Gritty McDuffs Black Fly Stout

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 10 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 8

When I first starting drinking this sample, thought the final rating would be lower than what I'm giving....but in the end it all adds up to one solid beer. There are definitely other sweet/dry stouts that I would prefer, but still mostly better than expected. Grew on me towards the end of the glass. Appearance really can't get any better. Super dark black with mocha head.....looks thick but feel is rather thin. Was thinking and hoping would have more chocolate to the flavor, which seems to water it down a bit....but on the other hand gives it s thinner/more easy to drink lighter mouthfeel. Flavor almost an 8....has slight potential to be more. Either way I give props to my first sample from Gritty.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 7

08.17.04 12oz bottle. Black. Giant brown head. Sticky brown lacing. Aromas of roasted malts - like a handful of the stuff - I smell little else, maybe a hint of nuttiness. Flavor, too, is rather one dimensional, but good. Dry and roasty with a rich creamy body. Some slight hints of coffee. A nice brew that doesn’t try too hard.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

The body was black with ruby edges. I was getting smoke out the wazoo with this beer, but I don't see any mention of smoke elsewhere, but I swear it was there. A good bit of chocolate and a little roast support it. I'm not big on the smoke, but it wasn't quite too much for this beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 8 | Overall: 7

I was really excited to try this beer. The label is pretty, but the dang name is ingenious. So when I saw a discounted "dirt dozen"(Gritty's mixed 12-pack), I sought one out specifically for the Stouts. (Any food item which manages to market itself in association with black flies deserves a shout). What I experienced when I cracked one back however, was nothing short of shock. Never have I tasted such a carbonated stout. There was nothing smooth about the beer at all. That isn't to say I didn't like it. It tasted quite good, both on the way down and afterwards. It was pretty, had a qaint head, and even somewhat refreshing! So... above average and worth a taste. But NOT a dry stout!

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

22 oz, opaque black with a medium sized tan head and nice lacing on the glass. Aroma of burnt fruits (cherry), lots of roasted malt, and possibly a little brett? I am not understanding why I taste brett too? I don’t know what is going on here. Roasted malt also evident in the taste. This was strange, and I am not quite sure this is what I was looking for in a stout.

Aroma: 10 | Appearance: 9 | Mouthfeel: 9 | Flavor: 10 | Overall: 9

An excellent dry stout, one of the best I've ever had. This is a regular for me, I buy it everytime I see it. Smells great, chocolaty and roasty. A wonderfully roasty and smoky taste, with hints of chocolate and molasses. The hops are perfect, bitter in the end leaving the mouth dry and thirsty. Wonderfully smooth and delicious.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

This dark brown to black brew has a slightly sweet smoked coffee aroma. the smokiness carries through to the sweet malty flavor.