Southampton IPA - Southampton Publick House

francisweizen

Australia

4.28/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-Cask @ David Copperfields Cask Fest. Glowing orange with a nice frothy head of big bubbled foam that dies quickly, since this is a cask offering. The aromas are lovely. Like a bushel of fresh hops has been cut and plopped into the cask of brew. There is also a unique maltiness detectable somewhere in the aroma of this brew as well, but make no mistakes. The one is all about the hops. The taste is good. It's a unique and interesting twist on the style. Whilst classified as a left coast, or west coast style IPA, this reminds me more of a pumped up UK IPA, on steroids. This beer starts floral and hoppy on the palate, but later a complex maltiness and interesting hard water saltiness begin to integrate into this beer. This lends a very interesting complexity to this IPA. The mouthfeel is great, we all know how good the lucious bubbles of carbonation hit every taste bud, when a cask brew is brewed up and served right. The drinkability, is also very stellar. Another great cask beer from SPH. Recommended.

Serving type: cask

03-03-2005 16:19:16 | More by francisweizen

bultrey

New York

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I love my Southamptons, so I was excited to see this on cask at the Blind Tiger. Pours a very light golden color, with good carbonation for a cask ale, meaning just a thin, sustained head. Listen, they were going for a West coast IPA, and they stepped up to the plate and then some -- perhaps too much. I am more of a malt head than a hop head, but I love and appreciate a nicely balanced West coast IPA, or even double IPA from time to time. This puppy has barely a hint of biscuity maltiness up front before WHAM!, the hops suck the life right out of your salivary glands. For all you hopheads out there, this is as hoppy as anything I've tried. The taste is good, but I did not like the aftertaste because the hops bitterness just lingered on and on, all the way on the subway ride home, too. I know some people hold this in high regard, but it not my thing, and the balance is a little out of whack, in my opinion.
Still, they've hit the nail on the head with the style, so you gotta give 'em some points for that.

Serving type: cask

09-09-2004 15:45:01 | More by bultrey

Billolick

New York

4.38/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

on cask at the Blind Tiger NYC, whooha, although not from the Pacific NW, this creation went great with the oysters at the BT for their P. N.W. oyster fest. Creamy and cloudy, white puffy head, soft on the tongue, low carbonation provides that great mouthfeel. Nice jolt of hops, very tasty IPA, anouther quality brew from SH. As with all their brews, seek and enjoy.

Serving type: cask

05-13-2004 01:40:16 | More by Billolick

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A pretty big white head falls into a thinner lacing above this clear honey golden colored beer.

Citrus, floral, and a slight spicy hops aroma with some added light sweet caramel malts.

The floral, citrus and light spicy hops come through balanced with a light almost roasted caramel malt taste.

A hops dry aftertaste on this medium bodied beer.

An IPA on the lighter side of the hops spectrum but still a pretty good drink.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 20:54:18 | More by LXIXME

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.43/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this one at Premiere Gourmet in Amherst, NY.

From a bottle into a snifter

APPEARANCE: Pours a small, medium looking, off-white head with decent retention. Head quickly fades to a half wisp and ring. Body is slightly hazy, burnt orange in color and shows no carbonation. A ring remains until the end but leaves no lacing down the glass.

SMELL: Pale malts, toffee and butterscotch notes, candy, as well as some floral hop qualities. Quite English in style.

TASTE: Pale malts, caramel and toffeee sweetness, then notes of butterscotch and floral hops at the swallow. Aftertaste is medium in strength with sweet toffee and butterscotch, as well as some bitter floral notes. Nice stuff.

PALATE: Medium body and medium carbonation. Creamy enough on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly sticky. Could be a little creamier and smoother for the style, but fine.

