Gearys Vanilla Porter

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

Serve in Snifter

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On tap at Pats Pizza in Auburn Maine. I first tried this beer at the Maine Brewers Fest 1 week earlier and of the 15 different samples this one was at the top of the list. Absoutely outstanding flavor! Goes down so smooth, wonderful color. I do not have the eliquent discriptive words that some people have on here for the various flavors. All I know is that this is a wonderfully delicious beer!

OOPS - I meant to enter the name as "Anniversary Ale." I realize there already is one on the brewer’s list, but this is clearly not an imperial IPA... anyway, on to the rating...


22 oz. brown bottle from Florian’s Market. The bottle is unclear as to the specific style, but says "A rich, strong ale with a sweet maltiness..." and "...and a deep chestnut color." Brown body with ruby red highlights and about a finger of offwhite head. Smells like vanilla, with hints of chocolate and diacetyl. Roasty flavor with vanilla. No noticeable hops present in either the aroma or flavor. On the lighter side of medium bodied. Seems to be a brown porter or a brown ale. Rather good, I may grab another bottle.

Pours a one finger cream head that fades slowly to a ring leaving traces of lace. Deep mahogany color. Light-medium carbonation and medium bodied. Vanilla nose. Flavor is brown sugar and vanilla, not cloying, smooth, vanilla finish. $6.00 for a 22oz bottle from Tully’s Beer and Wine Wells, 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.

On tap at the Great Lost Bear. Pours a very nice dark brown with a foamy tan head. Aroma is wonderful sweet brown sugar and vanilla. Flavor is very sweet, almost cloyingly so, I dont know what the alcohol content is, but with all these sugars it’s gotta be up there. Much more complex than the regular London Porter that they make. Vanilla notes are pretty nice too. I liked this very much, but it’s not as good as Bray’s Vanilla Porter that i had earlier this year. This is a desert beer if there ever was one.

(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.

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!

Appearance: Pours a dark garnet-hued body with a thick, creamy whitish head. Smell: Chocolaty, sweet-smelling aroma with a lesser degree of vanilla replete with a bag of sugar. Smells quite like a Tootsie Roll. Seriously, I underlined "Tootsie Roll" in my tasting notes three times. Taste: Simply put, it’s a Tootsie Roll. Any vanilla in the aroma or taste is really an afterthought. Sweet and chocolate-like through and through. No real appreciable hop character here at all for me. Finishes sweet. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Moderate carbonation. Drinkability: Way to go, Geary’s. You done (fairly) good.

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.

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.