The Duck-Rabbit Porter

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

Pours from the bottle to a very dark brown-almost black color. Aroma is a malty sweet chocolate with hints of toffee, and roasted nuts. Flavor is more of the same malt sweetness. Palate is watery at first, but as the beer warms, it actually becomes more full tasting and the finish is thick and sweet.

Bottle. Dark brown with slight red hint. Not too much of a tan head. Roasty sweet malty milky aroma, with a little coffee. More of the same on the palate. Slightly hoppy but not over the top. Not too heavy on the palate, either. I’m not generally a big fan of porters, but this was hitting the spot for me tonight.

Dark brown in color. Red highlights. Big tan head. Roast, coffee, bitter chocolate like dry cocoa powder. Taste is roastiness, dry chocolate, coffee, and burnt malt. Seemed off to me.

From my review on cvillebeergeek.blogspot.com:

Appearance: Pours a deep, dark color with a reddish tinge. A tan one-finger head makes a brief appearance before fading to a thin, milky film on the beer’s surface. 3.0/5.0

Aroma: There is a definite roasted malt character which is common with this style. Sweet coffee seems to dominate any other aromas. Very pleasant but very straightforward. 3.5/5.0

Taste: The roasted malt/coffee character continues to the taste as well, though not as sweetly. There is a fruitiness and a subtle smokiness here as well. I also get faint notes of hop bitterness, caramel, