Southampton Imperial Porter - Southampton Publick House

EkimGram

New York

3.18/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: 12oz bottle poured into large snifter. Colour is a dark, rich, and deep brown nearing black. Very thin head fades to almost nothing.

Smell: Roasted malts, coffee, bitter hops, and some alcohol.

Taste: Wow, this was disappointing. Initial flavours are weak in general, pretty much all hops. Malts are the aftertaste primarily. These flavours are not blended together very well. They are nice but so divided.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied, sticky, and chewy with a mild amount of carbonation.

Overall: Unfortunately, weak and confused. Not very interesting save for the roasted malt aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 07:48:18 | More by EkimGram

danedelman

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After having their Abbot 12, I saw this in a 6 pack and purchased it.

A-deep black with tannish but white head that stays around for a little bit.

S-nice chocolate smell with a hint of black licorice(sp). Smells wonderful to me, slight booze smell still, but I am not against that. Very nice roasted malt smell lingers.

T-This may be my favorite Porter behind Liberty. Chocolate and Malt flavors stand out with a nice roasted oat finish.

M-It is a little thick but the taste and smells will keep me coming back to this one.

Overall a must buy.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2012 21:28:11 | More by danedelman

jtingue

New York

3.55/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint.

Appearance. Dark brown to black in color. Slightly transparent at the edges of the glass. Pours with a finger of head that dissipates to a thin layer on top of the brew.

Smell. Lots of roasted malts with some yeasty esters.

Taste. Starts out with flavors of milk chocolate which is quickly accompanied by some roasty bitterness. Some floral notes start to take over and lead into a fruity, yet roasty finish.

Mouthfeel. Medium to thick body with a moderate amount of carbonation. Quite peasant.

Surprising flavors in this one. It has a lot of the fuuity and floral notes that I sometimes tastes in the British beers. Quite enjoyable, but not perfect.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 18:58:21 | More by jtingue

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.48/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is rather mild, some roasted malts. Taste is also mild, coffee, roasted malts, just a touch of chocolate. Feels light in the mouth and overall is a decent beer but rather light for a porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 15:16:21 | More by tone77

CHADMC3

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a dark chestnut brown body with deep ruby hues beneath the foamy, tan head that is packed with dense bubbles of carbonation and patiently leaves a sticky, yet thin lacing behind.

There are some roasted malt aromas atop the beer but it appears to be a bit on the sweet side for a porter, offering milk chocolate and hints of light coffee grounds.

The flavor is slightly roasted, certainly not smoked, with hints of sweetness in there, maybe chocolate malt.

Medium in body, although light for a porter with medium carbonation and lacking the nice smoky finish I would like to see.

A nice beer, but lacking the robust qualities I would expect to see from an Imperial Porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 00:57:52 | More by CHADMC3

Pete27lax

New York

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Opened this bottle fresh on 12/9/11

Pours a very dark brown, not quite black but typical porter look. Small head, very light, that doesn't last too long. Decent lacing in this one.

Smell is nothing outstanding but still nice. Roasty smell coming from this one with slight hints of chocolate and coffee also present.

Taste was very enjoyable, couldn't expect anything different from Southampton. Light coffee and chocolate in the taste. I have to say the most notable taste here is vanilla. Vanilla is noticeable throughout and definitely there in the after taste.

Mouthfeel is pretty light. Decent amount of carbonation throughout this beer.

Overall this is definitely a solid porter!

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 08:24:56 | More by Pete27lax

kylehay2004

Florida

3.05/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: three finger off white head which rapidly dissipates to a half finger head leaving nice lacing. Black without light getting through.

S: yeasty and spicey, with some esters. Almost saison like, interesting.

T: this one is interesting. More like a sweet caramel malt and not very boozy or smokey as I was expecting.

M: light to medium carbonation and medium body, much lighter than I was expecting.

Overall: very drinkable and light for an imperial anything much less a porter.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:17:49 | More by kylehay2004

taigor

New York

3.65/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into DFH pint glass.

A - Poured dark brown almost black non-transparent color with huge creamy mocha head that quickly dissipated leaving lots of lacing around the glass.

S - Predominantly chocolate, roasted malts, dark fruits and coffee.

T - Slightly sweet to start followed by roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee bitterness.

M - Medium bodied with high carbonation.

O - Great porter with ABV well hidden. I highly recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 18:50:18 | More by taigor

57md

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours dark brown, almost black in color with one-finger head. There is little retention and only a bit of lacing. The sweetness in the nose overwhelms anything else. There is a some malt taste, but the flavor is sweet more than anything. There is hardly any roasted flavor that is normal in a porter and the finish is pretty weak. If this is the imperial, I definitely don't want to waste my time with their plain old porter. All around, I was not terribly impressed.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 03:44:22 | More by 57md

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.4/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle tried 3 Oct. 2010. Acquired in trade a while ago, apologies for forgetting from whom. Served in the (512) One tulip.

