Gritty McDuff's Best Bitter

Best Bitter

 

Gritty McDuff's in Portland, Maine, United States 🇺🇸

  Bitter - Ordinary / Best Bitter Regular
Score
6.15
ABV: 5.0% IBU: 25 Ticks: 42
Best Bitter was the first beer we ever brewed, way back in 1988 at our Portland Brew Pub. This true English classic has been the anchor of our draft selection ever since.

Best Bitter is a copper-hued and well-balanced ale with real old world integrity. We use fine Yakima Golding hop flowers in the brewing of this beer for a fine dry finish that compliments the malty palate. The taste captures the freshness of a hand-drawn ale that goes right from the conditioning tank to your glass! Hops: Yakima Goldings
 

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8/10
Tried on 20 Aug 2015 at 14:58

5.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 5 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
Cask at GBBF 2015. It pours clear deep amber with a decent white head. The nose is soft, brown bread, wood, leather, toasty cereal, varnish, apricot and mild toffee. The taste is bitter, toasty, grainy, caramel, toffee, peach, grainy, leather, peach pie, chalkiness, wood with a dry finish. Medium body and fine carbonation. Ho hum pseudo - bitter. Nothing specifically wrong, just basic.
Tried from Cask on 13 Aug 2015 at 10:20

6.4/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 6 Overall 6.5
Cask gravity at gbbf 2015 day 3. Aroma is light mineral, hedgerow hop, berry, . clear golden orange coloured pour with s lasting off white head. Flavour is composed of nutty stale malts, berry, mineral, orange chalky. Palate is dry, mineral. Moderate carbonation. OK. Not bad.
Tried from Cask on 13 Aug 2015 at 10:19

6.4/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 6.5
Cask at the brewpub. A clear, dark golden beer with a small off-white head. Fruity, lightly malty aroma. Pine cones, grass and a hint of something toffee-like. It’s super smooth and soft on the palate, full bodied and quite dry. Bread-like malts, pine cones and grass in the flavor, flower hints, soft bitterness. Lasting fruity finish. Quenching, easy drinkable and a bit too British. 150609
Tried from Cask on 10 Jun 2015 at 19:45

6.1/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 6 Flavor 6 Texture 8 Overall 5.5
Cask @ Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pub, Portland, ME
Pours clear golden with a off-white head. Aroma has notes of malt, biscuit, caramel and grass. Taste is medium sweet and light to medium bitter with a long malty, biscuit and caramel finish. Body is medium, texture is thin to oily, carbonation is soft.
Tried from Cask on 10 Jun 2015 at 19:21

1.6/10 Appearance 4 Aroma 2 Flavor 1 Texture 2 Overall 0.5
Bottle from Epsom Circle Market. Aroma is grassy/herb/salad and a little bit like Elmer’s Glue. Appearance is hazy gold with good sparkle and massive fluffy white head (actually a little annoying) and copious splotchy foamy lacing. Taste starts sweet, like white wine and then turns as if wine that has gone over (perhaps my beer had?) and a little sour. Palate is thin, light bodied with absent carbonation and I don’t know if I’d call it a finish or just a bad taste left in my mouth. Brew date was 2/15 so shouldn’t be spoiled by now. I think it’s just a rotten beer; I poured the remainder of it out--most of the 22 ounces. At this point I’ve learned my lesson--I have never liked anything brewed by this brewer and this will be the last beer of theirs I try.
Tried from Bottle on 03 May 2015 at 18:58

5.5/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 5 Texture 4 Overall 7
Bomber purchased at the brewpub. Brown color. Very little aroma. Flavor has a hint of caramel, nuts, and dry malt. Dry, bitter aftertaste.
Tried on 05 Jul 2014 at 21:20

7.2/10 Appearance 8 Aroma 7 Flavor 7 Texture 8 Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance had a brown body and has a thick, lumpy white head that lasts for about forty seconds. Some carbonation is seen rising with minimal lacing around the glass.
The smell was malty with some earthy hops, some nuttiness comes out as the beer warms.
The taste was centered around the malts and it gives a pretty good sweet yet earthy and slightly bitter flavors. Everything is balanced pretty well. Some apple comes out once the beer warms.
On the palate, it sat at/about a medium, and had the right amount of carbonation that is felt on the tongue.
Overall, this was a pretty good beer that I would have again.
Tried on 16 Apr 2014 at 11:06

5.9/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 5 Flavor 7 Texture 6 Overall 5.5
cask at Portland location - This amber colored brew has a mild malt aroma. There’s some good bitterness along with light caramel malt. It has a gently carbonated, light body with a little lingering hops bitterness. Okay.
Tried from Cask on 10 Oct 2011 at 20:24

4.6/10 Appearance 6 Aroma 4 Flavor 4 Texture 6 Overall 4.5
Draught at the brewpub. Almost clear light amber colour. Very low carbonation. Earth flavour. Grainy finish.
Tried on 06 Oct 2010 at 14:21