OVERALL: This is a decent beer, though it is definitely more of an English style IPA than an American one. If you enjoy the toffee and butterscotch flavors of an English style IPA, this is definitely one worth drinking. If you're in the mood for an American style IPA, pick something else.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 09:42:39 | More by Jeffo

SawDog505

New Hampshire

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a 13 oz tulip glass. Pours a cloudy dark amber with a one inch off white head, leaves nice lacing. Smell is bread, carmel, papaya, grass, and pine. Taste is all of that, very much a English IPA the hops and malt hang together, neither dominate. Body is medium, plenty of carbonation, a little dry, and very drinkable. This is a good English IPA, but I am in love American hop extreme beers.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 17:56:34 | More by SawDog505

tobelerone

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewpub. Nearly clear golden color with a small white head that settles down rather quickly. Some sticky lacing clings to the glass. Aroma is very balanced between bready malt and some piney, moderately citrusy hops.

The taste of this IPA is also very balanced; lightly sweet caramel and bready maltiness props up some pine and citrus hoppiness; bitterness is fairly restrained. This feels very safe and middle-of-the-road for a contemporary AIPA; the hops don’t exactly burst out of the glass and smack you in the face. Finishes dry with a little bit of lingering citrus peel bitterness. To be honest I felt it was a little bland and weakly flavored. Not a hopbomb by any means.

Medium bodied and carbonated, nicely smooth and a bit creamy, good overall mouthfeel. I just felt this was a pretty unexciting, if solidly made, IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2012 18:55:35 | More by tobelerone

csiewert

Oregon

3.28/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - clear caramel color, no head to speak of... Thus no lacing... Not entirely appealing

S - some flowery hop notes, but big sweet 'caramel' notes hinting that the beer is a bit old (no date on bottle)

T - same sweet caramel notes coming through, probably due to age. There is also some bready malt favors and it finishes with a slight grassy bitterness

M - nothing special here... Mouthfeel is average but does leave a slight burning at the end

O - nothing really special about this beer but it does drink easy

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 22:51:47 | More by csiewert

shand

Florida

3.7/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz bottle into an imperial pint.

The bottle reads Burton IPA, but the ABV is still solid at 6.5%, so I'll review this beer here unless I hear otherwise. It's an average looking IPA, a copper color with a small head. The aroma is very balanced, caramel malts as well as some herbal and citrus hops. The taste is good, this IPA is all about balance. It's very close to English style, to be honest. If it weren't for the bright, citrusy hops that come through on the background, it'd be a picture perfect English IPA. Instead, it's somewhere in between the two styles. The mouthfeel is well-carbonated and fairly light. Overall, it's an interesting take on the American IPA - Fans of maltier beers and/or English IPAs should give it a look.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 01:45:20 | More by shand

NardiByNature

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

*no bottling date*

A: Clear amber with tons of small bubbles. A fluffy eggshell head mouts and sticks around a while.

S: Not too much going on. A light grassy smell, some lemon.

T: Like the nose, the taste is pretty tame. Does produce a decent bitterness.

M: The mouthfeel's decent. Not too viscous, a good balance of carbonation, and a fresh finish. A little watery though.

O: Not a good example of an East Coast IPA. It seems more like a sort of English IPA but with American hops. All things considered it’s drinkable but falls light-years shy of would-be comparators from the likes of Maine Beer Co., Potsmouth Brewery, etc.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 03:14:17 | More by NardiByNature

gabedivision

New York

3.53/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle to a pint glass. (no date found)

Pours a nice clear copper with a solid white 1 finger head. Has a spicy hop character on the nose with a buttery malt finish. Spicy hops again on the taste, grassy, some lemon, with a sweet malt backbone. Medium bodied, sweet with some slight bitter notes. Overall not a bad "east cost ipa" not killing on the hops, but not lacking too much, nice malt base, just a decent tasting beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 22:36:17 | More by gabedivision

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Darker than expected amber brown. Clear. Head is a 1/2 that settles to a a thick layer head that's very sticky.

S - Biscuit malts and very low hops so I assume it's balanced.

T - Has an herbal like tea character makes it taste kind of English or ESB. Moderate hoppy taste of apricot and citrus like hops and biscuit malts.

M - Light to medium easy drinking.

