Southampton Imperial Russian Stout

I received bottle 40 of 650 of Southampton Imperial Russian Stout in a bottle trade with Lee from Hoptopia. The beer pours a black color with a bubbly tan head when poured that actually turns to a foamy head as it settles. The aroma consists of dark chocolate, toasted malts, and vanilla. The taste is creamy and with chocolate, raisin, toasted malts, vanilla, and oak. The finish is smooth but dries a little bit with toasted malts. The after taste is warming with alcohol. The alcohol content is 10.5% ABV. This Imperial Russian Stouts has to be one of the smoothest and creamiest imperial stouts that I have ever had, and one of the most enjoyable ones as well.

Southampton Keller Pils

As part of a beer trade with Lee from Hoptopia, I received a six pack of Southampton Keller Pils The beer pours a pale gold color with a lofty and foamy white head. The aroma consists of sour hops, sweet malts, and light accents of lemon. The taste consists of a sweet malt backbone with a good sour hop accent. There are bits of butter, butterscotch, and lemon mixed in there as well. The carbonation balances the beer very well and is light on the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.0% ABV. I really enjoyed this pilsner, as it was light on the tongue but completely full of flavor.

Southampton Pumpkin Ale

I picked up a bottle of Southampton Pumpkin Ale from Pinocchio's in Media, PA. The beer pours an orange-copper color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of nutmeg, pumpkin, cinnamon, and allspice. The taste is actually quite smooth and drinkable. Most of the flavor comes from pumpkin, but there are great allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon accents. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. I thought that this was well balanced pumpkin beer, without any of the spices overwhelming the others. The Southampton Pumpkin Ale comes highly recommended by me.

Southampton IPA

I ordered a glass of Southampton IPA from McGrath's in Harrisburg. The beer pours an amber color with a foamy white head. The aroma consists of lemony and citrus with a hint of grapefruit. The taste is very malty with caramel all over the tongue. There is a light grapefruit and lemon bite on the sides of the mouth. The beer is a little bitter on the finish. The alcohol content is 6.5% ABV. I thought that this IPA was really good. I enjoy the IPAs that have grapefruit flavors, and this one was very well done, nicely balanced, and had a great malt sweetness.

Southampton Grand Cru

I picked up a bottle of Southampton Grand Cru from Al's of Hampden. The beer pours a golden amber color with a lofty bubble white head. The aroma consists of of orange citrus and coriander with an underlying smell of cream. The taste consists of very spicy at first with coriander, but finishes smooth and sweet with an orange flavor. There is a lot of carbonation in this beer, but it does not ruin the texture or flavor. The beer has a burnt caramel finish on the back of the tongue. The alcohol content is 9.8% ABV. It is noticeable in the flavor and by the pinch on the tongue that this beer has a high alcohol content. I was thoroughly impressed with this Grand Cru. I was overwhelmed with the orange flavor and it was delicious. I will definitely seek this beer out again to purchase.

Southampton Biere de Garde

I picked up a bottle of Southampton Biere de Garde while in South Carolina. I had read about biere de garde beers, which is a farmhouse ale, but I had not had one to date. The beer pours a copper color with an extremely foamy white head that encompasses more than half the glass. The aroma is full of raisins and fig. The taste is sweet and malty with a lot of raisin and fig and a light clean finish. There is a slight alcohol bite at the very end of the finish. I thought that the taste diminishes and might be a little watery on the finish, but not too bad.. The alcohol content is 7.2% ABV. For my first experience with a biere de garde, I really enjoyed it and will continue to try this style of beer. It was very light and refreshing, but very flavorful.