Black Raspberry Wheat
Southampton Publick House

 

 

On draft at the brewery.

Poured a shiny amber hue with a one finger foamy white. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured black raspberries and a light wheat spice.

The taste consisted of a light fresh cherry sweetness atop a clean, neat wheat malt

The mouthfeel was clean and crisp despite the sweetness and a suprisingly dry finish.

Overall a very nicely made fruit beer.

 

 

On tap @ the Southampton Publick House (Southampton, NY) on 8/28/10. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a clear cranberry color, topped with a foamy finger of pinkish-white head. Retains with some fizzy looking bunching, which leaves a frothy cascade of lacing that quickly slides down the sides. The blackberries are fruity and tart smelling, undercut by some softer and sweeter raspberry notes as well, which give the nose almost syrupy feeling thickness. Wheat and floral hops help add an airy crispness to the proceedings.

The taste is fresh, tart, and sweet in the mouth with an abundance of berry flavors. The wheat really has a presence here, giving the profile a spicy twang of bready sugary sweetness. Light earthy hops linger in the finish, along with dryness and some bitter fruitiness. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, with a sharpness to it that seems to give a lively sparkling feel to the carbonation. This isn't nearly as heavy feeling as the nose and actually stays fairly easy drinking throughout.

This was good and with its mix of rich berry flavors, crisp wheat body, and general thirst-quenching nature, came off as better than your normal run-of-the-mill fruity offerings that so many places keep on tap to placate the light beer drinkers. I'm glad that I mixed things up with this one.

Pours a hazy dark red, pink fluffy head, but of light lacing. Mmmm, I'm intrigued.

Nose is all raspberry at first sniff. Fresh, tart, and just authentic. Some light hops come through underneath to try to keep some semblance of order, but the raspberry is at the front.

Again, raspberry is the star, but it's definitely not the only thing going on. On top is the big, fresh, light tart raspberry note that's just beautifully crisp and not at all cloying, but underneath is a clearly identifiable wheaty body. This is a fruit beer, but that's not all that's going on by any stretch. The best fruit-flavored wheat beer I've had. I would buy this by the bottle in a heartbeat if I could get it in the summer.

Mouthfeel is crisp, light, a nice sparkling carbonation, not at all sticky.

Drinkability is perfect. Beautifully balanced, carries the authenticity of, say, NG Raspberry Tart without letting the fruit get quite so dominant.

Had this recently at the Publick House and was pleasantly surprised. Not a big fan of fruit/vegetable beers, but I'd definitely have this one again. The appearance is imperssive. A dark, slightly cloudy pink/red with a raspberry-tinged, foamy, thick head. Leaves a little bit of lacing on the glass. A slight raspberry smell. The taste is excellent. Lots of carbonation and raspberry and hops shine through. At first, tastes like you're just drinking a strong raspberry soda, but it gets more consistent as you drink with only a slight sour finish. Nice choice on a hot summer day when you're looking for something different.

This was a damn nice fruit based wheat beer that SPH cranked out. I had this one on tap at the Tiger a few days ago. This one is a dark red, near purple colour with a pink-tinged head of puffy foam that lasts and leaves decent lace trails. Aromas are all fresh black ripe raspberries, as well as some nice spicy wheat notes. The flavor is fruity with a little lactic (Berliner) feel to it. Spicy wheat notes accent the fruit well, and some clovey spice notes ensue. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and very creamy and smooth which leads way to an excellent drinkability score. Another brilliant Southampton brew.

Now this is an interesting fruit beer. Had on draft at Barcade in Brooklyn, this pours a beautiful ruby-ish red, with minimal head but solid carbonation nevertheless. Smells just like raspberry yogurt, what with the huge sweet/tart raspberry profile and what I perceived as a slightly sour tinge, as one would find in a lambic or something.
Aroma belies the taste, which is not all that raspberry-ish... or at least not that cloying artficial raspberry flavor. Instead there is a solid crisp wheat profile and a nice subdued hopiness that intermingles with a raspberry flavor that is more tart than sweet. Dangerously strong beer for the drinkability -- the alcohol is really well-masked and I had a drunk girlfriend to prove it.
This is a good example of how to use fruit in a beer.

growler filled at half time, same day as consumption.

appearance: deep plum color with patchy, thick but sparse violet foam. red enough to be beautiful and dark enough to maintain masculinity. laced densely.

aroma: real raspberries. more fruit essence in the nose, less overwheming sugary syrupy fruit. the red stuff dominates the scent but only reigns supreme with deep breaths into my snifter. the wheat character gives it a more 'raspberry ice cream' scent than your typical 'raspberry jam' or 'sherbet' ala new glarus.

the rest: wheat defines the body. mouthfeel and tingly carbonation are pure wittt... yeast and tart citrus are barely detectable, yet define the base on which the raspberries so carefully lie. the dominant fruit flavor is so subtle yet is not watery at all. super drinkable for 8% and finishes with a nice, balancing malt bitterness.

body and mouthfeel are clean, light and crisp. the most drinkable and equally satisfying fruit beer i've ever tasted. truly amazing.

edit: next day i had a bit of a headache.