Gearys Winter Ale

Brewed by D.L. Gearys Brewing Co.
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Portland, Maine USA

(12 oz bottle: Obtained 06-Apr-06 in trade with 46er3498, thanks Tom!) Aromas of sweet caramel and toffee with a touch of honey, but if there’s any hops in the nose, it’s nearly indiscernible. But that’s okay with me since I like malty aromas and this doesn’t smell sugary sweet. But it’s immediately clear to me that this is an English-style beer, not an American one, so that perspective is important. More caramel in the flavor, modest toffee, but an English-style fruitiness and gently-bitter hoppiness have much more presence than in the nose, and indeed, the pleasant flavor is quite nicely balanced. The light bitterness from the hops gradually builds over the session and eventually creates a light but lingering presence on the palate long into the finish. Medium-bodied with gentle carbonation and a slightly chalky mouthfeel, this is easy to drink and smooth on the palate, less heavy than your typical American "winter" beer. Golden-amber in color and fairly clear in appearance. Small, off-white head quickly settles to a filmy layer with a wide ring, leaving only spotty lacing. Not an in-your-face IPA, and actually quite tame compared to American-style versions, but I’d describe this as affable, friendly and satisfying, a nice, pleasant change of pace from the American hop bombs.

12oz bottle pours amber with a small white head. Aroma of light caramel malts and floral hops. Flavor is a blend of weak caramel malts and weak c-hops. Nothing really great though this just winds up somewhere in the middle and I guess I just expect something bold from an IPA. This can defintely not be described as bold in any way. Average all around.

[bottle] Pours a clear yellow color and a white, fluffy head. Aroma is nothing too big, kind of bitter. Flavors are plain- hoppy and slightly acidic. Average IPA

Geary’s Winter Ale pours a light yellow color with a fizzy off-white head. Clear body, good lacing. Aroma is of sweet, perfume hops, and a skunk aroma, although not that the beer was skunked. Initial taste is acidic, finishing light bitter. Dry and light on the mouth. This is not a characteristic winter beer. We will finish this six-pack, but probably not buy another next winter.

Bottle, from sampler pack. A so so ish India pale ale. Tastes a bit weak. Not even all that hoppy for an IPA. Really, this seems more like a regular pale ale.

bottle, aroma of hops and caramel. flavor is simple and slightly weak. kinda watery with a hoppy floral caramel finnish. kinda like a HSA Light, HSA is much better. the winter ale has similar characteristics just much less of them.

IPA? Winter Ale? Both? Yea I guess it would be both. Odd taste, great aftertaste.

Most American versions of IPA have a very aggressive hop profile, and use a blend of American hops. Geary’s Winter Ale, is a British inspired IPA, and uses British hops such as Golding and Fuggles, but being this is an American beer, a good dose of Mt. Hood hops are used as well. The malts used are English(clarity, crystal, and wheat malt), and this beer uses a very distinctive British yeast strain known as Ringwood. Ringwood gives the beer an earthy/buttery character in both aroma and flavor, and gives the beer another dimension. Geary’s Winter Ale pours to a beautiful deep golden to light amber color with a thick and creamy white head, and a good bit of carbonation. The nose on this beer is fantastic with flowery and citric hop aromas, which marry with earthy/yeasty aromas. The palate is firm with lots of good pale and stewed crystal malt flavors, with yeasty and buttery undertones. Geary’s Winter Ale finishes with more malty and buttery flavors up front, then ends with a very pleasing hop bitterness that lingers. A very well done domestic example of a very British inspired IPA. This is a hearty beer, and is a great beer to match up with hearty dishes, and that of course means steamed or baked stuffed lobster, or New England clam chowder if you are in Maine. This beer is available in select good beer markets from November to February, so get it while supplies of this beer lasts.