Southampton Biere De Mars - Southampton Publick House

JohnGalt1

Idaho

2.1/5  rDev -44.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

12oz Inflatablechair brought over tonight... Thanks Sammy!! Cool and a new to me brew.

Pours a light orange with a short lasting white head... little lacing or retention.

The nose is off-putting .... immediately makes me think of malt extract... a bit perfumy that could be hops or spices, but the thick maltiness is overpowering.... Sam says "oxidized" his palate/nose is miles ahead of mine.

Flavor is no better... tastes like an unfermented homebrew experiment... I can detect/identify nothing that comes across as hops or spice... just tons of malt (extract) ..

Palate seems thick and a light carbonation that does nothing to scrub the flavors off the tongue...

The first time in a looong time that Sam and I haven't finished even half a bottle.

3/2/2/2.5/2

I don't think this was a bad or old bottle... I just believe it wasn't done well. If I am wrong, somebody please approach me and I will happily trade for a different bottle. Cheers, Toby.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 07:20:04 | More by JohnGalt1

FeDUBBELFIST

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -40.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

12oz to pint glass. Sampled 4/7/11.

A: Small 1/2 finger foamy head, off-white in color and below average retention. The body is light golden orange and has brilliant clarity with a steady pace of bubbles running up the sides of the glass. Lacing is spare.

S & T: Malt dominant brew. No hops are detectable on the nose. Toast, must, wood, old sock. Mildly spicy. Touch of sweetness with a smooth boozy alcoholic note presented in cherry form.

M: Full body, thick and chewy. Lively carbonation. Good mouthfeel with points being deducted from the alcoholic texture and the finish, which should have been drier.

O: I thought this would be a style that Southampton would nail but this beer has an odd, very unpleasant aroma and flavor. Would like to try it on tap or (even better) the 750mL version some day for comparison.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 12:02:49 | More by FeDUBBELFIST

steve8robin

Massachusetts

2.48/5  rDev -34.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got this in a BIF. 12oz bottle. Let's see..

A: Golden honey color with some nice orange tint. Small 1 inch white head that fades at a decent pace. Good.

S: Sweet sugary malts with some nice strawberry blended in. Some hints of caramel and toffee. Not much else. Decent.

T: Kind of a strange tart bite to this one. Almost like a metallic bite. Kind of a dirty watery type taste. Hard to get past. Eh, not good.

M: Leaves a strange bite of aluminum in your mouth. Ok.

D: Hard to get past the strange metallic taste to this brew. Ok.

All in all, this brew was not good. The flavors it did have blended in a very unpleasant way. Don't bother hunting or trying if you have access.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 03:12:43 | More by steve8robin

billybob

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle with no freshness date. light copper color half inch head faded very quickly to just beer almost no lace. smells sweet and musty like old brewed tea. sweet malty taste hint of caramel, alcohol, oily feel to it after taste of old tea, poor carbonation overall very disappointed i have had southampton's double white which is excellent but i will not buy this beer again.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2011 16:30:29 | More by billybob

jeffthecheff

Connecticut

2.8/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours amber gold in color with a thinner than expected head. The head eventually dies down to the point where it can't be swirled back up. Good clarity.

The aroma has some toasted malt, some caramel, some maple, and some spice. Not a ton of yeast character. A little bit of mustiness comes through, but came across as un-fresh and stale instead of earthy. The flavor follows with some toasty malt up front, a slight buttery flavor, and a bit of low quality caramel on the finish. Nothing to get excited about.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied, slick, and with medium carbonation. This beer isn't great, but I'll take another right now. I'm not in a picky mood tonight.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 22:10:50 | More by jeffthecheff

woosterbill

Connecticut

2.85/5  rDev -25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at Prime 16 into an Unibroue tulip.

A: Perfectly clear light amber body with an inch of creamy white foam. Pretty good retention and lacing. Lovely.

S: Huh. Sharp lager-like sulfurous yeast, dry pilsner malt and some spicy phenols on the back end. Not what I was expecting, and not all that great.

