Southampton India Pale Ale

Brewed by Southampton Publick House
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Southampton, New York USA

Bought on Friday, 7/30/2006. Just became available in Ohio that week. I believe that I was one of the first, if the THE first, retail customer to buy a bottle of Southampton brand beer in the State of Ohio. I got it from the first store in Ohio known to carry the brand immediately after the shipment was unloaded from the truck. I picked up one bottle each of the Southampton IPA (12 oz), May Bock (22 oz), and Double White (22 oz). The IPA is the color of burnt sugar with a generous head that stays around. Lots of carbonation. A very delicate hop aroma, more malt aroma than exected. Flavor is an interesting blend of malt and hops - less hoppy than expected. Hops are more pine-like and with a bitterness lingers long after swallowing, but a little too harsh. A good beer, but not nearly as drinkable as other IPAs (e.g. Stone IPA). However, I have noticed that it mellows out as it gets warmer.

Bottle. Very hoppy aroma. A bit of a thick head that wallows down a bit. Amber color with activity. Sweet hoppy taste and well balanced, smooth. Good IPA.

On draft at RFD. Nice solid IPA. Great balance between the sweet malt and the piney hops. Orange hue when poured. Interesting to watch. Better to drink.

Orange, piney hops aroma, dark amber, pours a small custard head. Taste of the west coast hops , nice malt malt backbone as well. Light bodied, well balanced. Decent. Thanks HogTownHarry!

(Bottle) Pours lightly cloudy amber with a moderate off-white head. Aroma of toasted malt, pine, grapefruit, and herbs. Flavor of toasted malt and hops.

Now available in 12oz contract brewed bottles, which is great, because bombers just don’t make sense for IPAs, especially non-imperial. Great as a session beer. Pours with a nice white head and a very pale yellow to orange gradient. Fruity and tart leather aroma with apple, pine, lemon. Kind of soapy in the mouth but has a good pine/citrus hop balance and a nice, subtle malt finish that only shows up warm, and still only very late in the sip. Quenching and swell. This should certainly do better as Southampton’s "flagship" (ie profitable) beer.

Freakisly vibrant cloudy orange, with a thin white head. Resiny, earthy aroma with a faint note of blueberries, maybe? Very filling palate. Sticky and earthy, with resiny flavors thoughout. Alomst tart finish and a long aftertaste. Like a lot of Southampton beers, its somehow more than the sum of its parts. Thanks to Springslicker for bringing this one down from NY.

Bottle, from Julio’s. Ok nose, citrusy. Full complement lemon, grapefruit, lime, orange. Little caramel & floral notes. Minor hazy lite brownish orange color, ok head that faded quickly to a ring then nothing. Ok lacing. Bitter flavor, like aroma mainly citrus with a grassy addition. Little tinny/metallic also. Medium body, slippery creamy mouthfeel, bitter dry finish. Eh, just didn’t d much for me.