Gearys Hampshire Special Ale

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

Bottle. Amber . Hop aroma & mild sweet fruit . Tastes crisp & satisfying with a gentle bite from the alcohol & hops.

Dark amber with a tiny head that vanishes too quickly’ initial pour is gorgeous. Nose of floral hops, sweet fruit, malt, Taste of floral hops, sweet fruit, sweet malt, and pale ale hoppy bitterness, but not quite enough of anything. Nicely balanced but somehow unfocused, maybe? nothing special, but still slightly more, rather than slightly less, than the sum of its parts. I guess I would have been happier with better carbonation, better malt, and a tad more bitterness.

(Draught) Sampled at the Great Lost Bear in Portland, ME. Pours an almond-coloured, frothy head with a copper body. Nose of bread and alcohol. Flavour is only mildly alcoholic, with tones of butterscotch and caramel with a slight bitter hoppedness. Finish is a tad fruity.

Amber-orange hue, with a soft tan-colored head, with caramelized malt, crystal malt, biscuity note, toffee,fruity aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a grainy, roasted malt, caramelized malt, toffee, hint of butterscotch, maltiness accent, leading to a shy hoppy finish.

12oz. bottle. Copper color with a small white head. Sweet malty aroma with some fruits and hops coming after. Flavor was hoppier than I expected from the aroma. Still had the nice sweet maltiness along with the fruit, but the hops dominated, especially on the finish.

Pours a medium dark copper color without much head. Spice hop aroma. Flavor has a biting astringency that tastes like burnt licorice and dulls your taste buds. Alcohol is very present. This beer is not for me.

Lightish copper. Fairly aromatic, with a unique blend of malts, creating lovely caramel, toffee and fruit aromas with a light hint of floral hops. Fluffy, creamy texture with a heavy body. Awfully bitter, unfortunately, as it seems to take away from the multi-dimensional malt flavor. Soft crystal malt character with a light hint of peated malt, providing pleasant butterscotch hints. Light apple notes and caramel are present as well. Sharp hop bitterness on the finish. Pretty nice stuff.

A hazy orange beer with a small disappearing orange head. The aroma is sweet hoppy with notes of caramel, while the flavor is sweet malty and again with the caramel being most dominant.