Medium sized brown head. Moderately carbonated. Opaque, very dark brown, almost black in color. Aromas of molasses, acrid coffee, ethanol, a touch metallic. Tastes of roasty dark burnt malts. Some molasses and coffee. Just a faint touch of prunes or plums. Molasses in the finish and aftertaste. Medium to light body, light mouthfeel, moderate ethanol.

Just a bit above average for the style IMO.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 19:37:50 | More by htomsirveaux

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a pitch black with 2 inches of tan foam that quickly faded.
aroma was faint, a bit of chocolate and brown sugar
the taste is similar, a bit of chocolate, sweetness and a bit of bitterness. smooth with a bit of a soda type carbonated mouthfeel. Its fairly easy to drink but not one that i'd necessarily look for again.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2011 02:17:45 | More by mikereaser

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3.18/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

My girlfriend is dieting for a bikini competition so I'm stockpiling the cellar with strong, dark beers to age for a post-competition celebration. Picked up a few of these on our recent road trip to NY.

Pours dark cola brown and sits opaque black in my glass. Chunky brown eggshell head. Glass bottom retention leaves several lace rings. I couldn't ask for a much better looking Baltic porter.

Dense head doesn't let much aroma through but what's there is faint and unimpressive. Cocoa powder and cola caramel.

Flavor is as reserved as the aroma. Chocolate frozen yogurt, a very mild roast character and some dark fruit that emerges more and more as the beer warms. Very smooth and very clean.

For a big beer it doesn't flex any big beer muscles. Hope it ages well.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 00:11:39 | More by donkeyrunner

UMNbeerhunter

Minnesota

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

Poured into a Darkness goblet on August 12th 2011.

Pour is like diet coke which leads to a solid dark base and a light brown head that dissipates leaving no lacing. Needs more body and lacing.

Smell is of coffee. I wanted more chocolate and malty smell but what I got is nothing.

Mouthfeel is light in the taste but not great. Pallet is nice and smooth but hey what the hell.

Overall this is a solid Brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 09:11:31 | More by UMNbeerhunter

Samp01

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown with short lived head. Aroma of lightly roasted malt some espresso and fruitiness. Taste is roasted malts, some espresso with some light hops a bit of cacao. Palate is nice full body with good carbonation. Finish is roasted caramel malt, some coffee and light sweet fruitiness with some light hops bitterness to add some balance. Overall a good IP

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 01:12:15 | More by Samp01

vande

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A ~ looks very similar to a cola....brownish-black in color with a faint hint of head along the rim of the glass

S ~ hints of coffee...light roasted malts.. touch of chocolate...but all aromatics is on the lighter side...

T ~ somewhat like the smell on this beer... coffee, roasted coco, malty...but thinner that I'd have guessed...

M ~ thinner, but carbonated...reminds me of something like a java monster in regards to carbonated, coffee flavored beverage..

O ~ decent porter

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 03:29:31 | More by vande

mocktm

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Easily the pride of Long Island's beer culture, the Publick House has been putting out quality brews for years. From my personal and small experience with the brew-house, it can be said that their specialty lies more within the Belgium realm, judging especially from their stunning 750 series. Never the less, everything I've had from them up to this point has certainty been up to snuff. Hoping this imperial porter from their variety pack is no exception.

Pours a opaque dark brown to black with a noticeably aerated beige head. Seriously, if I didn't just pour this from the bottle myself, I'd be very inclined to think it was a nitrogen pour. Buttery smooth and creamy body with a head to match. Abundant lacing and considerable retention.

Nose has scents of chocolate, roasted coffee, vanilla and caramel from the malt. Aromas aren't quite as robust as I was anticipating/hoping for from an Imperial, but still satisfying. Slight hop citrus way in the back, but certainly not enough fruit presence to kill the style. Seems more complementary than anything, allowing the flavors to mesh quite well without any deep complexities.

Taste matches up well with the nose. Light fruit correlates amiably with the malt toffee and chocolate, with absolutely no trace of alcohol anywhere. My main complaint here again is that I was anticipating bolder and edgier flavors. This just seems a bit to mellow to bare the words imperial on the label. Not that that takes away from the fact that this is indeed a tasty porter style brew.

Mouth feel is silky smooth and easy drinking. Medium bodied with very ample carbonation.

Going into this one, I was expecting a bit more, given my previous encounters with SH brews. Not to say I am slamming this beer at all, because I am surly not. It is certainly thoroughly enjoyable, but just a tad bit lighter than what I guessed. Definitely worth a try, cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 14:22:02 | More by mocktm

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours black with a nice two finger chocolate head. Nice carbonation and lacing. Nice looking beer.

S- Smells of chocolate, malt, some fruit, and slight hint of coffee. Not a bad smelling beer. Would like the nose to be a little stronger for a higher score.