T: Sweet fruits up front, then dry pilsner-like breadiness followed by a biting bit of chalky minerality on the finish. Complex, but slightly unpleasant, actually.

M: Active medium body; the carbonation starts sharp and finishes smooth. Nice.

D: Weird mix of malt sweetness and yeast dryness. I'm not really a fan.

Notes: While I'm normally a big fan of what Southampton does, this one left me cold. I have to admit I'm not terribly familiar with the Bière de Garde style, but this was by far the least enjoyable of the several examples I've had - although I have a sneaking suspicion that it might be the most closely representative one. I'll keep an open mind until I've had more opportunities to sample authentic European versions.

Cheers!

Serving type: on-tap

03-01-2011 02:48:05 | More by woosterbill

avalon07

South Carolina

2.9/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had a bright orange color and a cloudy consistency. There was absolutely no head or lacing to speak of.

S: Aroma was very muted, but had traces of fruit, malt, and some phenols.

T: Tasted of malt, orange, some mild spices, but little else. This beer is just thin and watery without much character. Not at all what you expect from the style.

M: A well-carbonated beer with a sharp, vibrant finish. Medium-bodied.

O: This beer does have a couple of decent qualities, but it fails in the flavor category.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 13:17:44 | More by avalon07

mactrail

California

2.9/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

More like a golden bock beer, rather strong and even a little sweet. Very slight foam on the amber brew. A decent carbonation on the tongue. Beery and slightly perfumey aroma.

Fairly thick mouthfeel. Malty with a touch of butterscotch. I could not detect any of the Belgian flavors. I don't know how you would categorize this as a Biere de Garde or anything remotely in the style. Perfectly drinkable, but hard to rate it fairly. A scratchy finish with some winey bitterness.

From the 12 oz bottle, oddly enough available at the supermarket in DC.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 02:20:39 | More by mactrail

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Cream soda/amber color with plenty of carb streams a-risin'. Minimal head from a topped-off pour. No significant lace effect.

Grassy hops with a mild acidity not unlike white cheddar. Pale grains and crabapple.

Tinny and musty. Opening woody acidity and finishing fizzy bitterness. Caramel malts are up-front, and a quaint tartness is all but missing. Off-kilter for the style. No yeast esters of prominence. Slight granny smith sour sting that's quickly cleansed with the toasted grains and some booze. Very unexceptional and down-letting.

Too fizzy. Body's okay. A little turning in the belly. Will need a big stout to settle myself up.

Had more hopes for Southampton on this one. Can't win 'em all.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2012 01:21:24 | More by thecheapies

danedelman

Pennsylvania

3.05/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A-very coppery for this style, I feel.

S-maltiness, some grassy and even a hint of coffee.

T-malt bomb!! no tartness which I was thinking I would get from this one.

M-medium bodied

Overall-not impressed and a little disappointed on this one. I usually love southampton too. :(

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 23:27:34 | More by danedelman

vkv822

Oregon

3.06/5  rDev -19.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz : tulip

Clear, golden orange with a thin, foamy white head.

Toasty, sweet malts predominately, with some faint grassy, and melon hop notes.

Medium-full body, with mild foamy carbonation.

Not unpleasant, but the flavor profile was fairly subdued and one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 08:41:08 | More by vkv822

goodbyeohio

Oregon

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

been sitting on this beer for 6 months, and at 6+%, seems like the right time to crack it.. after all, it's a rather warm, spring-like night. 750ml, all dressed up with gold foil. cork is a bitch to remove with an anti-climactic sigh/dull pop emerging. this is a southampton cork expectation though, so i continue..

golden orange in appearance, jubilant, fluffy head disappears quickly leaving not much more than a thin, even layer of sud. stray bubbles dance about and the body looks a bit dense and cloudy. almost clear, not quite. lacing is present and it rocks hard against the glass, staging a sit-in on the walls of the tulip.

nose.. doesn't exist too much. ok, let's be p.c. and say 'subtle'. there is a hint of fresh-baked donuts.. sweet & yeasty. maybe a lemon spritz and the quick whiff of a blossoming garden.

tastes kinda so-so too.. sticks with the whole nose profile. there is a brief sourness.. not quite brett, but funky nevertheless. more lemon than lactobacillus. quickly makes way for a light, crisp, nearly flavorless brew accented mildly by hops and light fruit tang- think wild raspberries. mouthfeel is both creamy and sharp, easy to drink and that is admirable. tastewise, this is a middle of the road belgian pale ale, or a wannabe saison. take your pick.

not impressed, won't try this one again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2005 23:25:43 | More by goodbyeohio

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Part of the Southampton mixed 12 pack. Pours a somewhat dark golden color. Smallish head to it.. very strong aroma, wine like almost. Medium to full bodied... very sweet beer. Good mouthfeel, quite carbonated. Reminds me a lot of champagne tastewise.. even a bite of alcohol in there. Not totally into this style but this one isn't bad... give me an IPA or Amber over this one for sure but definitely drinkable and a good change of pace beer for a unique style.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 03:16:28 | More by marlinsfan4

Ineedabeerhere

Connecticut

3.08/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From one of the new 12oz bottling. Had this earlier tonight.

Surprisingly good clarity on the pour, a golden-ish color with small white cap, a dot of lace or two. Ring lasts.

The aroma.. well it's kind of leaving me disinterested. Yeast characters combine with the spice additions for equal parts of fruitiness (berries, mostly) and spice (some a floral-ish component as well). But there's this overture of butteryness that's just kind of off-putting. As it came up to room temp, this intensified.

The taste has a moderate spice presence... though they don't say what spices they add to this specifically...as it warmed, this became pretty dominant and almost medicinal in nature... clearly not all coming from the yeast. Some dirt and bread. Dry finish, low-medium level of carbonation, the spiciness lasts on the tongue... not too appealing.

I guess it's an interesting stab at the style, but it could've used a lot more of a hop bite and a more interesting malt profile to balance out all the spiciness here.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2010 03:30:33 | More by Ineedabeerhere

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

Pours light copper with orange tint with a small layer of white foam. Slight orange fruity smell. Some funkiness too.

Creamy taste, orange citrus overtones. Somewhat gritty mouthfeel, like too much of the rind got in the mix.

This one didn't work as much for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 19:29:09 | More by KTCamm

yelterdow

New Jersey

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served at just over fridge temperature in a Duvel tulip. EPseja joined me in this hard-to-find and expensive ($10.79) adventure.

Appearance- Pours a pale honey with a solid inch-thick head. Foamy, sudsy bone white crown that sits like shaving cream in a full bathroom sink. A good amount of lacing trails behind. Very, very nice.

Smell- Saaz-like hops strike the nasal passages immediately, almost too hard. Some sour, yeasty, lemony, wheat notes follow with a hint of perfume and flowers. As time unfurls, a sourdough bread character becomes evident along with a trace of phenols. The nose opens up and becomes sweeter over a half-hour or so.

Taste- Characteristic of an old beer, with its acidic and citric bitterness. Some astringency comes forth which makes me wince slightly... lemon and bread remain on the lips after the swallow.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- A bit sharp and aggressive in the mouth with resulting big ass burps... almost to a detriment. The beer mellows a little after several minutes, but this intensifies the punchy sourness that now has taken over almost completely. Not an easy beer to get through to the end... next time I will pair this one with food, as I believe there is some balance that needs to be achieved.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2005 04:05:49 | More by yelterdow

GbVDave

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -16.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Chimay chalice. Extra special thanks to Ineedabeerhere for this from our latest trade!

Bottle dated 061110

A: Pours a clear, apple cider gold with the tinyest suggestion of head on top. Really. It barely reached 1/8 of a finger thick before it completely disappeared. Not one speck of lace was left behind.

