Gearys Vanilla Porter

Brewed by D.L. Gearys Brewing Co.
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Portland, Maine USA

Pours a ruby brown color with a light brown head. Aroma is malty, roasty, some vanilla, and a hint of chocolate. Flavor is lots of vanilla, with roasted malts, and chocolate.

22 ounce bottle ("Anniversary Ale") from Ryan & Caseys in Greenfield, MA (purchased January 07, consumed May 07), drunk at cellar temperature from a Samuel Smiths pint glass. Plenty of fizz when I pop the cap; this hefty porter has some life after 6+ months.....it pours a translucent dark maple with a big but quick-to-die buff head, large-bubbled and frothy....the nose has plenty of oaky vanilla/bourbon character, a bit of chocolate, light toasty malts in the background, and more than a hint of maple; lots going on, but all rather subdued if not weak....very nice to taste though, there’s certainly plenty of sweetness, a lot of liquor character -- rum/bourbon I’d say, and the vanilla isn’t necessarily fresh-bean stuff, but for whatever reason the balance between the sweet liquor-candy and the fairly full black malts worked for me, there’s some nice licorice notes apparent towards the finish as well....low carbonation, lightly syrupy, alcohol apparent as a flavor as noted but not really "boozy" if you know what I mean. Works for me.

Anniversary Ale served cold from a 4.5 gallon cask. Poured a very nice medium brown in color. Smelled beautifully of vanilla extract. The taste was an interesting combination of sweetness and a warm bourbon-y alcohol flavor. The finish was sweet with vanilla. An excellent brew.

[Anniversary Ale] Poured a dark mahogany color with a thin, off white head that left nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of strong vanilla extract, not the true bean; bakers chocolate, akin to a tootsie roll... overly sweet. Taste was expected, more cloying sweetness. Vanilla extract, chocolate, with some roasted malts, and perhaps a touch of smoke in the background. My least favorite at Split thy Brooklyn Skull.

Bottle from Porterhouse; Thanks Kevin! Nose of what else VANILLA and sweet milk choclate, Clear medium brown with a small straw colored head; flavor is sweet milk chcolate with some hop bitterness mixed with lighter vanilla in the flavor. A well balanced porter with the balance of sweet chocolate and nice hop bitterness which lasts to the finish!

22oz bomber consumed on 11/22/06.
Ruby-chestnut-auburn-mahogany. There, that about covers the color. Beige head recedes slowly, to ring/partial cover. Clear/filtered. no lacing.
Vanilla and light buttercream in the nose are packed with too much milk chocolate and sweetness. Slightest touch of floral hops just seem weird intersparsed by milk chocolate. Medium strength.
Bittersweet hop and chocolate at first, in the flavor, with light hop bitterness and very, very mellow roasty notes with some cherry cola suggestions. Watery texture, but not overdone in carbonation. Too sweet, without a tight enough carbonation. Vanilla not poorly done at all. Alcohol fusels come off lightly as warming occurs. Rather it might be some reaction with the vanilla, but it is sharp and raw.
Nice rating by porterhouse, I guess I just didnt enjoy it though I agree with what he wrote whole heartedly.

An interesting brew, no doubt, nice vanilla-molasses aroma, but the taste is far far too rich in sugar, almost like a syrup. Very light for a porter as well. A shame, because the HSA is a fantastic beer and needs more love on this site.

(22 oz. bottle from <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/maine/augusta/l target=blank>Lou’s Beverage Barn) Sweet and strong but not a porter...Pours clear dark brownish amber with two fingers of creamy light tan head. Aroma (after head recedes) is caramel and vanilla, and, a bit deeper is some maple syrup and rock candy. In other words, pretty malty. Mouthfeel is pretty smooth, lightly prickly but also feels a little syrupy and sticky on back end. Flavor is sweet and malty - mainly vanilla and maple syrup. Has a pretty good bitter bite as well. Can feel the alcohol warmth but not really a burn. Perhaps this is an amped-up version of Geary’s HSA. Don’t know why they’re calling this a porter because only hint that it might be is a very faint bit of milk chocolate in aftertaste. No, this has got to be a strong ale IMO.