The Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale

Brewed by The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Farmville, North Carolina USA

On tap at the grove park inn. Probably the most expensive pour of this beer. Good copper color with a decent off white head. Light caramel sweetness that was enjoyable. Slight bitter metallic hoppy flavor on the finish. Got some light fruity flavors in the taste as well.

12 oz bottle via MALT OF THE EARTH BEER CLUB. Pours a clear dark copper with a medium/large beige head. Nose is toasted grains. Taste starts out quite grainy, with some burnt flavors, caramel, almost toffee-ish, and ends with some earthy as well as citrusy hoppiness that lingers for quite awhile. This seems more like an English style IPA. Body is medium, carbonation is medium.

Pour is a dark red with a white soapy head. Aroma is sugar sweet with some sweet malts. Flavor is mostly roasted malts and some caramel. No hops are present. An ok rep of a MEH style.

Rich, malty, vinous fruity-cocoa aroma with some wood. Mediuim-dark tea brown with a big bleached khaki head. Bocky, sweet, lots of plums and kumquat. A bit boozy. Finishes out with an aspirin/alcohol/grain bitterness. Medium body, same for the carbonation. A bit too polar - sometimes sweet, sometimes unpleasantly bitter - for regular consumption. Ale in the Mail selection, May 2007.

Bottle from Total Wine in Huntersville, NC. Pours a dark amber color with a slight white head. Aroma is sweet with a slight hint of fruit. Taste is not overpowering but slightly different when considering this as an amber ale. Not bad, but a bit dark.

Rerate Had from the bottle this time around - too much of a coincidence to have this one vineragy as well - this is just not a good beer. Original 2.9 Columbia, South Carolina, Liberty Alehouse and Taproom - draft. Dark copper pour, elegant white sticky head that leaves sticky lacing. Sweet candy like aroma with some overripe fruit notes. Some caramel and the overripe fruit notes carry over to the flavor and some licorice is added for good measure. Overall, a bit muddled. Mouthfeel is thick enough. I want to like this brewer - but this is my second attempt - the first was a porter which was spoiled and was sent back at another bar in Asheville.

One of the weaker Duck-Rabbits. Has a nice flavor and appearance, but they should stick to darker beers.

Bottle: Best by 01/07, so we’re about three months past.   Burnt orient hued amber, tremendous foamy sand colored head, nice lacing.   Somehow I don’t think this was intended for an Amber Ale.   Past its prime perhaps?   Slight lactic sourness on the nose, also seems a little sugary sweet.   Very slight roasted malt character is also apparent.   Sweet & sour on the tongue, somewhat strong roasted malt character.   Actually, quite roasty for an Amber Ale.   Not all that malty, moreso spritzy and airy in the mouth.   Likely that it has already peaked and is now on its way down.   Roasted malt lingers well after the finish.   Decent, but just not malty enough.   Could be broke with age.   Wouldn’t mind revisiting.   Thanks to Suttree for the bottle!