Gearys Vanilla Porter

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

Date: 07/18/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting, Cellar Party

clear dark burgandy, fine tan head, dry chocolate aroma with a hint of caramel and vanilla sneaking in from the back, lots of rich chocolate and vanilla flavor, still mostly dry to the point of being powdery, only upon warming does a bit of caramel sweetness show up, needs some sweetness to become exceptional

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

22oz bottle acquired in trade with ppoitras (thanks!). Poured a medium and clear mahogany color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of vanilla beans, caramel, chocolate, and lightly roasty. Tastes of vanilla, caramel, chocolate, and root beer soda.

Bottle thanks to porterhouse: Pours a transparent dark mahogany ruby with a thin ring of spotty tan head. Aroma boasts lots of sugary candy vanilla and some caramel malt. Body starts with some sugary caramel malt and drier, earthy bittering hoppy presence with lots of vanilla flavor and mild milk chocolate. Not much porter character but a decent brew.

Pours dark brown with a tan head. Smells of roasted malt, vanilla. Tastes of vanilla with some chocolatey hints underneath. The vanilla is overdone in this.

Cask at The Collin’s Bar. Dark brown beer with no head at all. Aroma is very chocolatey and toasty. Caramel and light coffeeish character as well. Rich and sweet tasting. Flavour is also sweet and malty up front but there is a soft earthy/flinty palate that helps dry it out quite a bit. Nice earthy bitterness. Warming gives off a light chocolate wheaty character. A bit of peppery ethanol in the finish. Nice beer.

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] 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.

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.