Gearys Hampshire Special Ale

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

Has a nice, deep, hazy brown color with hardly any head. Hints of malts and hops with a little bit of grain. Has a sweeter malt flavor with a very smooth hop undertone. Aftertaste has very little bite making me want more. Overall a pretty smooth brew. Good job.

Bottle. Big imperial stout -like aroma, slick syrupy chocolate nose with light caramel, some wood and sweet fruity malt, and a bit of earthy toffee and smoky wood. Amber pour with a creamy, rocky light tan head. Taste is woody with light acidity and warmth, very-well hidden alcohol, light caramel and a long dry wood-drenched aftertaste. Touch of mustier hops here (including some sweaty Goldings), but the focal point is clearly the dynamic malt combination, with light Cascade citrus ooooozing through a woody barrier and seeping into bitter chocolate. Spicy notes in with the toffee. A surprise and a real winner!

Lightly spiced aroma, with fruity malt hints. Clear orange color with a small white head. Sweet tangy beginning that fades in the finish.

12oz bottle. Pours amber with a slightly reddish hue, topped with a moderate sized beige head. Aroma is on the sweet side, with grass, green apple, grass, and mild hops. Flavor is nicely balanced; grain, caramel malt, grass, and mild citric hops interact perfectly. Hops cling to the palate fora fairly long finish. Great beer.

Bottle. Pours a golden amber body with a two finger off white head. Lightly earthy grassy citrus nose. A light caramel malt bill. Grainy, vanilla, caramel, berries with a light alcohol warming. Best thing from Gearys so far.

(Bottle). Malty aroma. Cloudy orange-amber, light tan head. Bitter-sweet mostly malt-influenced flavor, but also some citrus. Plenty of hops in the lengthy dry finish. Nicely done.

An underrated brewer who puts out some great tasting brews, I’m so glad to see Geary’s products popping up in my area from time to time. This beer is exceptional and made for a great introduction into the forthcoming Autumn season. Fruity aroma with a thick malt aroma coupled by mixed berries, caramel, and vanilla. Amber-brown color with a nice sized khaki head and adequate lacing. Full bodied and lively on the palate. Sweet and bitter, very clean finish. A moderate sipper with a dark fruity aftertaste. Nothing extreme, but this is very well made. Supremely comforting with robust flavors of nuts, toast, biscuits, toffee, and vanilla. Creamy with a nice floral hop bitterness. Fruity backbone consisting of minor citrus hints and mixed berries. Awesome find, hope to stumble across another six pack in the near future.

A bottle of this appeared on my desk without warning. I think the Druids must have done it. Nose is of sugary malts with a few whisps of hops. A moderate amber with touches of brown in the glass. A soapy white head sits and stays well seated by the very active and long carbonation. Body is medium and is of mostly malts at first. Hops decide to join in at the second half of mouthfeel and hang about for a crisp finish. Finish is sudden. Alcohol is well hidden but helped me sleep after a day spent searching for a stowaway owl.