Review: Geary's Hampshire Special Ale
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 by Allen
Gift from my bestest buddy
ABV%:
7%
Type:
English Strong Ale
Color:
Orange hued, caramel color which a thick, creamy head
Aroma:
Nice hop aroma, flowery fragrance with apples balanced with some toffee sweetness
Taste:
Great mix of the bitterness and flavor of hops. The bitters and balanced with some nice toffee malt, and shortbread. Finishes dry and generates saliva in the mouth, giving the beer a 'juicy' texture.
Overall:
I first tried this beer New Year's Eve 2010. I asked my friend to get me some beers from the New England area and this was one of the special ones. It was ice cold out of the fridge and poured into my Sam Adams Perfect Pint. It smelled great but at first sip, the hop presence was harsh and startled me and my friend who was having some with me. Basically, there was not sweetness to counteract the hop flavor and aroma which Geary's Hampshire Special Ale has a ton of. As it warmed, all the flavors came together and has since become one of my favorite beers. Too bad I haven't seen too much of it in the Mid-Atlantic area!
What the HSA brings to the table is big malt profile with some molasses and cookie sweetness PLUS hop bitterness and hop flavor. These are all quite distinct in the beer and one can savor all the different flavors. Some might argue that the beer is unbalanced due to its flavors being a little bit disjointed and on opposite ends of the spectrum but I didn't find this at all and the beer pronounces all the flavors with boldness and clarity. Tasty beer!
4.25/5
I bought a six-pack of this for myself as well. It's strange, but I definitely prefer the beer warmer as well, the same way I like to let my red wine sit. Anyway, the Boston Globe said that it's possibly one of the best beers in America. My palate isn't refined enough to determine that, but me likey!