Gritty McDuffs Black Fly Stout
A dry, all-malt stout balanced with Oregon Willamette and Yakima Clusters hops. We use six different grains in the brewing of this dark masterpiece.
12 oz. version, which is filtered, is brewed at Shipyard Brewing in Portland; 22 oz. version, which is not filtered and only sold locally, is brewed at Gritty McDuff’s in Freeport
12 oz. version, which is filtered, is brewed at Shipyard Brewing in Portland; 22 oz. version, which is not filtered and only sold locally, is brewed at Gritty McDuff’s in Freeport
3.3
289 reviews
Portland, United States
Community reviews
Pours jet black with caramel colored head and little noticeable lacing. Earthy tobacco on the nose. Hints of roasted coffee beans and chocolate. Medium carbonation; pretty dry. Not the greatest stout.
Reviewed from notes.
The appearance had a dark brown almost black colored body with a lumpy tan four finger head. The head begins to fade after a minute or two. The lacing is spotty lacing throughout.
The smell was coffee, with a hint of smoky chocolate. There is some light cinnamon and pepper.
The taste was bitter through the coffee and becomes balanced with some light milk chocolate.
On the palate, it sat at/about a medium, very smooth, no aftertaste, dry finish, some carbonation is felt on the tongue.
Overall, this is an excellent choice for an Irish Dry Stout, probably one of the better beers by Gritty’s.
Bottle. Pours black with brown head. Nose is medicinal, grape, burnt grain. Uninviting. Taste is dry dark bread. Touch of grape. Light smoke. Toasted black malt. Dry finish. Ultra light bodied.
22 ounce bottle
I can’t remember where I picked this up but it was a respectable release. After trying it once I won’t be rushing to get another (especially if it comes from Shipyard). It is average at best; not a drainpour but not exciting either.
Aroma / Appearance - An inky black pour slinks into the glass. Fluid with a tan head it slowly falls like melting snow. Black licorice, spicy figs, charred oak, and ash are backed by a robust maltiness.
Flavor / Palate - Spicy cola, black licorice, and then a fluid maltiness appear in turn. The thin bodied mouthfeel could use more body. This has some positive aspects. Ultimately though the outcome is a run of the mill stout with minor weaknesses.
Aroma of wet earth and old coffee. Pitch black, tan film of head. Tangy and metallic, weird yeast at play. Could be infected, but my observations are consistent with other reviews. Light and insubstantial body. Big disappointment from Gritty’s.
A good stout which pours a great dark color with a nice head. Simple to drink, but not a ton going on as far as taste and smell. A very drinkable stout which is good for the summer months.
Keg at the Portland branch. Pours clearish, dark brown with a lingering beige cream head. Ashy roast aroma. Light to medium sweet flavor with more ashy, burnt malts, cocoa, mild coffee grounds, dirt. Light bodied with creamy carbonation. Moderate sweetness to finish, some dark malt tang, ash, cocoa. Pretty meh.
Taste is watery and slightly sweet at first, but then gets a bitter hit which lingers with a bit of roastiness. Not a great stout by any means
Draft at the pony in NYC. Better than expected and great stout appearance. Light on taste but still not a disappointing beer
tap at brewpub. clear dark brown with a nice creamy beige head, good retention and lacing. peat, metal, ash, rustiness, acrid fruitiness. soft carbonation, light body - weak structure, awful metallic and mineral finish. it’s hard to brew a horrid classic dry stout..
Dark in color with a nice white creamy head. Rich coffee chocolate aroma and taste with a hint of hoppiness at the finish. Mouth feel is similar to that of a guiness, surprisingly light and watery, not a bad thing. Over all a good stout when you can find it.
Pours opaque black with find thick off-white head. Smell is fairly sweet and slightly roasty, though weak overall. Palate is light bodied with good carbonation. Taste is watery and slightly sweet at first, but then gets a bitter hit which lingers with a bit of roastiness. Not a great stout by any means.
22 oz. into pint glass. Oatmeal nose. Strange taste I can’t quite pin down, but it’s not pleasant. A lot of chalkiness. Absurdly low ABV. Watery, heavily carbed. Okay, so now I know why this was 5 bucks for a bomber. Also, WTF is "Gritty McDuffs?" That sounds like a Simpsons parody.
