Tag Archives: Gritty McDuff’s
193. Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout (draft)
I already reviewed this beer from a bomber and it is one of my favorite stouts. Had the chance to go to Gritty’s and enjoy it on-tap this week and as usual draft beer just tastes better. Pours an almost black and it was not served cold which made it even better. The large glass was gone very quickly and I was happy. This one would be a perfect St Paddy’s day treat with a low ABV so you can drink it all day long.
Pros: Everything a stout should be
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Gritty’s
Brewers Description: There’s beer and then there’s stout, and Gritty McDuff ‘s Black Fly Stout is the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust and a touch mysterious. The finest stout west of Galway Bay!
161. Gritty McDuff”s Black Fly Stout
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This is the second great stout in a week. Last week was Sebago Brewing’s Lake Trout Stout and this week is Gritty’s Black Fly Stout. 2 great stouts, each with a truly unique Maine name. Great black color with thick tan head and huge bubbles with solid retention. Just from the look of this one you know it is going to be good. Aroma is slightly sweet with some fruit in there and taste is exactly what a stout should be. Full bodied, smooth, well carbonated and just a great example of what a stout should be. Plenty of roasted smoke flavor to start and a slightly sweet chocolate finish. If you have a choice between Gritty’s Black Fly Stout and Sebago’s Lake Trout Stout, buy them both and enjoy!!
Pros: Everything a stout should be
Cons:
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Gritty’s
Brewers Description: There’s beer and then there’s stout, and Gritty McDuff ‘s Black Fly Stout is the real deal. Black Fly is a dry, all-malt stout packed with roasted flavor. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece and balance the full palate with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. Like the legendary Irish stouts that inspired it, Black Fly Stout is rich, robust and a touch mysterious. The finest stout west of Galway Bay!
150. Gritty McDuff’s Christmas Ale (Growler)
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For my 150th beer review I decided to purchase my first growler from Gritty’s in Auburn. They still had a bit of Christmas Ale on tap before the end of the night I was able to finish it with a couple of pints in the bar and a growler to take home with me. Enjoyed this beer while watching NFL football and while the beer may have been a bit flat, being the end of the keg it still tasted very similar to the bottle version. Christmas Ale is one of my favorite Gritty’s options so this 1/2 gallon was gone fairly quickly. If you live near enough to a Gritty’s location to pick up a growler I would recommend it.
Pros: Color, aroma, taste
Cons: Seasonal
Alcohol Content: 6.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28.5
Cons: Seasonal
Alcohol Content: 6.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28.5
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: If it looks like Ed just got merrier, you’re right. Every November heralds the return of our holiday seasonal, Christmas Ale – available on draft and in six-packs. Our Christmas Ale is a robust E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) full of holiday cheer. Christmas Ale has a lovely, dark red/amber color and a rich, full-bodied, malty taste with a slightly roasted undertone. We brew our Christmas Ale to an original gravity of 1064 (about 6.2% alcohol by volume) using only the finest English Pale and Crystal Malts, with a touch of Roasted Barley as well. A blend of Clusters, Styrian Goldings, Saaz and Yakima Goldings leaf hops round out this hearty brew. Gritty’s Christmas Ale has no additives, fruits or spices. It’s just a good honest ale, perfect for the season. And to top it all off, it’s already gift-wrapped! Happy Holidays!
136. Gritty McDuff’s Scottish Ale
This is a new style for me as most local brewers do not offer a Scottish Ale. Overall not a bad beer but Gritty’s has some better offerings. Pours a great dark copper with solid head that has great retention on the glass. Lots of aroma with some malts, caramel, toffee and taste is just OK. Lots going on with malts and sweetness but it does not seem very well balanced. This is a solid beer but not what I expected and I think Gritty’s could have done better.
Pros: Color
Cons: Not balanced
Alcohol Content: 6.3% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 25
Rating: 
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: It takes a brave beer to stand up to a Maine winter. Gritty McDuff ‘s Scottish Ale is returns every January to help you weather the season. Scottish Style Ale is our interpretation of the robust brews native to Scotland. Generous quantities of Pale malt along with Munich and Caramalts give this ale a deep and complex profile. Scottish Style Ale is just a shade darker than our Bitter, with a rich, slightly sweet first impression on the palate that rounds out to a satisfying maltiness and a medium-dry hop finish. At 6.3% ABV it’s hearty but not overwhelming. Sure to please the Braveheart in all of us.
86. Gritty McDuff’s Christmas Ale
This is another solid offering from Gritty’s. One of the best things about seasonal offerings is they just taste fresh. This year’s batch of Christmas Ale has a great reddish brown color and slight head that leaves a nice lace on the glass. The beer is classified as an extra special bitter (ESB) however it does not have the bitterness of an IPA. This beer has lots of complex flavors and goes down smooth for a 6.2% ABV beer. I enjoyed this been and will certainly be having more this holiday season.
Pros: Color, aroma, taste
Cons: Seasonal
Alcohol Content: 6.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28.5
Alcohol Content: 6.2% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 28.5
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: If it looks like Ed just got merrier, you’re right. Every November heralds the return of our holiday seasonal, Christmas Ale – available on draft and in six-packs. Our Christmas Ale is a robust E.S.B. (Extra Special Bitter) full of holiday cheer. Christmas Ale has a lovely, dark red/amber color and a rich, full-bodied, malty taste with a slightly roasted undertone. We brew our Christmas Ale to an original gravity of 1064 (about 6.2% alcohol by volume) using only the finest English Pale and Crystal Malts, with a touch of Roasted Barley as well. A blend of Clusters, Styrian Goldings, Saaz and Yakima Goldings leaf hops round out this hearty brew. Gritty’s Christmas Ale has no additives, fruits or spices. It’s just a good honest ale, perfect for the season. And to top it all off, it’s already gift-wrapped! Happy Holidays!
