Southampton Double White Ale

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

Bought a bottle of this a couple of years ago and gave to friend that had done so many favors for me. Finally getting to sample at the pub seems the ultimate reward. For some reason I had strange and perhaps unfavorable expectations despite my love of their beers here. Again, nice to be proven wrong. I enjoy a wit, but sometimes the balance leans to far in one direction. Here the balance leans too far in ALL directions and comes out all the better for it. Tangy and tart and more bitter than I would have thought and just perfect for the incredibly muggy weather that NY was experiencing at the time. Pure delight.

Aroma is a sweet buttery wheat. Flavor is sweet buttery caramel wheat with a slight spicy hop kick. Nice butterscotch aftertaste.

Everything tastes better in the Hamptons. Beautifully spiced nose with ample wheat undercurrent. This was a great summer beer with a thick enough mouthfeel that was almost lush.

2004 bottle Vintage, Sampled April 2004
As I pour this beer it generates a thick, white, frothy head. The beer itself is a murky yellow orange color. Aromas of bready yeastiness, lemon zest, and orange waft from my glass. As I take my first sip I note that this beer is nice and refreshingly light bodied. It finishes with an appealing acidic tartness, which is a great foil for the flavors that are in the front of this beer. There is a definite lemony/ orange character, and it is joined by a light coriander note. The carbonation reinforces the invigorating zing that is found in the finish.

The acidity in this is quite wonderful, nothing like a Lambic or a Flemish Sour, but it is here, and it is quite welcome. I really like this beer, of course I am a sucker for Wit beers. This beer finishes with a bit of astringency. This beer is straight forward, yet complex at the same time, refreshing yet contemplative.

Hazy goldenrod supporting a tall rocky white head with good retention and lots of lacing. Bright, fruity aroma of citrus, cloves, banana, vanilla and a touch of yeast. Wonderfully clean and balanced flavor with cloves, pepper, lemon, orange and fresh baked bread all complimenting and supporting one another perfectly. Mouthfeel was silky and the finish was lightly tart, mildly sweet and very clean. As an American example of a traditional Belgian Wit, this one hits the mark and sets it quite high. In fact, I could easily reach for one of these in favor of a Hoegaarden. It reminded me of Hoegaarden but just slightly crisper. Excellent beer.

750 ML Bottle. I’ve been enjoying this one since 2004. It is always consistently great! Pours a cloudy yellow with a nice looking thick lacy head. Yeasty and citrus (mostly orange) aroma. Depending how much you stir the sediment the flavour is slightly fruity with a great dry alcohol taste. A favourite of mine.

Pours a nice pale, though filtered, with a very nice head. Aroma is rich, fruity, lots of orange, a bit of hops, kinda champagne like. Effervescent palate leads to a super-orangey, spicy, full and sweet taste. My roomate called it over-sweet but I disagree: though it didn’t really taste too much like a wit, it was sweet and full and refreshing. A very nice beer, though a bit (read: way too) expensive.

From a 22oz Bottle. Obtained in a trade with beerbill 2/2007. Pours a slightly hazy, but even straw gold color with a healthy layer of fine bubbled brilliant white head. Lots of sweet and zesty orange peel in the nose, along with some creamy banana and pineapple yeast aromatics. Floral rose gardens. Mild wheat plays in the background, but the fruitiness is what dominates. Medium bodied, creamy mouthfeel with a soft carbonation. A bit more yeasty spice comes out on the palate, as does the coriander herbalness that was well hidden in the nose. Sweet banana and honeysuckle wheat greet the palate with an herbal kick and a bit of peppery yeast. This fades to some chewy bread dough that’s well dusted with french herbs. Finishes with an herbal dryness that brings forth loads of coriander spice. Great brew; thanks, Bill!