Hampshire Special (HSA) Ale
Geary Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Regular|
Score
6.78
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Hampshire has a huge toasted malt flavor balanced by assertive hoppiness. The finish is long and lingering with the malt and hop notes blending with alcohol warmth. Two row English malts (pale, crystal and chocolate); Cascade, Mt. Hood and East Kent Golding hops.
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6.5/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 7
Bottle. Brown beer with a light tan head. Caramel and toffee aroma. Tofee and earthy flavor. Medium bodied. Toffee and earth linger with a light dark fruitiness.
Tried
from Bottle
on 09 Aug 2011
at 11:04
7.6/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7.5
0.33L bottle, small stable light brown head, clear dark copper colour with lots of reddish taints, aroma of caramel and dark bread with herbal notes and a touch of fruit and jam, sweet flavour of toffee, caramel and biscuit, with a light but quite evident bitterness, medium sweet and bitter aftertaste.Very nice sipping beer.
Tried
from Bottle
on 12 Feb 2011
at 13:05
8/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 8
Pours a beautifully clear reddish amber with a frothy off white head that dissipates quickly. Smells of alcohol and a bit of floral and perfume, some sweet malt in there bread and biscuit. Really great nose. Taste is sweet malt up front some toffee and caramel. With some alcohol and hop bitterness mid to finish. Some raisins or dried fruits in there too. Medium to thick body. A syrupy oily mouthfeel. Low carbonation. Great Strong ale, if not a touch sweet. Not cloying, but a little sweet.
Tried
on 09 Feb 2011
at 16:29
6.1/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Re-rate 7/16/12: Bottle. Beer of the month club. Clear amber with a medium beige head. Aroma of malt, caramel, cookies, some piney hops and fruity notes. Flavor starts sweetish with caramelly malt and some toasty and fruity notes, and continues to a bitter hoppy finish, somewhat earthy. Medium-bodied. Decent. 6/3/6/3/13=3.1
Re-rate 5/6/12: Bottle sample at a tasting at Ariel’s place. Thanks kerenmk. Hazy dark amber. Aroma of unpleasant phenols with yeast, bubblegum and a bit of spiciness. Sweet flavor with malt, phenols and a finish with strong weird bitterness. Light-medium-bodied. Something’s obviously wrong with this bottle - score is not calculated. 3/3/3/2/6=1.7
Bottle. Beer of the month club. Clear deep red-amber color with a medium beige head. Hoppy aroma with pine needles, floral notes, some fruitiness and a bit of caramel. Flavor is bitter with some caramelly maltiness (though not too much sweetness), earthy hops and some resin and pine. Medium-bodied. Not bad. 7/3/6/3/13=3.2
Re-rate 5/6/12: Bottle sample at a tasting at Ariel’s place. Thanks kerenmk. Hazy dark amber. Aroma of unpleasant phenols with yeast, bubblegum and a bit of spiciness. Sweet flavor with malt, phenols and a finish with strong weird bitterness. Light-medium-bodied. Something’s obviously wrong with this bottle - score is not calculated. 3/3/3/2/6=1.7
Bottle. Beer of the month club. Clear deep red-amber color with a medium beige head. Hoppy aroma with pine needles, floral notes, some fruitiness and a bit of caramel. Flavor is bitter with some caramelly maltiness (though not too much sweetness), earthy hops and some resin and pine. Medium-bodied. Not bad. 7/3/6/3/13=3.2
Tried
from Bottle
on 13 Dec 2010
at 14:34
6.8/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6
From my beer club. Sampled from a 12 oz brown bottle this beer poured a nut brown color with a huge orange-beige head that lingered and produced great lacing. The aroma was creamy and nutty with light fruit and caramel. The flavor was sour nut, caramel and a touch of wood with faint vague fruits underneath. The finish was long with toasted caramel, nut and wood lingering. Medium body. Pleasant.
Tried
from Bottle
on 22 Oct 2010
at 17:38
6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 6
Draught. Mild fruity aroma. Clear chestnut colour. Small tan head. The flavour is nicely roasted and sweetish. Hint of brown sugar. Well-balanced.
Tried
on 11 Sep 2010
at 13:50
6.9/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle from Half Time. Pours copper with a large foamy beige head. Mildly floral aroma. Medium body with lightly frothy carbonation. Flavor is malty, light roasted, with floral hop. It’s dryish, but not harshly bitter. Heat is lightly present, and English Strong Ale seems an apt descriptor. Upon reflection the roast malt aspect is fairly strong. All the flavors seem to increase with time.
Tried
from Bottle
on 18 Jun 2010
at 22:31
8.4/10
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Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8.5
what a great surprise this was! fantastic taste and aroma from a brewer that i have really come to respect after reading some great articles on them. a unique and interesting aroma and flavor that i can only describe as not being balanced in a good way. the malts are not too sweet at first and the hops come in just at the right time to give a little kick at the end of the sip, great beer.
Tried
from Can
on 07 Jun 2010
at 15:23
6.6/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Brownish pour. Very clear. Very strong initial alcohol presence for only 7%. Finish is lighter and smooth. Rated 4/15/03
Tried
on 07 May 2010
at 13:22
6.8/10
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Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle thanks to porterhouse. Beautiful slightly hazed auburn amber pour with a fading off-white head. Decent lacing. Aroma of berries, caramel, a bit husky, and light english yeast esters. Maybe even some chocolate. Taste is wet grain, a bit husky and bitter. Lightly fruit esters. Light tinge of alcohol. Medium bubbles, medium to strong mouthfeel.
Tried
from Bottle
on 24 Nov 2009
at 20:45