The Double White ale from Southampton Publick House comes in at 6.6% ABV packed inside a brown 12 oz bottle for my review. Generally being a fan of “Whites” I decided a “Double White” sounded even more enticing.

The pour into my pint glass revealed the typical visual characteristics of whites. It was a nice golden-orange in color with a decent amount of haze. The head was small and white but kept a nice lacing on the glass while it was consumed.

The smell was a bit ordinary for the brew but that’s to be expected. Although, perhaps I was expecting more of a potency due to the “double” in the branding. I got an immediate heavy yeasty smell up front but it was quickly overwhelmed by an orangey bite. As the beer warmed a bit, the yeast came out more and brought a subtle bubblegum hint from behind the citrusy oranges. It seemed to finish nice with some coriander and lemon peel.

Immediately the mouthful was a bit spicy, as I expected. The orange and lemon peel came in afterwards to balance the initial blast. The carbonation was solid but not overpowering and it held a gentle medium body. I was pleased to discover the alcohol was hid extremely well. No alcohol burn to report like I’ve experienced with some others in this style. A nice crisp finish with a citrusy backbone to capstone it all.

This was the first brew I’ve tried from Southampton and they’ve done a good job with their Double White that seems to be on par with other Witbiers. Unfortunately, it’s hard to compare to Hoegaarden considering the bar they set with their Whites, but it definitely is sessionable and gets the job done.

Overall: 7/10