Overall a good IPA more balanced and flavorful than some. Would consider getting it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 02:31:18 | More by DrDemento456

smakawhat

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A very creamy off white head, but only about a finger is made. Body color is a dull amber with large cola like bubbles on the glass, a bit hazy and cloudy.

Jammy mushy apricot fruit nose, pectin, and some mild sugar. Some peach accents as well, with a mild sweetness. Not much malt sense, but nice.

Tea like herbal sense, and good hop bent. Some nice malt and sugar on the finish with some lime like bitter punch. Carbonation seems kind of flat, but nothing too watery. Hop angle gets over taken a bit more as you finish.

Overall, it's not bad but not particularly memorable for me. Smells fruity like a west coast IPA, but tastes all English.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2012 02:44:49 | More by smakawhat

Sharkophile

New York

3.13/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured into a pint glass. Clear amber-orange color with an off white head with pretty nice retention. Surprisingly dark in color.

S: Alot of caramel with piney, citrussy hop aromas, little whiff of alcohol.

T: Again, sweet with a heavy load of caramel and toasted malts. Hops try to balance with pine and citrus flavor but I don't think they're assertive enough to outweigh the malt.

M: Medium to full body with pretty low carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel is nice, but it doesn't seem to work with this beer.

O: A little too sweet, I wasn't a fan of the mouthfeel either, and given that I like very hoppy IPAs, this one falls short. More amber ale then IPA if you ask me. Not a bad beer but not great compared to many others in the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 06:23:19 | More by Sharkophile

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.48/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: straw yellow/mild cloudy, 2 finger white head,
sexy lacing

S: grapefruit, floral, grassy, pine

T: grapefruit, grassy, malt, floral
chalky, light bitter semi-dry finish

M: med/light body, mild chalky
semi-dry mouth

O: Very light IPA, beer geeks
may be disappointed. fine newbie
IPA.

QUITE SOLID, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2011 19:48:34 | More by BeerLover99

devinoconnor

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a hazy brown golden orange with a finger of head from the bottle. Plenty of carbonation, almost fizzing a little.

Smell is a thin, a tad weak in my opinion. Hops aren't as present as with most IPAs, or at least fuller IPAs.

Taste is rather good. Hops aren't overpowering, as expected from the nose. Some spices and sugary notes as well, but all are well-balanced.

Fairly easy drinking IPA, even at 6.5% ABV. A nice intro IPA for someone who isn't a hop head.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 22:00:36 | More by devinoconnor

burnstar

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear dark gold with a good sized head. Nice lacing on the surface. Great hop smell. Citrusy and herbal. Taste is hoppy. Herbal and bitter. Not a lot of malt balance but a little sweetness in the background. Mouthfeel is light and a bit watery. Not bad and easily drinkable but somewhat one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 02:29:33 | More by burnstar

fx20736

New York

3.55/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12 oz bottle into pint glass.

Butterscotch Gold beer, well carbonated with a 2 finger sandy colored head.

Aroma: a mixture of fruits; Definitely grapefruit, some lemon zest, maybe a little papaya with a subdued prickly piney back, maybe a little maltiness.

Taste: Grapefruit and pine resin with a mild bitterness and some bready malt on the back end.

Notes: A sort of minimalist IPA. Flavors and aroma is there but not in your face. Well made, but not bold. Highly drinkable. If it weren't for the abv could be a session beer. Not an IPA for hop heads but a nicely made beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 20:20:51 | More by fx20736

Dope

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Clear amber pour, decent white head. Very little lacing but retention is ok.

S: Prominent malt smell, bread and caramel. Bit of citrus and pine. Some grass perhaps as it warms up.

T: Malt-forward with the nice bread flavor and some citrus mixed in. Aftertaste suddenly turns bitter with some pine. Very EPA-ish.

M: Pretty smooth, medium body and decent carbonation.

O: Not bad at all. Pretty smooth and drinkable beer, especially given the 6.5% (tastes more like a session beer). This is borderline English in my opinion. Definitely not a hop-forward monster but if you prefer the smoother, maltier english styles, try this one out.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2011 06:00:41 | More by Dope

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A nice amber ale with lots of dense off white head that lingers for quite a while leaving spotty lacing in it's wake.