T- All the smells come out in the taste, w/ the fruit being more present than in the smell. Not a bad tasting beer. Just a notch less than a 4...

M- Very smooth, w/ a little bitterness in the aftertaste. Not bad. Creamy too, definitely not a dry finish.

O- Nice beer that falls just a little short of a 4 overall score. Glad I got to try this one, as I'm a big fan of Southamton's Abbot 12.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 00:50:58 | More by jayhawk73

KTCamm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +12%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz bottle into a standard pint glass.

Pours dark black with a thick creamy head of mostly white foam. Sticks to the sides.

Light coffee smell with some chocolate maltiness. Strong roasted taste with firm carbonation. Some buried toffee/caramel flavors.

Nicely blended. Very subtle hop that folds into the taste.

Overall - a good porter.

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2011 23:50:34 | More by KTCamm

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: black/brown. mocha hued frothy head with decent retention. opaque.

S: roasted cocoa. assertive, but definitely on the softer side. candied apple and a touch of vanilla.

T: gentle roast matches the nose. not too assertive. finish is slightly sweet, but mostly dry. actually it is predominately dry.

M: pretty soft carbonation on a medium body. fizz tastes good.

D: overall still a very drinkable robust porter. i understand the imperial name tag due to the alcohol, but the flavor is still a bit muted. was hoping this would be closer to a baltic.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 01:53:17 | More by Jimmys

Azurescens

Washington

3.38/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle with no bottled on/freshness date poured into my Maudite stemmed glass, reviewed on 4/7/11

A: Pours very dark almost black with a dense tan head that dissipates to a thin film and leaves a bit of lacing around glass. Can see some reddish-brown hues when held up to the light.

S: Nothing really jumps out at me here, some alcohol and chocolate malt dominate the smell, no real hop aroma to mention.

T: Some toasty dark malts, molasses and toffee are what I'm picking up most, no real robust flavors or complexities to speak of.

M: Medium bodied with a decent balance, not as full or chewy as I would expect from an imperial porter. Not terribly smooth, but not overly sharp either.

O: Pretty average beer here, dancing between being a porter and an imperial. Some robust flavors and fuller body would do wonders.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2011 05:23:51 | More by Azurescens

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -16%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a dark black color with a skim head which disappates quickly and leaves little to no lace on the glass. The aroma is off chocalate and sweet dark fruits, it is inviting but faint. The taste is much of the same, a dark chocolate taste with a hint of molasses and a slight dark fruit sweetness. The mouthfeel is moderately carbonated and a bite stingy but the alcohol is well hidden. Overall it is okay, the mouthfeel seemed a little more carbonated than most porters and the taste and smell were good, but they were faint and hard to find, it was just an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2011 18:47:23 | More by goblue3509

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.53/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours almost jet black and very dark brown around the edges with an almost white head that goes dissappointingly quickly, leaving almost nothing behind. Beautiful beer however. Unfortunately however, not much on the nose other then a slight hop aroma. Taste is smooth but missing some robustness that the bottle boasts. That said, there is still plenty of flavor to go around. It's got a nice hop bite when it first touches the tongue and is then followed by a creamy maltiness, resulting in a smooth beer and a solid porter. I can put a few of these away if need be, but nothing overly special about this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 04:31:36 | More by chodinheaven

mdaschaf

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Review from notes 2/6/11. Thanks to Cuzco for this bottle!

A: Pours black with a small head that dissipates quickly to splotches of foam on top. Decent lacing.

S: Light toasted malts, a little bit of chocolate, and a hint of hops.

T: Not very strong, roasted malts, hints of coffee, chocolate and molasses.

M/D: Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Easy drinking, but not a lot going on. Alcohol is hidden well.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2011 03:36:46 | More by mdaschaf

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Very dark with ruby highlights. Fine off-white, light tan bubbles coated the surface while a thin collar left spotty lacing on the glass. Decent head retention. Malty and fruity aroma, chocolate and raisins, plums, light roast, faint alcohol. Quite sweet, a lot of fruit up front, bitterness in the finish. Cereal grain and roast. Medium bodied, with soft carbonation, some astringency and alcohol warmth.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2011 01:04:47 | More by DrJay

gilliegirl

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This is discribed as a "robust dark ale" and I will agree with that discription. The head is a fine foam, off white and slightly brown. Even though I tilted the glass for the pour, the head overflowed the glass. This beer definately needs a pilsner glass.

My first thought was of molasses and I enjoyed the taste and the lack of a bitter aftertaste. In the past, I limited my dark ales to Guinness. However, I like this ale.

There is little smell, which surprised me. It's a quiet ale that waits to be sampled with a curious sip. And then a knowledgable taste.

The only thing that is a slight drawback is the encouragement to have another. I like one beer when I indulge. One. So the beer I have shouldn't make me fight the inner cumpulsion to have another. And perhaps another.

But it doesn't lead to snacking and that is a good thing.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2011 22:41:08 | More by gilliegirl