Gearhead Ale
Black Bear Brewing Company in Orono, Maine, United States 🇺🇸
Amber / Red Ale Regular|
Score
6.15
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
(Tap) bright clear Amber colour with a small beige head; aroma of stewed fruit; dryish, mineral flavour with a long, light bitter finish
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 5 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5
Reviewed from old notes.
On tap at their brewpub.
This was poured into a pint glass.
The appearance was a fairly hazy dark red color with a bar pour’s kind of slim film of a white head. Barely any lacing was left.
The smell had a dark caramel malty richness about the aroma.
The taste had a rich English maltiness, slightly caramel and slightly chocolatey.
On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with not much of a sessionability about it. The carbonation seemed okay for the style and for me. It left a slightly smooth creaminess rolling over my tongue.
Overall, honestly, this was just an okay amber ale, nothing special.
Cooksons (1037) ticked Gearhead Ale from Black Bear Brewing Company 12 years ago
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 5.5
on tap-pours a dissipating tan head and red/brown color. Aroma is sweet medium malt-caramel, some earthy hops. Taste is sweet medium malt-caramel/some chocolate, nutty, secondary earthy hops. House yeast? Dryish finish.
Appearance - 6 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Dark amber pour with minimal head and lots of chunky floaties - somewhat sour, earthy aroma, with slight whiffs of cherry - very earthy flavor of strong, root veggies, like beets and taro - light caramel sweetness and a hint of sourness and acidity on the back end - very strange - unique, but not in an entirely good way.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Gearhead Ale from Black Bear Brewing Company 19 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 6 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Fresh 2006 bomber consumed on July 1st 2006. Very strong pour yields a full, lasting, sandy-colored head, obviously bottle conditioned, as tiny bubbles rise vigorously throughout the dark auburn (but bright ruby when held to the light) body. No lacing and it eventually recedes to cover, with no sediment on the bottom. Very subtle chocolate in the nose is somewhat sticky and combines with a hint of anise and light crystal malt hardness. Fresh yeast minerals and a touch of white dough round out this soft aroma of medium to medium-light strength. Earthy, dry and chocolatey with faintly grassy hops that are almost drowned out by the light, fruity esters. No alcohol apparent in the nose. The flavor provides a mildly creamy mouthfeel with notes of walnuts, graham crackers, dry chocolate and very lightly bready crystal/caramel malts. Some creaminess comes on as it breathes, while you get a bit of earthy, soily hops and a touch of coffee notes from the dark malts. True to the commercial description, the flavors are mild, vanishing in to water on the end (though it is not loose in texture) with just a bit of fruitiness and crunchy dark malt lingering. Mostly bittering hops provide an average amount of hop bitterness through the middle, with a light tingle on the end. Very well-brewed and extremely drinkable, I’d love to see what this brewer could do with a more interesting style and less filtration.