Gearys Pale Ale

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

Purchased in their mixed pack on a trip to Maine. Pours a clean deep amber colour with a frothy warm cap, decent retention and nice lacing. Mild cereal grain malts with what seems adjuncts. Grainy taste with a little hops. OK, but not the best pale ale.

Aroma: 5 | Appearance: 5 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 5

I had this beer at a farmhouse style resturant in Brooklyn, NY (right by the new Nets arena). This beer was ok - a decent pale ale. It was pretty run of the mill, pine, not citrus. I'd have it again.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

UPDATE ON 7/14/11- Been a year since I tried this. Downgraded a few points (two on flavor and one on appearance).......New England Run Sample #4:- This is the sort of EPA that I enjoy. Has a special yeasty taste that's hard to describe....but I find it in some foreign stouts and porters (like Flag for instance). Has a gold-copper appearance with a semi-smooth mouthfeel. Well balanced with slight caramel malt and mild hop and that "hard to describe" yeasty/wheaty taste. I can't wait to get this again (or something similar) with some Chowda or Fish n' Chips.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Picked one of these up when I was in Boothbay Harbot, Maine. A decent beer but the flavor seemed lacking. Just seems like an average brew to me, probably wouldn't have one again.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 9

I always pick up a six or two when I visit the in-laws in Maine, this is the first time I took some home to review. Ton of malt and yeast in the nose when first poured, when that blows off it reveals a nose of floral hops, some citrus, some spice, a sweet very nice nose. A bit of a surprise with the light brown body, very clear and nice carbonation bubbling up the glass. I moderate slightly creamy off-white head that is fairly short lived but leaves a nice thick skim coat. Very nice lacing. A very full, for a pale ale, mouthfeel that is silky and creamy, really nicely done! There is a lot of sweetish malt in the taste but its very well balanced with an astringent hoppiness. There is also a fruity presence in the middle of the taste and the alcohol is also present, leaving a nice warming feeling. This may be the best pale I have encountered. This one is walking the line between an American Pale and an English ESB. Back when I was a kid, in 73, I spent a month in London. Ate exclusively at the pubs and drank a whole lot of "bitter". Didn't know what that really meant then, this was long before American craft brewing caught fire. It was exclusively on draught and I have no idea what brewers it was coming from, I have always wished I could taste it again now. I think this beer comes close, perhaps a bit maltier. It also took me a while to get into the swing of the beer being served less than cold. I'm gonna let the last of this Geary's warm a bit for a final tasting. Hmmm, it likes to be a bit on the warm side, the flavor really blossoms and gets more complex. The imported English yeast and malts (I am tasting a hint of the chocolate malt now)is shining through and, in my opinion, putting most American pales to shame! Great brew and great session brew!

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 8

Well rounded brew, fashioned after the English style of Pale Ale I was overly impressed. Decent aroma of toffee and caramel, moderately hopped with citrus and floral tones. Dark rich copper colour producing a velvety off white lasting head and big spots of lacing. Mild malty body. This is a very smooth and easy drink, makes for a nice session ale. Delicious malt flavor, mostly nutty toffee and sweet caramel, overall the malt tastes a little toasted. Just the right amount of hops are added creating a nice moderate bitterness. A dash of grapefruit and pine, this beer is amazingly balanced.

Aroma: 4 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 4 | Overall: 8

Thanks John for not sending me an IPA, and I saved this pale ale till last. I owe a trade to jjpm74 for these last quality brews he’s sent me. These Geary’s twist off caps are sometimes difficult to get off with out an opener. Tear my skin. Wet raggish initial aroma when you pop the lid, this may be the smell of my skin. When you pour it, the olfactory becomes more sweet and volatile. Darker amber brown orange color, looks like Gearys Hampshire Special. Good tingly first taste impression, not a whole lottta hop. Tastes cold even though it is warming, very complex. Malty alky bitterness begins to build on the back of the palate. So this is from the US’s Great White North? Not bad from the state of Maine. This is a pretty good representative for a flag ship beer. Not bitter enough to offend new brew drinkers and bitter enough to let an IPA lover know you’re concerned. Lovely carbonation, some of the best in an EPA. Even better than Great Divide which is a carbonated line. Finish is medium length bitter, but not out of control, just nearly. Best EPA I’ve had to date, even better than Black Dog and Great Divide Denver Pale Ale.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

Usual appearance average head and lacing. The aroma was somewhat biscuity with some herbal hop tones and toffee. The flavor was pretty smooth, nice blend of caramel and toffee in the malts, an overall fruitiness typical of an EPA, and a soft bitter finish of mostly bittering hops that had a touch of pine/resinous notes to them. I thought this was gonna be more highly rated after drinking it, but I guess not. Pretty smooth and enjoyable. Great local upgrade over Bass, imo.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Amber colored ale with a lively head. Aroma had a nice spicy hop characteristic that was out front of a solid malt backing. Assertive carbonation bite in the mouthfeel said "pay attention to me". Flavor was your meat and potatoes amber ale - solid, chewy malt layered with hops, some flowery and toward the end more bitter. Would go great with the big lobster on the label.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 10

Geary's brews British beer styles, and uses the distinctive, earthy, buttery, yeast strain called ringwood. Ringwood works exceptionally well in pale ale, and Geary's Pale Ale is one of the finest on the market today. It is a tradition of mine to visit Dimillo's Floating Restaurant which sits on Casco Bay, have a twin lobster dinner, and wash it down with glass upon glass of Geary's Pale Ale. Geary's Pale Ale pours to a bright amber color, with a nice white head, and a good carbonation. The nose on this beer is just full of vibrant hop aromas paired with earthy ringwood yeast aroma. The palate is firm and crisp, a rock solid pale malt backbone. Very nice body on this beer, it is a touch buttery from the ringwood yeast. This beer finishes with a long, dry, bitter hop bit that lingers on the tongue. This is a fantastic pale ale, one of my all time favorites. This beer goes exceptionally well with shell fish, especially lobster. The hop bitterness is the perfect foil to the rich, sweet, lobster meat.