S: Vaguely grapey and toasty with huge amounts of butter. Also picked up a hint of green apple.

T: Pretty much as above with more toasted grains and a flavor I can only describe as woody butter.

M: Pretty much covers the toasty, dry, and bitter side of the spectrum. Actually, I found this to be the best thing about this beer.

D: This was kind of a "meh" beer for me. Not bad, just sort of blah. I'd really like to have tried the version of it shown in the picture above.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 01:54:06 | More by GbVDave

Sean9689

Illinois

3.2/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Southampton Mega Tasting! Bottle #141/250...original batch brewed at the Publik House.

A - Pours yellow, clear, white head, thin ring.

S - Yeasty funk, cloves, wheat, slight sweetness, orange peel.

T - Similar to the nose. Yeast, wheat, some sweetness, citrus.

M - Light, crisp, dry finish.

O - Meh, not my kinda beer. Not really digging this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2011 02:25:39 | More by Sean9689

Thickfreakness

New York

3.23/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Pours a deep, honey-caramel orange with a tinted one finger head that fades away rather quickly and leaves just little drips and drabs of lacing. A decent little bit of carbonation.

S- Sugared lemons and black peppercorns. Subtle hints of honey, caramel, mowed over leaves, and some notes of bitter citrus peel and a touch of yeastiness.

T- Notes of sweet caramel, lemon pepper, spicy basil, toasted nuts, buttered popcorn, milky toffee. Again, little hints of bitter citrus peel. The pepper really hits you on the back end of the swallow, just before being overtaken by the sugary sweetness.

M- Decent blend of sweet and bitter... but in somehow, and weird way. No real sence of carbonation as the beer rolls on the tongue. Pretty darn flat indeed.

O- I wouldn't call this bland, but I was hoping for so much more from this fantastic brewery. Not bad, but I'm not sure I'll be buying this again anytime soon.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 01:02:37 | More by Thickfreakness

AgentZero

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Southampton Mega Tasting beer, thanks to beerworld for this original 2008 bottling, #141 of #250.

A - This looks a lot like the last couple Southampton beers we had. Big white head, little bit of lace, golden looking brew with slight haze.

S - I get some very strange notes on this one, menthol, eucalyptus, honey, mint, camomile tea, as well as some yeast and sweet malts. Not really doing it for me, also not sure that this is what it is suppose to smell like, but the bottle is somewhat older.

T - Taste is a little better than the smell, with some of the weird herbal notes more muted. I still get some mint and tea along with some honey. Truth is, the taste on this whole thing is quite mild. It is a little champagney, and reminds me of drinking some type of champagne-water.

M - Decent carbonation, lighter, dry finish.

O - Not a huge fan, some of the tastes a re just a little too off for me. Glad to have tried the original bottling, but either it hasn't held up well or it was just off to begin with.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 15:32:01 | More by AgentZero

onix1agr

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Fresh 12oz bottle into a Lancaster Brewing pint glass in the afternoon. Contract brewed in Latrobe, PA.

Olympic gold medal gold with faint traces of straw yellow within the liquid. With only a few OZ's into the glass, Mars exploded with foam so I eased up on the pour a bit. I ended up with a soft looking but dense bright ivory white chunk of head that had some strength. Spraypaint lace on the way down.

This smells close to pleasant for about five minutes before a huge buttery aroma comes up and engulfs everything. Well before that there was a nice mix of noble hops and a faint sweet scent from the malt. After that a bold butterscotch and beyond stench comes in making for a sweet mess.

Not really a hot mess in taste but it has the makings to be. This is extremely malty with butter coming out the ying yang, something to soak your popcorn in. This is a very fresh bottle but somehow the hops are just barely keeping it together with a rustic earthy taste. Some grain in the middle and mo malt in the end. Not really getting the farmhouse in this and the spices are not coming up.

Im going to say that this is a healthy medium body, yet it feels like a bit more and fuller with the diactal taste. There is just the slightest hint of a crisp feel if your looking for it. From the look of the pour, I thought this would be crisp, but it's quite muted.

