Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic - Southampton Publick House

funkyaudio

Illinois

5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Shared this at DLD 2012 was one of the best raspberry lambic that i have every had, and since it was my bottle i took a bigger poor than i should of. barnyard, earthy, raisin, skunky, woody, red, hazy, cloudy, frothy, tan foam, medium sweetness, heavily sour, lively, long finish, medium body,

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2012 04:39:15 | More by funkyaudio

XSoftXNXElegantX

New York

4.95/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Had this at the RIS release. Had to try it on tap to see what I was going to do with my 2 bottles.

This beer is a beautiful rich ruby red. Very small and quick to disappear white head.

When I first tasted it it was poured into a short pint glass, we we waiting in line still and didn't have our Southampton snifter yet. When in the small pint it was very very acidic, some smell of tart raspberries, some oak and some tannins. When I got my snifter I poured it into the snifter and wow did the flavors pop more. The raspberry smell exploded, so did the oak and tannins, and the acidic smell died down.

As for the taste, just wow. In the small pint it was overly acidic and drying, some tart raspberry. Once I poured it into the snifter again, the raspberry flavor exploded, and I picked up much more oak and tannins as it warmed.

Overall I loved this beer(but I love sours). I managed to grab two bottles, I'm hoping to age one for another year(because 21 months wasn't enough) and if that turns out great I think I might just give it a shot at 5 years.

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2012 14:52:00 | More by XSoftXNXElegantX

raveskdr

District of Columbia

4.93/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Huge ups to Starrdogg for sharing this one. Poured into a snifter.

A - Beautiful reddish-pinkish color with almost Champagne like carbonation.

S - Fresh pureed raspberries with lactic funk. Just an absolutely beautiful nose.

T - Incredible. Fresh raspberries, nice sourness and acidity, and some of the oak from the wood. So drinkable.

M - The sourness really hits you right in the back of your jaws, but it is still ridiculously drinkable.

O - Home run. Southampton really nailed this one. The only raspberry lambic that I have had that comes close are older vintages of Cantillon Lou Pepe Framboise. And those two would be incredibly close. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2012 14:16:58 | More by raveskdr

afksports

New York

4.85/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I have multiple bottles of this, and I am not adding it as a got.

My favorite release at Southampton this past weekend, and the surprise of the day. This thing is blushing monk dark, but traditional lambic mouthfeel-balanced. It's like raspberry tart blended with an incredibly acidic gueuze and then darkened & sweetened to the point where you forget you drank anything else. There's funk in the nose, complexity in the taste. Nothing about this feels particularly "American" in that way that American sours don't stand up to Belgians. I took one sip and knew this brew is legit. Phil is a legend for a reason.

I had it on tap on Saturday, I drank other beers, went home for a nap, woke up and went out, drank more beer, slept the night, had some cereal in the morning, looked at the bottle and felt the taste on my tongue.

Sorry for the lack of descriptors. These other reviews can handle that. This is a badass beer. Let it be known.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2012 16:13:49 | More by afksports

rwmiscik

New Jersey

4.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the tap into the awesomely huge Southampton snifter. The beer pours a nice deep purple color with a one finger head that dissipates quickly leaving nothing but a ring around the inside of the glass.

S: Up front I get sweet raspberries followed by a nice acidic tartness and what seems to be a slight french oak character. Definitely fruit forward with everything else falling into the background.

T: Up front there is a slight sweet black raspberry taste followed by a fantastic smack of acidity and then finishes nice and clean with some more fruit. fantastic

M: Beer is medium bodied and is mildly carbed but I suspect the bottles will be a bit different.

O: This was my favorite beer at the release and was fantastic. I am so glad I got a few bottles of this and is definitely something every sour fan will want to get their hands on.

Serving type: on-tap

02-05-2012 01:42:11 | More by rwmiscik

alalvarez75

New York

4.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had via bottle via gf that muled this sucka. Poured into my snifter from SH. Perfectly poured if I do say so myself. Wish I could have posted to YouTube.

