The season for new beers

OK, time to get back into blogging. Why? Maine breweries are releasing new beers, mostly seasonal, and so far, all better than their average offerings.

Take Geary's Wee Heavy, a mean beer I bought in a 4-pack. There was no abv on the packaging, but the profile on Ratebeer says it's 8% by volume. I guess they put this out a couple of years ago for their 20th anniversary and brought it back recently.

What little head appears in the drink goes away quickly. Sipping this, I was surprised at its dryness. I was expecting something like Belhaven Wee Heavy, but McEwan's is a better reference point for this. There's an alcohol burn that reminds me of Old Rasputin.

I feel like a Wee Heavy should taste sweeter and cover the alcohol a bit better. This had a hard edge I didn't expect.

Still, it starts and ends with a pleasing maltiness; the burn only happens at the middle of my tongue. And, despite its dryness, I kept going back. Every pint of this I drank was a quick one. This is not a sipper.

I'm conflicted. I'm not crazy about this as an example of a Wee Heavy, yet I'm crazy about this beer. Like McEwan's, but without the peat flavor, and with a sweetness that's more malty than syrupy. At the risk that this is a seasonal, I'm going to but another couple of 4-packs and cellar them, which means I'll put them in a box under my bed next to my Weyerbacher XIII.

Geary's Autumn Ale

There are a few styles of brown ale, but for me, there are two categories. Some are classic session beers, like Brooklyn Brown Ale, Pete's Wicked Ale or Newcastle. They have some malty taste, but they keep a low profile and generally a low abv, with the intention you'll drink it in long sessions, like an eight-hour social gathering. Then there are the nutty, malty sweet browns, like Samuel Smith's Nut Brown, Oak Pond's Brown, or Bar Harbor Real Ale. Geary's Autumn, which has been my favorite Geary's brew for years, is in the latter category.

I say this not only because of the round, malty flavor, but because at 5.8% abv, this is a bit strong for a long night out. Delicious beer, but it's changed a bit over the years.

Just a couple of years ago Autumn Ale had a real carbonation bite. I think the carbonation is markedly softer than it used to be.

On a different front, the label has changed. I was first drawn to this beer by its warm, watercolored label. But these days, it uses these days ridiculous 3-D lettering. Come on, guys. Why would you abandon the 2006 label? Well, even if the label has gone downhill, the lower carbonation is a smart touch.