1896 Wood Island Old Ale
Gritty McDuff's Brewing Company

So I don't rate very often but since I was the guest brewer on this - I thought I would put my 2 cents in.

I had it on-tap at location and also I have a quarter keg in my basement keg system.

For an old ale, I think it's coming along pretty well. The oak comes through well but doesn't continue to build on the tongue like others do. There is a malt complexity here that I believe should continue to mature as the months go by.

Taste is slightly of bourbon, oak, and dark fruits. Some honey malt. This style of beer is perfect for the ringwood yeast.

On tap this past Saturday 5/22 at the Portland location. There were adverts on the tables indicating this was the current specialty beer, and also gave a nice description of the beer and style history. Dark brown color. Moderate sized head. Smell was a lot like a winter warmer beer, as it reminded me a bit of holiday spices. Taste was very good. Very malty, with a nice level of spices like cinnamon, and also some dried fruits like raisins. Mouthfeel was a bit on the subpar side, as I found this beer to be too sweet. Also, the unknown abv was very present. This beer would be excellent with some cask aging, in my opinion. A very nice beer to drink, and a whole pint was more than enough.