Gritty McDuffs Best Bitter

Brewed by Gritty McDuffs
Style: Bitter
Portland, Maine USA

Draft @ Gritty’s. Golden dark amber with a small white head. Mild muted malt and hops in the aroma. Flavour is pretty muted as well, mild bitterness and not much else. Thin body indicates that it’s probably cask, but the server didn’t say. Too thin either way.

For a brewer who likes bitters and ESBs, you’d think they’d pay closer attention to what a bitter should taste like. Copper with an off white head. Smells of bread and caramel with a hint of funk. Taste is malty and non-descript.

(Bottle, best by 12/05) Medium copper body, biscuit head, decent lacing. Nose a little bready. Bitter right up front. Mouthfeel pretty thin, kind of watery. Flavor kind of bland. Finish dry.

On tap at the brewpub. Clear copper color with a thin ring of white lace. Mild aroma of hops and caramel. Mild flavor of hops and caramel. The palate is light and watery and the carbonation is soft.

Thanks for sharing, hey_kevin. Poured a medium amber color. The aroma is bread, hay and fresh cherries. The taste has hay, and a little beef jerky. There is some bread crust with a hint of oranges. This is a decent bitter.

Bottle. Orange color with a medium white head and lace. Full of caramel malts and earthy notes. Well balanced, chewy with a long malty finish. Just a well made tasty bitter.

On cask at Gritty McFratkids in Portland with Muzzlehatch on 5/21/2005. Poured from the handpump, this was, GASP!, clear! Oh my god, I think I’ve died and gone to heaven. Little bit of yeast in the nose, some lemons, grainy malt and vanilla, with only a touch of papery diacetyl. Flavor even tastes on! Wow, of all places, I did not expect to find a cask in good condition here. Clear golden/light amber, with a small white head, moderate retention, no lacing. Flavor is just sort of lightly yeasty/dusty, bits of grains and very crisp on the end, with hay and straw like English hops. Notes of dry toffee and caramel corn, low diacetyl. Pleasant, very pleasant. And oh so drinkable, medium-light body, not watery, low carbonation and in great condition, as I already said, but wanted to stress again.

Rerate Having had this on two more separate occasions, I have been severely disappointed compared to my first experience. One sample was almost undrinkable. Flat, oxidized, old and dirty tasting. This cask should have been changed long, long ago. Another time, it was average, perhaps slightly below, with too much butteriness and a dirty flavor on the end, lightly sour as well. Score is an average of the three. Seems they don’t care to change their casks properly and just want to sell the whole thing even if it is on long passed when it should be.

Pours a bright brassy amber with a creamy off-white head. Fizzy and lacy. Smells hoppy and coppery, metallic. Taste is creamy and bitter. Metallic flavors with a light malt profile. Hoppy flavors grow as it warms. Big hop profile as you finish the brew. Creamy mouthfeel with a coppry, hoppy aftertaste. Smooth enough. I’m not a big fan of bitter but this brew is very smooth. I would really like to try this on draft.