroma of yeast and citrus. Color was pale gold, not too cloudy. Taste was normal for a wit, with a slight twist. Finish was unusual for a wit beer, somewhat tart. Definite sour elements. Surprised it is in the 99.5 percentile for this style

This is one of the early 2006 bottles that was recalled due to there being too much crystal malt in the mix... Light amber color (maybe deep golden), slightly hazy. Moderate carbonation with a foamy ivory head that bubbles away rapidly. The residual crown leaves some lacing. Aroma is wheat malt, yeast, corriander and clove, banana, and bitter orange. Flavor is a little sour and peppery with undertones of wheat, alcohol, hops, and citrus. Finish is a little dry and bitter with a hint of tart lemon. Medium body and fairly smooth. The alcohol is well integrated. This is a welcomed derivation from "the usual" white beer. The flavor seems to be more complex and sour, but not really reminiscent of a traditional white beer in any way except for the aroma... 22 oz bottle (XXII Reserve), $4.25 from River’s Bend.

12 oz bottle at Pikkulintu, Helsinki. Hazy yellow color with yeast flocs and vanishing head. Spicy, perfumed, acidic, corky and appley aroma with notes of rhubarb. Dry, woody, corky, peppery and clovey flavor with coriander, strawberry and rhubarb. Dry sherry like finish. A great beer reminding dry saisons or fino sherry.

POP!, goes the cork, and away we pour....cloudy golden hue, beneath a majestic helping of snowy froth, leisurely collapsing to a more modest dimension. Nose perfectly captures the soul of the wit, the light, breezy nature, mixed with delicate spice, and accompanying citric zest vapors. Easily matches the uplifting aromas of the very best witbiers I’ve ever known. Tangy tartness starts off the taste, giving a cause to pucker and sliding lemony flavor down the tongue. It returns with each additional congress between cup and lip, and each time delivers a serious, even juicy, blast of flavor. Still, lightness remains, and refreshment is the order of the day. Light in body, but with a long, fruity finish, and a uncompromising commitment to flavor. I admire more and more the insistence of the citric feel on the tongue and back down the throat the further I get into this full-size bottle, and the spices are better regarded too, the more I partake. Other whites/wits I’ve had deliver, then peter out, but not this one, it stays strong from the start and never quits. The flavor is almost palpable, and urges every sip onward. (I had an undesired ale before this, and relish the act of enjoying every taste, rather than plodding through an unexceptionable bore of a beer.) Magnificent, really. Wish I had more than the one sample, (thanks to sulldaddy!), so I could share among others at picnics, park benches, drive-in movies, motorcycle rallies, kite-flying expeditions, Crimean War re-enactments, Klingon weddings, voodoo ceremonies, hammock testings, effigy burnings...any time really...good beer, perfect for good people, wherever they may be found.

My bottle bears the markings of the contract brewed offering versus the glorious corked bottle pictured to the left. Pours a very hazy lemon gold, tinge of green perhaps, small but tight head fades slowly, absolutely lovely. Aroma is a nice blend of coriander and a citric touch, very fresh in character. The flavor is full bodied, a hint of bubblegum in the wheat, with a distinct flavor of fresh coriander and somewhat acidic orange. One nice thing was that the flavors really lingered for quite some time after the swallow. Very nicely done.

Cask @ CT Real Ale Festival. Citrusy sour lemons and coriander in the nose with a slight soapiness. Decent aroma. Pale straw color and hazy with a large white fluffy head. Citrus lemon notes to start out turning quite milky and malty in the middle. Finishing hops are a bit much. Still decent.

07.16.05 Sampled from bomber at BCTC. Thickly hazedd, near opaque pale straw. Fleeting head. aroma is spicy, weeds, corriander, bubblegum, some floral. Really spiced up flavor but plenty of body to keep the spices from settling out too much on the palate. Not much alcohol presence from a double ’anything’. It’s a shame to call it ’double’ because it would be a fantastic plain old wit.

22 oz. bottle. Hazy, deep dull orange-yellow body. Fresh corainder and floral aroma. Clean and pleasant. Medium tartness and sweet for a wit, but that’s appropriate with this. This is perfectly sweet. Strong honey notes, with mild lime and mild bitterness. Very nice and better than expected.