Gritty McDuff's Boo! Halloween Ale Review

Boo! Halloween Ale

Review Date 9/22/2000 Last Updated 9/16/2015

Try? Re-buy?

When many people think of beer in October, they think of Octoberfest. The fine folks at Gritty McDuff's brewpub in Portland, Maine, however brew a beer for a different fall holiday: Halloween. Their Halloween Ale has been a favorite of mine since it was first offered ten years ago. It was always a treat to visit the brewery and bring home a freshly filled 5 Liter mini-keg (you can still buy them), but the beer is now also available in 22 ounce bottles too, much better in my opinion unless you are having a party. Mini-kegs need to be consumed within a short time of opening, preferably the same day. I make it a point to head to Maine (only state it is sold in) to get this beer every September, and this year is no exception.

Gritty's calls this brew an extra special bitter by style, and while I agree, it does seem almost a hybrid between an ESB and an Oktoberfest, as the chewy, slightly roasty malts might be just as much at home in an Oktoberfest as they are here. Gritty's is an ale brewpub and doesn't make lagers, perhaps the reason they decided to brew an ale for Halloween. If you're lucky enough to sit at their beautiful copper-laden bar and sip a pint of Boo!, you'll likely be delighted by this tasty fall brew and find it's just as suitable for cool fall imbibing as any Oktoberfest.

The beer is deep ruby in color with a foamy disc of a head and minimal carbonation. The nose is sweet with hints of caramel (crystal malt at work). The palate is incredibly malty with toasty, cotton-candyish notes combining with butterscotch and earthy Ringwood yeast flavor. It's a big, chewy, caramelly brew with a slightly higher than average gravity of 1060 and 6 percent alcohol by volume. Boo! culminates in a slightly bitter East Kent Goldings hop finish. An extremely complex beer from Portland's first and finest brewpub, it's great in the pub with an order of Shepherd's Pie.

Update 9/16/2015: I haven't been to Portland in years, but no visit here would be complete without a stop at Gritty's. This was the first brewpub I ever visited, and its still my favorite. First beer up: Gritty McDuff's Boo! Halloween Ale. Those luscious caramel, candyish malts are on display for all to see with a firm dry English hop finish in a beer that's as orange as a Halloween seasonal should be. Not a pumpkin beer, not an Oktoberfest, but really and truly a sheer delight and a Halloween Ale in and of its own right.

Hops: Whitbread Goldings Variety, East Kent Goldings

Gritty's Boo! Halloween Ale still rings in at 6% ABV with 45 IBUs and is fairly priced at $5 a pint.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled

(D)=Draft

(G)=Growler

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