Gritty McDuffs Best Bitter
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.
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.
3.1
203 reviews
Portland, United States
Community reviews
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.
I don’t see a lot of bitters here in the U.S. This one is pretty good. Moderate bitterness. Low malt.
Bottle from a friend from notes. Pours a slightly hazy amber color with a small off white head. The aroma and flavor have pale malts, caramel, moderate sweetness, grass, herbal notes, tea, mild to moderate bitterness, very average stuff.
On tap at Freeport location. Pours Amber with white head. Biscuity malt aroma with caramel. Sweet caramel malt start with some biscuity malt notes and a dry pine hop finish. Some yeast spiciness. Nice bitter.
Draft Freeport brewpub. Copper. Malty caramel aroma. Biscuit and hoppy pine in the taste with herbal notes. Nice bitterness that builds up. Pretty good.
Bomber purchased at the brewpub. Brown color. Very little aroma. Flavor has a hint of caramel, nuts, and dry malt. Dry, bitter aftertaste.
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.
On tap at Deschutes Portland brewpub, as "Gritty’s Best Bitter." Collaboration with Gritty McDuffs, brewed in Portland, OR (not Portland, ME). Rich caramel nose. Dark reddish color. Tasty caramel initial / hoppy, spicey, and a bit salty in mid / light wheat notes come in the finish. Medium body, with a bit of astringency. Rich stuff. More like a pale ale with extra caramel notes. Definitely a NW bitter.
Bottle. Pours a cloudy copper color with little head. Medicinal and piney aroma. Medicinal and cider flavor followed by a nice hop finish. Maybe I got an old one. This subpar from one of my favorite brewers.
cask at brewpub. clear pale yellow without a head. barely toasted malts, sweetish grains, no biscuity whatsoever. flat carbonation, light body, slightly bittering citrusy finish. blah.
Draught. This is a decent ale for a happy hour tibble down in the old port.
Cask at Portland brewpub, pours a cloudy orangish amber with a white head, quite nice for a cask brew. Smell is faintly of malts and hops and taste is a nice smooth hop taste from the yakuza hops nice authentic European bitter.
#1063 bottle; nose Is eggwhite, cream, mediumweak sour leaves, tulip, feel is medium, carb is medium, taste is piss, weak dry lemon, grass, leaves, late soursweet hops note
A very classic bitter flavor with a unique hoppiness. Hint of caramel and frosted flakes cereal. Seriously.
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.
Poured from a 22oz bottle hand delivered to me from ME. Was very tasty. I wish that I would have had more to really do a worthwhile review... but my first impression was very good.
Cask at the brewpub. Pours a mostly clear tea color with no visible carbonation or head. Light aroma of grass, tea, and pale malts. Flavor of tea, grass, cereal grains, and smooth, sweet malts. Light-bodied, with low carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. Decent.
Bready earthy malt backing. Light herbal happiness. Cask Tap at brewpub
Draught at the brewpub. Almost clear light amber colour. Very low carbonation. Earth flavour. Grainy finish.
( cask GBBF). I think this was my second take on an American ’Bitter’ (other being from Rougue) considering its the quintessential style for us Britons , i had to sample it. Caramel like maltiness like customs....appley esters ...a bit toasty and then cloying. Not bad . Its not a style I love, so it is what it is.
This used to be one of my favorite beers but the quality has slipped a bit. Floral hops and butterscotch tones in the aroma. Thin white head and no lacing on very slightly hazy copper ale. Light carbonation with the bitterness up front fading to a carmel malt finish. Again some butterscotch notes. Body is too thin and that detracts a bit from the flavor.
From cask. Pours cloudy golden orange with a small white head. Aroma is mild brett and wooden. Light orange fruity. Sweet and fruity, light grapefruity bitterness coming through. Ends smooth fruity and mild bitter into a dry finish.
06/2007: The look is a dark "pumpkin ale" orange. Hazy, but there are thousands of microscopic carbonation bubbles floating upward. Only a thin dishsoap film of head. It looks nice enough, although there is a paltry amount of lace.
The aroma is a bitter-malt ale smell, backed by a heavy hit of what seems to be ringwood yeast. Smells like an ale plus the dry, bready yeast. Some dry malt character and a light hop presence. Yeast is heavy, hops are estery.
Tastes like a real English bitter, *not* an IPA. Has the dry English ale taste. Hops and malt are strictly bitter, not flowery or grapefruity like an IPA. The bitterness hits the back of the tongue, and the yeast is the key element that separates it.
It’s thick-bodied, nice and chunky. So very dry, so very English. Smooth, but does leave a film. It’s delicious, dry, yeasty, and bitter (a bitter that’s actually bitter!). Repeats more than welcome.
Bottle. Pours an amber body with a white head. Sweet caramel notes, light bitter pine and noble hop character. Dry woodiness with some toasted malt. A decent ale.
A: Poured on cask at the brewpub in Portland. Came with virtually no head at all... maybe just a thin film on top of the beer. However, there was still fair lacing left behind while drinking. Body is a dark amber color, and clear.
S: I don’t really detect much here, to be honest. A slight bitterness, but that’s all.
T: Decent flavor of moderate bitterness, with a dry finish. Nothing that’s going to knock your socks off, however.
M: Medium-bodied and creamy, with soft carbonation.
D: It’s fine, really... but, nothing that really makes you want to come racing back for another.
7th August 2008.
On tap at GBBF. Clear amber beer. Smooth mild hop. A malty middle. Nice but unremarkable.
4th August 2009
Cask at GBBF. Slightly hazy gold beer. Light dry palate. A little hop. Even and wel balanced mildly hopped bitter.
Draft in Portland, ME. Pours a clear copper color with a small white head. Nose is lightly hoppy with a light bit of grainy malt notes. Palate is medium but a little on the thin side. Flavor is light spicy hop notes with a hint of grainy malt in the finish.
12oz bottle. Pours a burnt orange color with thick white head. Aroma is sweet malt and grains. Flavor is malt and grains as well. Buckwheat flavor evident with a nice bitter finish.
1. Cask Stillage at the GBBF, Earl’s Court 04/08/2009
Fruity aroma. Amber coloured and fruity apple flavour with a dry lasting crisp malt finish.
2. Cask Stillage at the GBBF, Earl’s Court 05/08/2010
Fruit aroma. Amber coloured fruity hoppy and a little sour with a hint of dryness in a bitter finish.
Partial cloudy, orange-amber in appearance. Naked on the surface. Malt-fruity to the nose. Flavour of grassy hops, a bite of apricot and a touch of fruity caramel. Straightforward bitter with a medium to light body. Gravity dispense, one-third pint glass at GBBF, 04.08.2009 (rating no.2500).