Granite Brewery Best Bitter Special

Tap at Ginger’s Tavern. I’m not really sure why this is a separate beer, since it is only their Best Bitter that’s dry-hopped with Fuggles. Amber colour beer, thick white head and sticky lace. Earthy and slight resin are the dominant aromas. Moderate toasted maltiness. Flavour is quite thin, lightly sour and astringent. Thinnish body but okay. Very dry finish. Flavour is less earthy than the aroma. Decent bitterness.

From a Growler - Nice copper bitter, slight head, nice floral and bread aroma. VERY easy drinking. Semi-sweet with a nice amount of bitterness. The bartender who pulled the Growler said that even though the brew flattens very quickly, it very rarely goes to waste. I now know what he meant.

Cask, at Ginger’s in Halifax. Good looking brew. Copper with frothy white head, and some green sediment..mmm. Aroma is spicy pine hops and roasty caramel malt. Nice body, smooth drinking bitter brew. Favorite from Granite.

Cask at Bar Volo’s Cask Days 2005. Listed as ’(Special Dry-Hopped’). Pours a cloudy copper with a spare bubbly white head. Hoppy aroma with a touch of malt. Odd (to me) flavour of hops and alcohol. It’s O.K. but didn’t knock my socks off.

Draught (cask). At Volo Cask Days 2005. This was a dry-hopped special version for Ralph’s event. Poured reddish-gold with an average tan head. aroma was yeasty, sweet malt, and more hops than I associate with this style. Taste is mildly malty, with more hops than I normally like for this style, but very drinkable. Slightly weak body.I’d have it again.

golden amber colour with a bready aroma and a confection sugar head. This one is very hoppy... somewhat fermented wine flavour on top of the hops. Very doughy. Very decent.

On tap (cask), at the brewpub in Toronto. Copper pour, great hop/fruity aroma. Slight tanned head. Nice malt base in the taste, and god bitterness, but not overwhelming as some in this style can be. Perhaps slightly watery but overall, a great session ale.

Tap pour Cask. Copper/brown. Soapy head. Some floaties. Very hoppy aroma with grapefruit. Served at cellar temp. Mildly chocolate malts. Fatty mouthfeel. Blackberry sweet, raspberry citric tart. Nice.