A balance aroma of caramel malts and floral and earthy hops.

A good tasting ale here with a nice hop pop of earthiness and a bold malt backbone.

Moputhfeel is smooth and mellow with low levels of diaceyl.

Leans more to an English IPA with lower levels of hops and more in ay of malts.
A good tasting beer good as a session beer somewhere.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 17:54:30 | More by micromaniac129

Durge

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found at The Smith restaurant in NYC this IPA is an orange-ish copper color with a firm off-white head and decent lacing. The aroma brings a bright citrus hop and mild bread basket caramel. The flavor offers a nice blend of mild evergreen and lemon citrus bite with more caramel-toffee sweetness. There’s a bready quality underneath it all, in a medium-light bodied brew with midland carbonation but generally a light, crisp feel. But it’s flavorful and solid enough to be more than a picnic beer, it’s a very solid IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

07-04-2011 16:15:28 | More by Durge

OldIronLungs

Massachusetts

3.33/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint a light maple color with a few fingers of head that fall and leave sticky lacing around the glass.

Nose of sweet malts and some citric hops, light diacetyl.

Slick body, medium carbonation. Sweet caramel malt, a touch buttery, light citric hops and a lingering piney bitterness.

Alright in terms of drinkability, but as an American IPA, I'm not impressed. The diacetyl threw me, and there just wasn't enough hop presence for me. Not a bad beer, not one I'd revisit.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2011 00:45:34 | More by OldIronLungs

SkunkWorks

New York

4/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Surprised to see I haven't reviewed this yet. Nonetheless, 12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Look: clear, copper body with a thin layer of white, foamy head that retains until the beer is done leaving some spots of lacing along the sides of the glass. Good.

Smell: fruity, with some notes of citrus and caramel. Good.

Taste: follows the nose with a lot of fruity hops, some citrus, and hints of pint with some caramel in the background. Not really bitter as the fruitiness lends a psuedo-sweetness to it. Good.

Feel: medium bodied with moderate, crisp carbonation, and easily drinkable and could make for a good, sessionable beer since it drinks much lighter than 6.5% ABV would indicate.

Overall: a good offering from Southampton but it doesn't really stand out to me in any way in a market saturated with great IPAs. Worth a try if you're a Southampton fan or are a local but I don't know if I would seek this one out if it was a pain. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2011 23:53:37 | More by SkunkWorks

ngeunit1

California

3.78/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear copper-orange color with a finger of white head. The head fades down to a thin right around the outside leaving behind some lacing in the process.

S - Aroma is a mix of piney and citrus hops and sweet caramel malts. There is also some more background fruits mixed in as well.

T - Starts off with sweet caramel malt and some citrus hop in the background. There is some other fruity flavors mixing around. Through the middle, some stronger citrus hops some though with a bit of bitterness. The finish is a mix of some stronger hop flavor and caramel malts that linger nicely.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Smooth and crisp. The finish is a touch dry and bitter and kinda nice.

D - Very drinkable. The flavor could have used a bit more punch (especially a bit more hop), but there is still a nice balance throughout the beer. The light fruit flavors were a nice addition and could have been a bit stronger.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2011 05:39:13 | More by ngeunit1

bmwgirl9606

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - dark gold to light bronze color, crystalline, white head with tiny bubbles dissipated relatively quickly.

Smell - distinct malt sweetness in aroma, notes of warm caramel. Medium-low hop aroma, slight earthiness. Malt aroma dominates. No off aromas.

Taste - malt flavor dominates. Sweet malt taste with warm caramel and light toasty flavors. Hop flavor appears as bitterness only and has an earthy note. Malt sweetness lingers into aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - medium body, round finish. Slight diacetyl slickness on the palate.

Overall - pleasantly drinkable IPA, although to me this leans more toward an English IPA than an American IPA. Definitely showcases the difference between an East Coast and a West Coast IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 02:52:08 | More by bmwgirl9606