Gritty McDuffs Halloween Ale

Brewed by Gritty McDuffs
Style: Premium Bitter/ESB
Portland, Maine USA

2009 batch with an expiration date of October 2010. The pour was a handsome looking brown with ruby red highlight and excellent clarity. The aroma is a great balance of malts and hops, with neither overpowering the other. The taste is boldly bitter with a decent dosage of hops and roasted malts. More like an English Strong ale rather than an autumnal or pumpkin ale but a tad drier.

Pours a deep ruby red mahogany/copper color with some dark golden orange/amber hues when held to a light source and a two finger frothy off white head. Excellent retention, slowly fading into a lasting cap that coats the glass with rings of soapy lacing. Slightly spicy aroma with a good balance of biscuit malt, floral hops, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg. These spices are pretty subtle but are a nice addition to the toasty malts and floral hop notes. I thought that it was odd that a Halloween beer would be classified as an ESB but it makes sense in this case. It smells like an amped up version of the style with subtle hints of pumpkin beer/oktoberfest/marzen styles. Medium body with a good bit of spiciness up front with some subtle hop notes. I’m picking up some cinnamon and brown sugar as well as some subtle clove and vanilla. There is a nice toasty, biscuit maltiness that provides nice body and very subtle dry bitterness from the hops. Based on the aroma I was expecting a lot more hops but the maltiness and autumnal pumpkin pie spices dominate the flavor of this beer. The ABV is very well masked and theexcellent balance make this brew very drinkable.

got fresh off the delivery truck. pours deep brown with medium white head. aroma is caramel malt, some bittering hops and a bit of spice. flavor is really roasted sweet malts through out and some stale hop bitterness, but in a good way. spice and burnt toast finish this one up. very tasty session beer.

Deep brown pour, white head. Aroma is some english hop and some nutty toasty malt, brown sugar dusting. Flavor is nice a full, nice burnt sugar maltiness and some low key hopping which adds a nice bitterness. Goes down easy and really good looking. Yum

12oz. Caramel and sugar aroma, classic roundess. More bitterness in the finish then Fullers. Fairly overt hop flavor lingers. Nothing in the beer calls out to me but it tastes great, goes down easy, and looks beautiful. I like the idea that an ESB is for halloween Yay beer!

Poured from bottle. Faint aroma of sweet potatoes and brown sugar. Dark mahogany, tan head. A burnt malt/brown sugar flavor with nice bitterness at the back. A bit of spice and coffee as well. Finished nicely. Good stuff.

12 oz. bottle. Pours deep mahogany with white head that fades quickly. Caramel, sweet corn, roast, toffee malt aroma. Tastes of caramel with very slight bitter bite to finish. Would be a good session.