Liquide brun opaque qui s’agrémente d’une mousse éphémère; elle ne forme qu’un mince voile clairsemé. Des arômes de torréfaction en émanent avec un quelque chose de suret. Un goût de grains grillés, de toasts brûlées qu’on aurait trempées dans un café. Belle amertume. Petits picotements dans la gorge, avec des traces acidulées. Sensation mince en bouche, tout en étant ayant une texture veloutée. D’un point de vue analytique, c’est ordinaire, mais plaisant à déguster. (Merci Gilles!) (462-191112)
On tap at brewpub, pours a dark black with a nice big creamy head that leaves nice lace. Smell is of chocolate coffee. Taste of roasted and chocolate malts with a very dry finish. Great Maine stout!
Draught from the brewpub in portland. Dark pour light roasted malts aroma. Similar taste clean finish. Pretty good.
Location: 22 oz bottle from Buy Rite, 9/19/12
Aroma: The nose has some roasted notes, light coffee/chocolate, and a little tobacco
Appearance: A dark brown color with a couple inches of thick, foamy, lasting brown head and heavy lace
Flavor: Tastes roasty and malty up-front, but there’s something dry and off that overwhelms the finish
Palate: The body is smooth and creamy, a little watery, with a soft carbonation, and a dry finish
Overall Impression:
Overall, this was a pretty mediocre beer. The nose is fine, unoffensive, and a little dull, but fine, The pour is the highlight here for sure, the flavor (particularly the finish) is the low light, and the body is fine, but again, kind of dull. Not for me...
22 ounce bottle. Pours opague black with a rocky tan head. Rich roasted malt aroma hints at charcoal and coffee. Dryish roasted malt flavor with a slight bittersweet chocolate character. Rather thin bodied with a mildly sour lactose malt midtaste. Finish is bitter and short-lived.
22 oz bomber from Spirits Rt 9 shared at the golf outing. Poured a dark brown with a foamy brown average size head. Aroma is chalky with a strong nod to black olives, dry hot chocolate mix and olive oil. Full body with fuller fizzy carbonation and an average duration on the aftertaste. The flavor is better than the aroma, notes of light chocolate, dark toast, hint of dark cherry all on the drier side. Meh, it’s okay.
pours black with thin tan head and good lace. Aromas are malts, chocolate, coffee. Somewhat thin. Taste similar to aroma with some bitterness and dry lingering finish. from bomber
On tap at The Wharf. Pours black with a thick off white head. Sweet malty aroma. Lots of roast, chocolate, and molasses flavors with a nice dry bitter finish. Well balanced. This may be my favorite stout and I enjoy all Gritty’s products.
Bomber pours black with a brown head. Aromas of roasted malt toasted bread some burnt biscuit and a bit woodsy. Flavor is slightly.bitter and smoked. Body is medium light and finish is a smoked malt dry feel
Draft at the pony bar on my way to pillage and plunder the castle of hivemind. Pours a waterfall stout with perfect creamy off white head. Aroma is light cocoa. Mouthfeel is creamy with notes of bitterness, cocoa, and milk. Nice.
The aroma was lacking, mostly toasted malt and maybe a little bread. It poured as expected, Dark brown with a beige head. The flavor was mostly roast malts with a hint of chocolate. Nothing out of the ordinary.
On tap at the brewpub in Portland, ME. Pours a black body with a finger-width, dense and creamy, brown head that dissipates slowly and leaves a nice lacing. Aroma is roasty with a nice dark chocolate sweetness and a touch of licorice dark fruits. There is a hint of lactose as well. Flavor is similar. Roasty with a thinner dark chocolate malt backing and a touch of lactose. A hint of licorice before this finishes smooth and creamy with a dry roast that leaves a light bitterness. Lengthy aftertaste following a smooth, medium-light body and a soft, moderate carbonation. Overall, a decent dry stout. Smooth, creamy, and roasty with a nice dark chocolate backing. Not bad.
A little thin in the body for the kind of stout I like. Nonetheless, This brew has a good roasted malt taste and a bold dry finish.
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!!
On cask at the LA pub. Good maltiness with a sweet, but dry finish. Chocolate and roasted coffee.
Very dark brown with a medium creamy head. Sweet roasty aroma, and roasty flavor. Very very creamy and thick; thickest beer I’ve ever had. Tasty.
Bottle in a wine glass. Pours black with a lacy, light tan head. Aroma of light roasted malts, a little chocolate, and some light hops. Flavor the same. Average texture, a little light. A decent beer.