Gearys Hampshire Special Ale

Brewed by D.L. Gearys Brewing Co.
Style: English Strong Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Brown color with a thin head. Bitter aroma has some caramel. Not too complex, pleasingly bitter with some caramel and lots of malt. Decent stuff.

Orange/copper and an orange aroma to match, with some hints of alcohol. Thin and shriking in the mouth except for a bitter finish and a combination of alcohol and carbonation that provides all of the fireworks on the tongue. Too thin for my taste in this beer. Bottle.

Poured a deep amber color with a thin off-white head. Aroma of caramel, bubble gum, and fruit. Flavor starts with caramel malt, then comes fruit, some hops and turning acidic on the finish. Light bitter hop on finish. Millenium version (11/3/05) Malty with a light spice. Light bitter finish. Low carbonation and smooth.

Head is initially average sized, frothy, light brown, mostly diminishing. Body is dark amber. Aroma is moderately malty (cookie, caramel), lightly hoppy (apricot), with notes of peach, sherry, toffee. Flavor is moderately sweet, lightly acidic, lightly bitter. Finish is lightly sweet, lightly acidic, moderately bitter, slightly husky. Medium body, watery texture, lively carbonation, lightly alcoholic, metallic. The mouthfeel is disappointing (a bit thin and watery for the style and somewhat metallic). With some more work, this could be very good...the nose is very attractive, but it doesn’t fully work after that.

A slight quickly receding white head tops this clear copper colored brew. A toasty cararmel malt aroma is spiced with piny hop notes making for a feast for the nose. Malty throughout with a slight rise in sweetness at the end, the ample hop bit floats atop the malty underpinning without ever seeming to mingle directly with it. Pleasing and complex, this brew will please fans of IPAs and English strongs alike. Nice package.

Copper brown liquid with fine white head. Nose is hoppy and crisp. bitters noted. Flavor is a surprising blend of malt mellowness and a nice bitter hop edge. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is hop crispness resolving into nice bitter ending.

12 oz bottle. Pours copper with a minimal head that fades to a thin film quickly. Aroma is enticing, lots of floral and citrus hop, malt, and finally alcohol. Looks and smells like a hearty IPA. Mouthfeel is very good, not too much carbonation, very full bodied, with an almost syrupy and fairly alcoholic finish. Up front flavor is heavy on the malt but becomes very hoppy on the swallow and finishes with some nice belly warming alcohol. Overall like a good pale ale with a little extra boost in the alcohol department. I really liked this and wouldn’t be afraid to recommend this to almost anyone. Good beer.

pours a deep copper color with a large off white head. Smells of grapefruit and wildflowers. Tastes of caramel with a bitter hoppy finish. The alcohol is very pronounced on this one which is disappointing for a 7% ABV beer, but otherwise a great beer I’d definitely stock up for the late Fall on if I could.