Southampton Cuvee des Fleurs

Style: Farmhouse/Saison

ABV: 8.2%

Serving: 750 mL corked bottle poured into a tulip glass (Ed note: Pint glass in picture was for a better shot of the color)

More info: www.southamptonpublickhouse.com

Appearance: Upon first pour, this beer enters the glass a beautiful hazy golden body with a large creamy off-white head on the top. The head expanded quickly and remained on top for several minutes leaving some nice lacing on the glass. Eventually, it settled into a gold/orange body and a nice little layer of head on top. I looked at it for 5-10 minutes because it is just a great looking brew.

Smell: Pulling the beer up to my nose, I am completely blown away by what comes out of this glass. According to Southampton’s website, “Cuvee des Fleurs” translates to “batch of the flowers.” They weren’t lying; this beer has flowers in spades. An awesome floral mix comes through with hints of Lavender and Rose.  As it warmed, a slight peppery note came into the fold.  It’s unlike anything I have ever had, and I mean that in a great way.

Taste: After staring at the beer and smelling it for 10 minutes like a true stalker, I finally get to taste it (lines like that are why I am not allowed within 500 yards of a school).  The mixture of flowers comes through first and gives a really unique taste. Aftertaste has an almost summer-y mix of citrus, honey and pepper which sounds odd, but it really pulls the beer together in a surprisingly good way. Floral spices aren’t exactly my strong suit, but I definitely taste the Rose and Chamomile in there. It goes down very smooth with a great carbonation to it. I know it sounds like a strange mix of tastes and ingredients, but it really works.

How Many Will I Want?: As far as drinkability of this beer, I am giving it very high marks. Despite the higher alcohol content, this beer is an easy drinker and you’ll be having a few just to try to identify all the different flavors in it. I guarantee your glass will be empty in a hurry.

Summary: I can’t say enough good things about Cuvee des Fleurs without a thesaurus, so here is my basic summary: It freaking rules. The smells and flavors are a real treat for any level of drinker. From the biggest beer snob to the entry-level beer connoisseur (Beeroisseur? Brewoisseur?), this is a beer that I would recommend to anyone. Seek this one out and enjoy it as liberally as possible.

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