While being low in alcohol, I don't think I would go for more than one of these in a sitting, Im not digging the dead butter dominating the taste, I thought this would be somewhat interesting but it's one sided as all hell. If some spices came through this might be appealing, but for now it's in limbo.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2010 21:27:34 | More by onix1agr

Johnnyfacelift

New York

3.28/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper colored and hazy with little to no head and some lacing. The aroma is apple cidar with savory notes and fruity undertones. The taste is right in line with the aroma and the mouthfeel is rich but not sweet. I am drinking this beer at the end of May and I think it would be better enjoyed in its intended month of March with the cold weather still in the air. Good beer but bad timing.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2012 22:41:58 | More by Johnnyfacelift

portia99

Massachusetts

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

4/4/10

Southampton Biere de Mars

12oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams Summer Ale tumbler.

A - Pours a crystal clear pale amber/rich golden color. A full finger plus of creamy white head forms and lingers briefly before falling to a substantial layer on the surface of the beer and leaving behind some light lacing on the glass.

S - Filled with plenty of floral and perfumey hops, a bit of earthiness and maybe a bit of skunk in there too. Under the hops is a bit of buttery diacetyl and some soft biscuity and breadlike malt and a some sulfur. Bottle says it is brewed with spices but I'm really not picking up anything in the nose of this beer.

T - Fruity and flowery in flavor up front, a touch of cherry on the tip of my tongue that disappears almost immediately. Mildly bitter, but the malt is more of a factor - provides a nice backbone. Some unusual flavors going on here that detract, maybe a bit of metallic flavor and a bit of dirt too. Just OK for me.

M - On the lighter side of medium bodied with ample carbonation. A bit over-carbonated if you ask me, but not a major detractor. Nothing special here.

D - Not bad...it's definitely drinkable, but not anywhere near the best of the best in this style. I'm happy to have picked this up and been able to try it, but I think it's a one and done for me. The somewhat "off" aromas and tastes kinda turn me off a bit here. Had high expectations for this and was a bit let down.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2010 01:54:08 | More by portia99

Bouleboubier

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I was looking forward to trying this, first time having it. I noticed the bottled pictured is different (grand-er presentation) - any explanation for that?

Clear, yellow-orange hue with next to no head. Mild spice character, cloyingly smooth feel that gradually took precedence over the flavor. Sure didn't taste like 6.5%, but certainly felt it, especially in the after-aftertaste - my tongue felt remarkably astringent.

I was somewhat underwhelmed with this. Felt myself at times just trying to finish it to get rid of it. Southampton usually cranks out some quite flavorful, satisfying beers, but this didn't meet my expectations - which maybe weren't too high to begin with...

EDIT: (10/17/10) Heard a talk by Phil Markowski recently where he explained the differences between Saison, Biere de Garde, and Biere de Mars. Much subtle info I wasn't aware of - quite interesting. Hoping that I can approach this more aware next time.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 05:46:13 | More by Bouleboubier

irishking1977

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The biere de garde style is one of those styles that is difficult to find, but the few I have tried, reminded me of saisons or farmhouse ales, but with less yeastiness. Curious to see what this one is all about.

A: Pours a transparent copper/gold color with a minimal head that disappears quickly leaving virtually no lacing. Is this ginger ale?

S: A honey-like sweetness with some adjuncts such as corn or rice. What is this?

T: Tastes better than it looks or smells; honey sweetness with some floral accents. Nothing overwhelming, but no aspects that make it remarkable or stand out.

M: Seems a bit watered down. Decent carbonation for the style.

D: This isn't a bad beer; it's not a brew that is difficult to drink or anything, just somewhat dull. I'd still take this over any macro like Corona or Bud. I'm sure that's not something a brewery wants to hear, but that's how I perceived this one. I have five more, so perhaps there will be something that I don't notice in the next few.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2010 23:57:36 | More by irishking1977