A: Nice dark violet with a frothy head.

S: Lot of fruit, with a little tartness. Smells like a winner.

T: It's a chicken dinner. Perfect mix of sweet and sour. You normally can't fight the funk, but the fruit sure does. Not a nasty dunk...

M: A little more carbonated than I normally like, but I'll refrain from saying crisp.

O: If you have a buddy that does not like Lambic, this would change their mind.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 15:42:08 | More by alalvarez75

Thehuntmaster

South Africa

4.83/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750ml bottle 6,0% Abv.
Served chilled in an over sized wine glass.
No bottle date, but I think there was only one batch of this.

Thanks to JAXSON for hooking me up with this bottle.

Appearance: Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic pours a beautiful shade of deep red, with deep pink and even purple streaks when back lit. A rough pour yields a small pink tinted head that lasts well for a sour and leaves a few spots of lacing.

Smell: I drank Blåbær yesterday and the first sniff there was almost entirely composed of funky lambic notes. Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic goes in the exact opposite direction, with the first sniff yielding a massive blast of raspberries. After a few minutes, the beer begins to open up and a fantastic interplay between fresh (lightly tart) raspberries and a sweeter, darker, raspberry jam character is revealed. A distinct lambic acidity, as well as a woody character and a light mustiness are also noted.
As the beer approaches room temperature, it really opens up and displays complexities that could rival its Belgian counterparts. Additional notes include: Dark cherries, a vinous character, oak, a touch of cheese, some mustiness, mildewy notes and a note that is reminiscent of walking into a dusty cobweb.

Taste: Wow, the flavour might just be more delicious than the smell indicated! As in the nose, the fruit take center stage with a wonderful combination of fresh (tart) raspberries, a little cherry and a sweeter, almost jammy berry character. There is a big tartness (this is a proper lambic, not a fruit beer) underlying the fruits and a funky character that grows with warming. Notes include: A distinct vinous character, tart lemon, grape skins, some mustiness, old dusty sacks, old hay and a mildewy character.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied (on the fuller side for a sour), with a medium level of carbonation that has a lightly spritzy feel to it.

Overall: Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic is a phenomenal fruit lambic and in my opinion right up there with the likes of Cantillon. It does however take a while to open up and display the funkier lambic character.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 22:01:26 | More by Thehuntmaster

rowingbrewer

Massachusetts

4.81/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Had the pleasure of trying this one on tap at the release on saturday. served in the southampton snifter

This beer pours a vibrant violet to ruby color with a thin pinkish head the recedes quickly. the smell is huge ripe berries up front with a little funk and a definite tartness present in the aroma. the flavor is sour up front with a nice blackberry flavor in the finish. this beer is puckering and very drinkable, my only regret was that i was sick the day of the release, and had to leave at a reasonable hour to get home so i tried to limit my consumption, otherwise i would have been drinking this one all day long.

Serving type: on-tap

01-30-2012 17:23:45 | More by rowingbrewer

starrdogg

District of Columbia

4.8/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Big thanks to jon2465 for sending this my way.

Beer pours a very nice reddish-purple with a thin white head. It almost looks like a red wine. Beer smells awesome: sour raspberries really take over here - it smells a bit like a raspberry oude bruin. Flavor follows the nose, it's really quite fantastic. Raspberries stand out front, but it's very nicely sour with a bit of funk and oak lurking in the background. The flavors are pretty much perfectly balanced, not too sweet, not too sour, and fantastic. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and coats the mouth very nicely. This beer is absolutely fantastic, an absolute home run of a lambic. It puts something like Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus to shame. This is what a raspberry lambic should be.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:54:39 | More by starrdogg

camil1mj

Michigan

4.73/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received from Knifestyles in a trade.

A: Nice burgandy color. A small amount of head. Some lacing.

S: Lots of sweet fruitiness with some underlying vinegar tones.

T: Wonderful! The perfect balance of sweet black raspberries and sour lambic notes.

M: Light in body and refreshing.