50. Gritty McDuff’s Red Claws Ale
Whenever I buy a red ale I am always hopeful it will be the one that stands apart from all the others. Overall this is not a bad beer but certainly nothing here to make it stand out. Aroma is minimal, pours with a nice head that dissipates quickly and leaves almost no lacing on the glass. Slightly more carbonation than most and has a bit of an aftertaste. Smooth to drink and easy to have more than one. I could not find the ABV on this one anywhere but my guess is 5% or less. Just another average red ale.
Pros: Color
Cons: No aroma, slight aftertaste
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating:
Alcohol Content: ??% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: Gritty McDuff ‘s Red Claws Ale is a what the Brits call a fine session beer: a smooth ale, not too strong and full of flavor. Red Claws Ale has a dark red-amber color; a full, round malt palate; nutty and roasted accents, and a delicate hop flavor that whispers with just a hint of floral finish. The perfect ale for a long afternoon in the pub with good friends and traditional fare.
Brewers Description: Gritty McDuff ‘s Red Claws Ale is a what the Brits call a fine session beer: a smooth ale, not too strong and full of flavor. Red Claws Ale has a dark red-amber color; a full, round malt palate; nutty and roasted accents, and a delicate hop flavor that whispers with just a hint of floral finish. The perfect ale for a long afternoon in the pub with good friends and traditional fare.
40. Gritty McDuff’s Halloween Ale
If you enjoy your fall beer offering without a lot of spice or pumpkin flavor than this would be a good choice for you. Really there is nothing in this one that makes it a “fall” beer other than the very cool label and Halloween Ale name. Gritty’s makes quality beer that is best enjoyed in their brew pubs but the bottled offerings are not bad either.
Pros: Nice malt flavor – no strong aftertaste – great art on the label
Cons: Not sure what makes it a fall special – no pumpkin, spice or other special flavoring.
Alcohol Content: 6.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Alcohol Content: 6.0% ABV
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): ??
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: Every fall marks the return of our legendary Extra Special Bitter for the season, Halloween Ale – the beer so good, it’s scary! From its humble beginnings in 1990 as a small-batch seasonal in our Portland Brew Pub, Halloween Ale has grown to be one of the year’s most anticipated beer releases. This robust brew has a deep amber color, a bold, malty palate and a well-rounded hop finish. The perfect beer for a crisp autumn day!
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: Every fall marks the return of our legendary Extra Special Bitter for the season, Halloween Ale – the beer so good, it’s scary! From its humble beginnings in 1990 as a small-batch seasonal in our Portland Brew Pub, Halloween Ale has grown to be one of the year’s most anticipated beer releases. This robust brew has a deep amber color, a bold, malty palate and a well-rounded hop finish. The perfect beer for a crisp autumn day!
Halloween Ale is available in ominous six-packs, and on draft at frightening establishments all over the terrifying state of Maine. Be afraid, be very afraid…of running out!
14. Gritty McDuff’s 21 IPA
Probably the best IPA I have reviewed so far. This beer had a great color, aroma and sweet finish. Gritty’s does a great job with their beer and I am sure this would compare well with other East Coast IPAs. With an IBU rating of 60 it has just the right amount of bitterness without being overwhelming. Even if you are not normally a fan of IPAs this one is worth trying.
Pros: Solid amount of hop flavor without the extended aftertaste
Cons: Slight aftertaste but that is to be expected from an IPA.
Alcohol Content: 6.8%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 60
Rating:
Alcohol Content: 6.8%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 60
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: Gritty’s 21 IPA is a unique blend of American hops with a British body utilizing English 2-Row Pale malts. This IPA starts with a hoppy aroma and taste; ending with a sweet finish. Plenty of Munich and caramalts are used to give the beer that golden hue. There are fifty-six pounds of Cascade Hops used in each 50 barrel batch that is brewed! Then we finish the beer with Willamette & Warrior Hops, (Warrior is a high-alpha acid variety of hops) All this leads to an IPA that is worthy to celebrate our 21st Anniversary!
13. Gritty McDuff’s Best Brown Ale
For some reason this one does not appear on Gritty’s website. Thought maybe I had one too many before I started to write this post but I checked the bottle again and yes it is their Best Brown Ale. This beer is a very dark and hearty brew with tons of flavor and something that would go great with a plate of steak and potatoes. As I mentioned in a previous post Gritty’s from a bottle tastes almost the same as in the brew pub. If you enjoy dark beer with lots of flavor give this one a try.
Pros: Great dark color and a variety of flavors
Cons: Hard to drink more than one
Alcohol Content: 4.1%
Calories: ???
IBU (Bitterness): 16
Rating:
Brewers Website: Gritty McDuff’s
Brewers Description: Gritty McDuff ‘s Best Brown Ale is what the Brits call a fine session beer: a smooth ale, not too strong and full of flavor. Best Brown has a dark red-amber color; a full, round malt palate; nutty and roasted accents, and a delicate hop flavor that whispers with just a hint of floral finish. The perfect ale for a long afternoon in the pub with good friends and traditional fare.