Southampton Publick House Old Herb

Old Herb

 

Southampton Publick House in Southampton, New York, United States 🇺🇸

  Barley Wine - Barley Winter Out of Production
Score
7.23
ABV: 11.0% IBU: - Ticks: 26
The Southampton Publick House now occupies the space that was once Herb McCarthy’s Bowden Square Restaurant. Herb McCarthy’s was the place to be in the Hamptons for more than two generations. Those who remember him still speak fondly of "old Herb", who held court at Bowden Square from 1936-1986. He was rarely seen without his Chef’s coat and trademark kerchief.
 

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7
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 9 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Foil-capped 12oz bottle from SH a long ass time ago. 361/500. 2011 it seems from cross reference. Waited in line at like 4:30am in the butt ass cold to buy my allotment & drink at the bar just a few hours later. Mojito glass @home. Super cloudy, yeasty, messy, but with a nice ring of lace. Smell is supremely malty, starchy, sweet, fruity-sharp. Strong. Smell is subjective. Starchy, toasted malt, chocolate chip cookies, oily, sharp cherry wood, wheat, tobacco, lingering cheerios, well integrated oxidation. Lots of cookies. Still not dry. Thick, frothy, rustic, strong for just 11%. I don't mind it, it is tasty & has stabilized quite well. I just want to drink a nip & be done though. If I were a fan of the style this would be higher.

Tried from Bottle on 19 Mar 2022 at 00:47


7.8
Appearance - 10 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8

From Dec 2006

2004 Vintage

Poured from 12oz bottle(room temp) a clear reddish gold with a large head of foam that eases back some but remains as a solid layer throughout the session. Oh, and there's plenty of lacing.

The smell has a huge nose of caramel malt with some hoppiness in the background.

The taste is very sweet up front. Nice caramel and butterscotch followed closely by some some hop bitterness and a good sour fruit bitterness. Very complex and very warming! A good one to drink on this cold snowy day. The finish is semi sweet and something that ends the flavours in a positive way. A great sipper, I doubt I could drink another one of these right away but that's not saying anything negative about it. I want to stretch this glass out. ;^)

Bottom line: I've held on to this bottle for a while now and it's quite the treat. I got a 2005 bottle waiting for me..maybe later today.

Thanks to Nutbrown for providing both bottles in a past trade!

Tried from Bottle on 18 Oct 2017 at 14:44


6.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 7 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

2011 vintage, 12 oz. bottle, sent from javit (thanks a lot, Adam). Pours a beautiful dark mahogany with a small beige head. Nose is very malty, with dark fruits, caramel malts, some mild candied sugar, and an herbal note. Flavour has lots of caramel malt sweetness, some toffee, faint dark fruits and loads of booze - there is definitely a big boozy burn on the finish, along with lots of sweetness. Somehow the sweetness is contained by the intense heat, almost making two wrongs a right, except that the heat is too much. Low complexity, dominated mostly by caramel sweetness and booze. Perhaps age would settle this, though older reviews seemed to indicate the same thing, so I couldn't be bothered waiting. Decent sipper.

Tried from Bottle on 24 Sep 2012 at 21:28


4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 3 | Texture - 2 | Overall - 4

Big thanks to mrchopin for this beer. Big giant head. Brownish in color and slightly hazy. First taste is strong alky and alkoholic. Same with aroma, volatile, dont light a match. Mouth coating with little detectable co2. Wew, I think I’m getting dizzy. Over the top and down the side. Thanks kevin for mauling my taste buds.

Tried on 29 Feb 2012 at 16:37


6.4
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5

12oz -thanks to hbmason for trading-pours a dissipating light tan head and amber color. Aroma is medium malt-toffee/bready, some spice. Taste is spice/herbal hops, medium malt-toffee/bready, alcohol. OK effervescence.

Tried on 27 Jul 2011 at 10:04


6.3
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6

2011 bottle #247 of 500 thanks to Jcwattsrugger. Pours caramel brown. Tan head. Nose of bread soaked in alcohol, toffee and caramel. Some dark fruits linger in the deep background. Taste is essentially the same with some candi sugar. Medium body - light for a barley wine. Bready alcohol finish.

Tried from Bottle on 21 Jul 2011 at 19:40


7.9
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8.5

2002 Bottle drank at BCTC 2010. Pours a hazy, dark amber with a filmy head. Big aroma of ultra-ripe fruits and caramel. More sweet malts in the flavor, similar to the nose, but also some brown sugar and mild bitterness coming through. Full in body with fine carbonation and boozy warmth. Finishes with some alcohol burn and sweet malt tone, in the form of ripe fruits, burned sugar and caramel. Very good.

Tried from Bottle on 01 Nov 2010 at 15:59


6.2
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 7

Bottle 2006 Vintage 130 of 500 thanks to JohnGalt1. Pours out cloudy amber/orange topped with a tiny head. Aroma was of vanilla, wood, toffee, and caramel. Taste was also toffee and caramel. Some metallic and oxidized. I would guess we missed it’s prime. Dang it.

Tried from Bottle on 23 Jul 2010 at 23:01


7.9
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 7.5

2005 vintage, 12oz bottle number 378 of 500. Pours a thick, translucent copper orange with one ring of white head. Nose is malty, caramel, raisins, prunes, oranges, toffee. Flavor is sweet, oranges, oxidized malts, bread dough, caramel, toffee. Finish is full bodied, salty, sweet. Love barleywines then they get here...

Tried from Bottle on 14 Apr 2010 at 19:00


7.5
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 10 | Overall - 7

Bottle #378 of 500, courtesy of Andy - thanks! Cloudy, chunky chestnut color. Aroma of butterscotch and toffee. Taste is smooth caramel, but a touch metallic. Decent enough.

Tried from Bottle on 11 Apr 2010 at 10:15