Southampton Black Raspberry Lambic - Southampton Publick House

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

on tap at southampton publick house

Pours a deep purply color with some reddish hues shining through the light. Faint head with a raspberry haze dissolves into a fruit colored collar. Spots of lacing are left behind as the slick retention fades away.

Effervescent and inviting in the nose with a nice balance between sour and fruit. Dark raspberries with a jammy hint mix with wood and biting sour notes. Alcohol is nonexistent.

Begins tart and dry right up front as the raspberries start to kick in. There’s some red wine notes, but the fruit is really towards the forefront with a pleasant lactic sourness riding the wave of raspberry. It’s darker and more robust than a regular framboise might be, as some red grape skin tones creep in. Finishes tart and dry on the tongue.

Medium body, slightly higher carbonation, bubbly and dry on the tongue. This was probably the stand out of the Southampton IRS release party – people went pretty crazy over it and the lambic was the first keg to kick of the day.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2012 22:41:53 | More by xnicknj

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

cosmicevan

New York

4.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

damico says "double first" - poured into release event glass. nice rich plum, damico says "forest black cherry, the color of amazingness." in the light an almost pink. wonderful raspberry smell and taste. bold but not in your face. somewhat watery in the mouth but a wonderfully easy drinker. raspberry wonder but in a digestable amount.

Serving type: on-tap

01-28-2012 17:47:02 | More by cosmicevan

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

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

ThePorterSorter

New York

4.36/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

thanks metaldog

rich looking, slightly hazy raspberry reddish with no head. the nose is a potent blackberry with a touch of funk. the taste is a tart blackberry, slightly sweet, amazingly spot on and tasty. it's definitely true to fruit with a semi-dry finish and some yeast. outstanding lambic with crazy balanced sourness. what a good effing beer, completely worth the hype.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 02:19:14 | More by ThePorterSorter

joel66

New York

4.14/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

big thanks to Dan, (Totoropanda) for opening this

A- dark purple with no head at all, looks almost flat like red wine

N- raspberry jam, moldy raspberry and sour yeast notes

T- sweet raspberry jam, carmelized berry chutney with light wine notes. more funk in the nose, but can taste a suttle tartness and brett

M- very smooth and enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 15:03:51 | More by joel66

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

Doodler

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle - shared with Bill and Elijah. Pours a serious dark purple with a two finger foamy head. Nice, big funky raspberry and dark fruits on the nose. Taste is all raspberries, with tart cherries and lactic acid. Nicely carbed with a sour puckering finish. Enjoyable stuff....

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2013 05:09:22 | More by Doodler

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

tewaris

Minnesota

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

Thank you!

Pours a deep purple-black color with pink highlights. A very strong raspberry jam aroma devoid of the usual notes I associate with lambics. Interesting nonetheless and more importantly very appetizing. Taste is dominated by raspberries and tartness and is again low on funk. I did not taste any blackberries at all (was expecting to) but later found out that black stood for black raspberries. Finishes tart and dry but the palate has come sweetness making it an enjoyable drink. Then again, raspberry is one of my favorite fruits.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2012 08:25:38 | More by tewaris

Luk13

Quebec (Canada)

4.15/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Huge thanks to Gonzohomebrewer for this one! Dark red pour with spotty white head. Lots of funky raspberries in the aroma, some grass maybe a little white wine. Taste is sharp acidity, raspberries again, some oak. Raspberries and funk took over the wine barrel, but it added some complexity. I thought it was well executed for an american lambic, it wasn't so far away from the Rosé de Gambrinus we had earlier. It has definitly more power than any of the Upland's.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 14:34:03 | More by Luk13

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

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

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

womencantsail

California

4.2/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Jason for sharing.

Deep red, almost purple, in color with a pinkish head. Heavy on the raspberry aroma and a nice blackberry character, too. Pleasant lactic acidity and tartness, a bit of red wine, and wood. Not too much in the way of funk. Excellent fruit flavor with the blackberry and rapsberry, a nice sourness to it, though not overly acidic. Fairly sweet from all the fruit, but a well done beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 02:29:39 | More by womencantsail

portia99

Massachusetts

4.33/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle courtesy of axeman9182. Big thanks for this one Bill! Poured into my Tripel Karmeliet stemmed glass. Been holding on to this one for a couple months...can't wait any longer.

A - Pours a translucent and somewhat hazy, almost grape soda-like purple-y maroon color. A finger of fizzy pinkish/purple head forms briefly and falls to the surface leaving an off-white and maroon tinted collar and an island of bubbles on the surface.

S - Wow...very, very good on first whiff. Huge raspberry aroma, sweet, tart, rich in black raspberry fruitiness. Musty, old cob-webby cellar/attic like funk. Very slight hints of barnyard, a bit yeasty, and some solventy aroma too. I expected a much sweeter aroma, but this really has a great and mostly traditional lambic aroma covered up by tons of amazing fruit. Really good!

T - Hmm, not exactly what I expected from the aroma. Much more tart than the aroma would indicate - lots of lactic tartness with a touch of acetic/vinegar thrown in for good measure. Really quite sour overall, but not in a bad way. Fruit is pronounced with really rich raspberry flavors, fresh, fruity and juicy. High level of sourness diminishes the fruit a bit. Tart throughout, very slight barnyard, quite musty and damp cellar-like funk.

M - The pour was a bit deceptive, showing more carbonation than actually exists. Body is quite thin and although carbonation is evident - overall feels quite a bit towards the still side. Slick and solventy on the tongue. Dry and quite puckering with the high acidity/tartness. Fruity for sure, but feels natural as opposed to some of the intense raspberry lambics out there which are artificially sweet and overly juicy. This feels appropriate although I prefer a bit more carbonation with my lambics...very minor complaint though.

O - Excellent fruit lambic overall. One of the more sour beers I've come across recently. A bit refreshing! Fruit is displayed quite nicely and complements the tart (or vice versa) quite well. Glad to try this one...sought this one out for a while and didn't think I'd be able to try it. Thanks again to axeman9182 for the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 01:28:57 | More by portia99