Geary's Autumn Ale: An Ale Made for Fall DrinkingOct 14 '03 (Updated Jul 01 '08) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Geary's Autumn Ale is a very well done, distinctly American version of the brown ale. Recommended for Fall drinking.
My Fall is not complete unless I’m able to find some autumn themed beers to embrace the coming chill. My choices include authentic Oktoberfest ales from Germany and the countless American variations on that style. Many American brewers also celebrate Fall with other ideas: pumpkin ales, harvest ales, and other autumn treats. One such new offering in my area is Geary’s Autumn Ale from the D.L. Geary Brewing Company of Portland, Maine. As mentioned in an earlier review, "Geary’s was one of my first forays into craft brewing and over the years I’ve returned to them time and again when I find them available. No matter what the other breweries might experiment with and foist on an unsuspecting public, Geary’s keeps doing it right in my opinion. They just make good beer." So, finding a new Geary’s offering (to me anyway) was enough to immediately change my selection ideas and pick it up instead. (I also made an immediate mental note to return to this package goods store in future.) Geary’s Autumn Ale is a brown ale in style and it immediately appealed to me as I consider brown ales to be among the most drinkable and socially redeeming ales made. In my experience, few people will turn down a brown ale when offered in friendship. If they do, then they are no friend of mine. Granted, the American version of brown ale is noticeably hoppier than its English counterparts, but the nutty, sweet, brown/amber goodness remains. With Geary’s known for their use of hops, I was most anxious to try their version. Tasting Notes Geary’s Autumn Ale pours to a amber/brown color with a frothy head with a noticeable whiff of something malty in there: cocoa, chocolate, coffee. The use of hops, a Geary signature, is subdued at first impression. The ale is a malt blast that hits the mouth immediately with differing tones of maltiness. There’s an especially sweet opening wave that is then tempered with some teasing dryness at the finish. The full-on maltiness is welcome. This is a very tasty beer. It’s sweet but not overpowering. It appears to be balanced, medium bodied, and highly drinkable, a definite session beer if one is so inclined. As the beer warms up, it is especially tasty with notes of caramel present and a really pleasant finish, glass after glass. Like most quality brown ales, there is a toasty nuttiness present in the waves of malt. Geary’s is a little less "nutty" in that regard, but it’s a very well done, distinctly American version of the brown ale. Would I Have Another? Absolutely. Some reviewers will indeed quibble about the correct construction of a brown ale, but I’ve generally liked every beer I have ever had by this brewer and Geary’s Autumn Ale is no exception. In my opinion, this is a very good choice for Fall drinking (four stars) and especially welcome after an afternoon of leave raking, hiking, or just good old football tailgating. At $7.25 a six-pack in my area, it’s a bargain. This would be a good choice for Fall barbecue’s and other outdoor get-togethers. Others mileage may vary. (It retails in the $7.99-8.49 range in 2008.) Geary’s Autumn Ale is another one of Geary’s ales that boasts art-centric packaging (or did at the time I reviewed it). The edition I reviewed had a label with an impressionistic Fall landscape, perhaps of Maine marsh grasses or a twilight outdoor fire scene. The current version of the label is more generic in scope. Sources More about the brewery can be found at the www.drinkmainebeer.com site or at www.gearybrewing.com..  |
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