Southampton Grand Cru

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: Belgian Strong Ale
Southampton, New York USA

Bottle thanks to MrChopin. Flavors of sweet caramel, spice and lactic sweetness. Spices are nice, nutmeg, ginger, clove and anise. Citrus tastes come out also. Very enjoyable.

750ML bottle, unknown vintage, poured into a tulip. Pours a bright, hazy brownish orange that is vibrant orange when held up to the light. The massive white fluffy head lasts forever and lingers as a one-inch cap that leaves lots of lacing on the way down. Initial aroma is massive citrus with oranges and lemons on top of a sweet Belgian yeast background. There are also tons of spices, with the coriander especiallly evident. I can’t really place the anise in the nose. The taste is a tad sweeter than the aroma and starts with a big candi sugar sweetness and plenty of fruit sweetness, both light fruits like apples and darker fruits such as raisins. The coriander comes back strong in the finish wtih an earthy spiciness that lingers for a while. The mouthfeel is very smooth with lots of carbonation and a great balance of sticky sweetness and spiciness on the palate. I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting, but my expectations were certainly surpassed. This is a fantastic Belgian style beer and very, very drinkable. Highly recommended!

750ml Half Time Beverage This beer has been sitting in the cellar for about a year and a half now. Southampton’s Grand Cru pours a semi-translucent sunset orange that has some shimmer out of the bottle but glows when backlit. A standard pour brought about a fat two finger white head that fell rather quickly to one finger and left big chunky sheet lacing on its way down, even after every drink. The carbonation can be seen rushing up from every surface of the glass and keeps the head sticking around for the entirety. The nose of this beer is absolutely laden with spiciness. It’s tough for me to even put my finger on the complexities of this beer. There’s a muddled mixture of spices right off the bat but they quickly start to separate and become more pronounced. Vanillin is quickly met by sweet orange peel, another citric aspect along the lines of coriander, and a mild touch of anise. Candi sugar and the pale maltiness add a sweetness that’s welcomed and the hops add a bit of herbal earthiness. I’m torn between giving this a 4 or a 4.5. I have to go with the lower of the two because of some of the muddled aromas up front. I wasn’t all that crazy with this beer at first but as it warms more and more the flavors come together much better. A faint hint of vanilla passes by quickly before the sweet orange peel comes back into play. The most noticeable spice in the flavor is the coriander. The coriander is big, juicy and explosive with a great citric character. There’s a touch of sweetness left behind from the candi sugar and pale maltiness that add a great depth to the already complex flavor. A sweet caramel and brown sugar maltiness coe through as well. The spices that were added in this beer make it a true treat. The hop additions, although I’m sure they have faded over time, are in the back and slightly herbal and earthy. This beer really is a treat. The mouthfeel has a little more body than I would have liked to see. There is a little sugary sweetness that contributes to the body being on the heavy side of medium although it never gets in the way. The carbonation adds a nice soothing mouthfeel and the spices leave behind a bit of tingle. This really is a treat to put away but it is without a doubt a sipper. The spice complexities keep this from going down too quickly but also make this beer what it is. This is something to sip and savor the night away. This so far is the best beer I have had from Southampton. I wasn’t that impressed at first but it continues to get better as it warms. The mouthfeel, spiciness, and warmth set this apart from others of a similar style but as I drink I keep wanting more and more. This is actually an excellent beer that I would love to pick up more of. Serving type: bottle 7/6/08

750 ml. 2007. Excellent balance of spice, malts and hops. Huge, fluffy, white head above a hazy golden body. Spicy aroma of coriander, clove and a hint of cinnamon. Along with the spice are notes of flowers, toast, pepper and orange. The flavor is moderately sweet, lightly bitter and moderately acidic. It finishes lightly sweet and moderately bitter along with some alcoholic notes. The tastes come at you in layers. Medium body with a velvety texture. Soft carbonation.

<i>750ml bottle - 2007 vintage:</i> A sticky cork made this one hard to pop. Once open, the beer started gushing, but eased up on first pour. A fiery gold pour with a huge pillowy white head that eventually settles into a firm foamy cap. The aroma is really nice - a balanced blend of orange peel, cinnamon, fresh bread, biscuit and fresh cracked coriander. The balance continues in the body, with an expanded malt profile that moves towards butterscotch, caramel and cane sugar. Very good.

POURS A DARK GOLD COLOR WITH A NICE SWEET SMELL. YOU CAN TASTE ALL THE COMPLEX SUGARS AND SPICES. IT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE COMPARED TO A LESS EXPENSIVE VERSION TO ROCHEFORT 8. A MUST BUY.

From MrChopin via trade. Enjoyed this one during Thanksgiving dinner. The pour was golden orange with a nice white head that produced only minimal lacing. The aroma was orange peel, brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper and malt. The flavor was cinnamon, orange, brown sugar and clove. Full bodied and syrupy sweet. Would never know that this thing is approaching ten percent ABV. Very nice.

Been hanging on to this one for a while for no particular reason other than I’ve had too much beer for a bit and this got buried in the cellar. Pours clear reddish brown color. Aroma of sweet caramel and a little bit of spice. Full odied sweet flavor with a hint of citrus and spice. Getting some floral aromas as well and it is all very nice. Flavor is a little lacking in originality.