United Nations of Beer

Gritty McDuff's Christmas ale

by Ashley Cotter-Cairns
(UNOB HQ)

Gritty McDuff's Christmas ale
Gritty McDuff, Maine, USA
Visit the UNOB's Maine beer guide

Most Christmas ales are going to test your mettle. I mean, liking them or hating them comes down to whether you can stomach cloves, cinnamon and allspice in your beer, or not.

Thank goodness, then, that somebody has the courage to brew a Christmas ale that doesn't smell like a votive candle or taste like last year's leftover candy canes.

Gritty McDuff's Christmas ale is a solid, tasty ESB. At 6.2% ABV, it's really going to keep the chilly season at bay, though sitting in front of a wood-burning stove after eating a mountain of turkey never hurts either.

I snaffled the last bottle of this fine beer from Vermont Beer Delegate Mattias Dahlstrom on Christmas Day, and boy, was it ever a great gift! continue below

Although Gritty McDuff's Christmas ale smells quite similar to most of the winter and Yule seasonals I've tried this year -- primarily sweet, with tons of caramel in the nose -- there is less spicing obvious when you stick your snout in.

The beer is dark brown, almost a perfect brown ale colour and has a full, thick mouth feel when you swig it. This will be quite a heavy beer, probably best drunk in small doses, or at least, well clear from a major meal.

The promise of sweetness is initially delivered, but soon the ESB nature overrides that caramel and hits you with a late, hoppy bitter present.

It's tremendously well-balanced, with neither character overriding the other, allowing drinkers who like sweet beer or bitter ale to appreciate this brew.

And thank Santa for the lack of spices. There's hints, of course, but nothing like the overwhelming mask of flavour most seasonals seem to wear at this time of year. A black pepper aftertaste is the strongest condiment you'll be faced with.

My pick of the Christmas ales this year, Gritty's Christmas ale scores 10 Lords a-Leaping on the 12 Beers of Christmas index.