O: One of the best fruit lambis I have tried. So glad Knifestyles was willing to trade this one with me.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2012 14:49:28 | More by camil1mj

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.7/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Huge thanks to metalgdog for sharing this bottle...

A: Pours an amazing red/purple. There is very little head, but what does exist clings to glass.

S: The nose is straight up raspberries. It's like they just good a couple of bushels and pressed them into the bottle. My goodness. It's sweet, fruity, and smells tart like the berries themselves. Incredible aroma.

T: Yup. This is delicious. Sweet and fruity with raspberries bursting all over the place. There is also a great tart/sourness to this lambic, but it doesn't ever overpower the fruit.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet and light to start. The sour comes on in the middle, and it finishes with great balance.

O: This beer is outstanding. If you are a fan of raspberries... you need to try this beer. I had high expectations for this beer, and it totally lived up to the hype. Super drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 17:12:06 | More by trxxpaxxs

ixodus

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at 2012 South Hampton Publick House RIS release.

A: Deep purple in color with a small white film like head and nice lacing.

S: Sweet and tart raspberries, balanced more towards the sweet side, a touch of a oak, and a little bit of wet hay funkiness. Quite aromatic.

T: The taste is definitely more toward the sour side of the beer, yet still pretty balanced. It has a nice tart acidity upfront while the sweet raspberries end up more towards the background with the oak.

M: Smooth and refreshing. Low carbonation with a light body leaning more towards medium.

O: Overall my favorite beer of the recent release. I had high hopes for this one and it went above and beyond. Definitely one to seek out.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 14:46:27 | More by ixodus

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.68/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle, poured into my petite Duvel tulip.

Southampton's Black Raspberry Lambic pours a dark ruby red, lightening a little bit only at the very edges of the glass. There's about a finger of lavender tinted foam that crowns the beer, before fading quickly and cleanly. The nose is absolutely bombastic, a pinpoint perfect blend of fresh raspberries and acidity. As with my recent experience with Fou' Foune, I'm impressed by how much fresh fruit taste is packed into the beer. The flavor profile preserves that perfect balance, and adds a little bit of character from the wine barrel aging. The acidity is attention grabbing, but not vinegar-y in any way and it doesn't linger, leaving plenty of room for the other aspects of the beer to get their moment in the spotlight. The subtle dark fruit flourish brought on by the barrel aging adds a layer of complexity and elevates this brew to rarefied air in terms of taste. The body is nice and light, and the carbonation is exquisitely lively and expansive... a simply stunning mouthfeel. The Black Raspberry Lambic was one of the "other" beers included at Southampton's RIS release party, but once the doors opened and the beer started flowing, this was all anyone could talk about, and with good reason. It's the best American brewed sour/wild ale I've ever had, and probably a top five all time beer for me. I can only pray that Southampton sees fit to release this one again at some point down the line.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 05:37:24 | More by axeman9182

xenjoiii

New York

4.63/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consumed in the warmth of the Publick house, after a long wait in the cold.

Poured a deep violet, with a white head that quickly dissipated into a white ring. A really nice looking beer.

A really pleasant raspberry/blackberry scent. Also, you get a bit of wood in the nose.

The taste is a really nice balance of fruit, and tart; a mild sour bite out the back.

Easy on the mouth. low/moderate carbonation.

Overall, I was really impressed with this. Being that I was looking forward to this beer the most out of all the new releases, I was afraid that it would not live up to my expectations. I, However, was very pleased with this. I look forward to enjoying my two 750mls of this in the future. I hope everyone at the release had a chance to try this at the bar!

Cheers.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 01:05:10 | More by xenjoiii

claspada

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle courtesy of the generous brystmar in a recent swap; shared with mrand01.

Pours a hazy dark pink, light magenta color with a small quickly dissipating white fizzy head. Minimal lacing or retention.

