Gearys Winter Ale

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

Serve in Shaker, Tulip

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.

Bouteille de 12 oz achetée au Beverage Warehouse (Winooski, VT). Arôme: Odeur fruité avec une légère touche de peinture (?). Apparence: Couleur blonde orangée avec une moyenne densité de bulle. Présence d’un mince col mousseux et d’une fine dentelle sur le verre. Saveur: Goût de caramel avec une très légère touche de peinture (?). Durée moyenne de l’arrière goût. Palette: Le corps est moyen. L’effervescence en bouche est moyenne. Légère amertume en arrière goût. (Rating #424)

Weak beer, but it’s not terrible. Aroma is hoppy, but sweet, gumballlike. Flavor is similar, gumball with a bit of bitterness, nothing great but it’s ok.

Bottle. Faint nose of hops with almost no discernable head. Pours light amber with a wannaabe IPA palate. Very thin and watery. A Winter Ale?

Pretty hoppy. Didn’t think of an IPA as a Winter Ale. Its ok, but it lacks any sense of balance.

The aroma is of sweet fruit and flowers. The color is golden with a light golden head. The initial flavor is slightly fruity sweet and grows to a mild hop bitterness.

(Bottle) Light amber body, very clear. Soft off-white head. Aroma of hops. Sloppy lacing. Tastes pleasantly hoppy, faintly doughy, mildly bitter from start to finish and after. Smooth and drinkable, well-rounded. Nice IPA