Gritty McDuffs Lions Pride Brown Ale (Best Brown Ale)

Brewed by Gritty McDuffs
Style: Brown Ale
Portland, Maine USA

Spritzy, carbonation filled pour results in a tall head that fizzles to a ring around the tulip in no time. Translucent amber color. Plasticy, CO2 filled aroma masks what little malt profile is there. Dirty, earthy yeast comes through as well. The body starts slightly burnt and moves into a sweet caramel. Watery throughout though and kind of chalky on the tongue. I’ve always found brown ales to be pretty blah and this is definitely a real blah example.

Brown with off-white head. Anemic aroma of malt. The flavor was a little hop and a little malt with a slight vinegary, short finish. Thin body. If this beer were the only beer in the cooler, besides Bud, et al, I wouldn’t pass it by. An OK session beer.

A full nutty aroma. A very dark amber with a very nice medium white head. Tastes not to strong but lightly of nuts and coffee. Creamy light body, with very little bitterness.

[on tap at brewery] Clear, rich dark copper with permanent, yellow’d shaving cream topping. Weak but creamy aroma with a little butterscotch and no hops. Flavour of lightly toasted nuts with a little toffee; moderate bitterness in good balance with smooth sweetness...almost velvety. Light to medium body with a little lasting bitterness.

Any first impressions?
-A classy 1/2-inch foam head sits there comfortably.
-It’s rather russet-coloured for a brown ale.
-Puffed up butterscotchy, beany malt aroma.
-Maltiness isn’t as prominent in the flavor as the aroma purported.

What if you dig deeper?
-Meaty, BBQ-sauce, and earthy notes seem to thin out the malty sweetness in both the aroma and flavor.
-Aftertaste is pretty short, a little dry, but only hopped for support, which fits the style methinks.
-Malt roastiness appears in the last half and progressively takes more room.
-Mouthfeel is competent, but without much flavor it seems to serve little purpose.

Bottle; best before May 2006

Small, quickly depleting head, brownish body. Smell hints at a bit of honey or maple maybe? Taste does too. A bit sweet with just a hint of bitter in aftertaste, not too strong tasting. Delicious. I’m not an ale guy, but I’m rather impressed.

Bottle-Really expected more after trying the Christmas ale. Below average brew. Poured almost a perfect brown with a decent head. The taste is mostly bitterness with too little malt flavor. The palate was too watery.

on tap at grittys. medium brown color, nice head. not to strong of an aroma. very bitter in the flavor, not alot of malts, very dry and bitter hop flavors. this could have used more roasted malty flavors to balance the bitterness. it seemed as if the bitterness overwealmed the other flavors. average beer, but its 1$ cheeper than the other beers a grittys.