Aromas are quite off the charts to be honest. At first you get the obvious sweet, freshly squeezed raspberry/blackberry juice and fruit pectin. Then as it warms the musk and oak emerge more and more. Quite vinous overall but not overpowering at all. More typical funky and "wild" aromas emerge but are still playing second fiddle to the fruit.

The tastes directly follow the nose with initial sweet raspberry and blackberry juiciness and fruit pulp flavors. Then the oak and sourness pop in to balance out the initial sweetness. Solid lactic sourness and slightly acidity emerges more and more and blends harmoniously with the oak and fruit.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium to low carbonation. Really allows the fruit and funk to meld. The finish is lightly dry and tannic but not overpoweringly so; just the right amount of sour and sweetness.

Overall, is this the best American made lambic I have ever had, probably. It's freaking stellar, there is not one negative thing I can say about this beer except it's kind of ugly looking, but it smells and tastes phenomenal so who cares what it looks like. I understand the hype around this; seek it out if you can, highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2012 11:45:23 | More by claspada

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

4.51/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Thanks a lot to Mike T. For sharing. What a treat.

The beer is a deep ruby-purple hue with virtually no head. The aroma brings berries, raspberries, funk. It smells exactly as advertised. Black raspberry lambic. Awesome flavor, even a step up from the nose. Like a funky black cherry soda minus any sugary sweetness. Beautifully executed. An elegant beer, and certainly a stand out among American lambics.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:33:21 | More by Huhzubendah

thagr81us

South Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Review #1700!!! Big thanks goes out to my boy beeruser for sharing this one during our Labor Day tasting! Thanks brother! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a deep red-purple with a half finger off-white head that subsided to a minimal amount quickly. Maintained nice lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, raspberry, blackberry, funk, tart, and fruit. The flavor was of sweet malt, raspberry, blackberry, fruit, tart, and funk. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a great brew. This beer really had a lot to offer for just about any beer lover out there. A nice touch of various fruits, funk, and a nice tart note. All of this on their own would keep your palate interested without any problem, but once you combine them all into one well-balanced brew, you are playing in a whole new ballpark. The flavors in this one were bold, but on-point. I could have easily killed this entire bottle, but I thought it best to let MSquared2 drink more of this than I, otherwise she might have killed me.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 11:11:30 | More by thagr81us

ehammond1

California

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for the gift, DarthKostrizer!

(Aged for 9 months)

A near-clear dark ruby with some rich purple highlights and a moderately-sized off-white, big bubbled head, eventually leaving messy spiderwebs and dots of lace down the glass.

A very fruit-forward aroma; the black raspberries dominate and present as big, juicy, ripe, and delicious. There's only a very mild earthy funk character with just a touch of grass. Good thing the dominating fruit smells so incredible. What this lacks in depth and complexity, it makes up for in authentic, ripe fruit character.

The flavor is very similar to the aroma, with fantastic black raspberry character combining with moderate acidic sourness, defined oak, and a very minor funk component. Everything blends together nicely, and I don't miss the funk I usually love in beers of this style, because the fruit is simply so darn delicious.

Medium bodied with moderate-high carbonation. Fantastically drinkable; juicy.

Superb stuff. This is in the top echelon of American wilds.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 21:22:49 | More by ehammond1

AlexFields

Tennessee

4.5/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Opened at TN whales tasting 3/16/2013. Thanks to UncleJedi for sharing this.

Pours a wonderful dark ruby red, not much of a head but the body itself is stunning.

Smell is super tart and super raspberry, a bit of funk and brett, smells excellent.

Taste is very sour/acidic, super fruity raspberry, hints of funk, again excellent.

Mouthfeel is not very well carbonated but it's pretty thick, but really this is sour enough that the mouthfeel doesn't distract, have no problem drinking this.

Excellent sour.

9.2/10

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 16:29:33 | More by AlexFields

GoGriz

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

As good as I hoped it'd be! Dark purple in color with a wispy bright white head. A little muted color wise. Head disappeared quickly. Smells of berry and funk. Can tell it'll have some acidity. Flavor is fantastic. Perfect harmony struck between the dark raspberry fruit flavor and sour acidity. I've had sour-er lambic before and I've had fruit forward, sweeter lambics too. This beer is excellent in its balance of both of those components. Good lively carb. Great beer from Southampton!

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 20:52:05 | More by GoGriz

schlimenhaumer

New York

4.47/5  rDev -0.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 750ml cork-and-cage bottle into a Southampton snifter at low altitude. Didn't get to try this one on tap at the release, so I'm very excited to try it now.

A: Pours a hazy ruby color with a two-finger creamy pink head of decent retention that fades to almost nothing after waiting a bit. Not a whole lot of lacing.

S: Tons of raspberries, nice sour yeast character and a bit of oak in the background. Just what I'd expect from a beer called "Black Raspberry Lambic."

T: Sour yeast notes up front with plenty of raspberry in the body that carries through all the way to the finish. While the yeast is complex, the rest of the flavor profile is fairly straightforward, but still very tasty. It has exactly what I expect from a lambic, but doesn't greatly surpass my expectations.

M: Light- to medium-bodied and well-carbonated with a drying finish. Suits the flavors well, but it's not revolutionary.

D: This is an enjoyable lambic that stays true to the style with a new fruit interpretation. A pleasure to drink, and I'd certainly buy this again at the next release if it were offered.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 03:41:36 | More by schlimenhaumer

whartontallboy

New York

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at the release, served into the event snifter.

Deep purple with a thin white head of medium bubbles. Nice look: in the low light of the brewpub you could mistake it for a stout, but once you got it into the light, the purple really popped.

Smell is quite nice. There's a lot of fresh raspberry/blackberry in the nose, in a very fruit-forward way. It smells like someone crushed berries and dumped them into a snifter. There's a bit of sourness and funk in the nose as well, but the fruit is the dominant character.

The flavor is more balanced between the fruitiness and the lambic-ness. The same ripe, fresh fruit flavors are there, but there's a nice sourness to offset the berries. This one doesn't have the bracingly sour character of some other lambics, but it's quite nice. The finish is spot-on for the style. Could use just a touch more body.

Overall: I didn't expect to be super-impressed by this one, and I was. Definitely the highlight of the release party for me; I kept going back for more snifters of this one while the Uberliner and imperial stout were still flowing. Great beer.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 22:00:18 | More by whartontallboy

MasterSki

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Big thanks to bauermj for sharing this one! Served in a Närke snifter.

A - Thin off-white foam settles to a solid collar, a few wisps, and minimal lace. Mostly opaque dark cherry body.

S - Smells like raspberries! Some nice musky, sweaty funk, vinous oak, mild acetic notes, and more raspberry. Nice balance of fruit character and varying wild flavors.

T - Taste is sweeter, with more dark raspberry and oaky vanilla flavors. The sourness is more lactic, with tangy yogurt flavors and less overt acidity. Finish is mildly tart.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a super dry, tannic, and oaky finish. Mild pucker, no alcohol, and little residual acidity.

D - Really enjoyable stuff. Seems more Belgian than American in balance and construction. I really hope they make this again, and perhaps in large volumes. Highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 04:27:23 | More by MasterSki

brystmar

New York

4.45/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Josh for bringing this. Opened alongside an incorrectly labeled Southampton RIS (which is definitely BRL) for kicks.

Fantasticly tart, fruity aroma. Fresh fruit, finishes sharp and clean. Such a great balance here; easily one of my favorite American fruit sours.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 00:30:49 | More by brystmar

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Deep purple body. Thin skim of a pinkish-purplish head.

S: Jammy raspberries, mild funky notes that conjure up a damp cellar.

T: Bold tart, semi-sweet raspberries, other notes of cherries and blackberries, funk, and leather like-red-wine tannins.

M: Juicy and refreshing. Medium bodied. Mild carbonation. Nice tartness and acidity. Perhaps a little thin in the finish.

O: An impressive offering from Southampton. Would love to see this made again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-29-2012 14:31:51 | More by callmemickey