The Duck-Rabbit Cherry Porter

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

Classic City Cask Fest 2009. Poured a muddy brown with a big off-white head. There was a lot of carbonation on this cask. The aroma was roasted malt, with a bit of tart cherries. Taste was similar, though the cherries are a bit more forward and tart than in the aroma. The body was more carbonated than I was expecting, though it drank well. Overall, an interesting change to the porter. Glad I tried.

Date: August 26, 2009
Mode: Firkin
Source: Taco Mac, Perimeter
Appearance: mudy dark brown, fine beige head, lots of lace
Aroma: slightly sweet chocolate aroma with a nice dose of cherry character
Flavor: sweet chocolate flavor, cherry comes in with some sweetness to enhance the chocolate and fruityness to complement it
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **+/4

Phil Phillipon recently stopped by the Perimeter Taco Mac and kindly brought with him a cask of their Duck Rabbit Porter with the juice of fresh tart cherries added. Appearance: Served up an opaque, dark brown, near black body with a thin, but long-lasting, off-white head. Smell: Dark, lightly roasted malts with notes of cocoa powder and mild coffee blends remarkably well with the faintly tart, fruity cherry aroma. Taste: Dark, roasty barley malts yields tastes of cocoa, shaved unsweetened chocolate, and some secondary coffee undertones. Sweet, modestly tart cherry fruitiness from the added juice. Medium amount earthy, roasty bitterness. As the pints warms, it develops a Cinnamon Toast Crunch quality to the taste as well as the nose. Finishes roasty, semi-dry, and cherry-tastic. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium-low carbonation. Drinkability: Well done, Duck-Rabbit. It provides just the perfect amount of cherry taste - you’re not recoiling from any ghastly, artificial flavoring and you’re not left wondering WTH the cherries are.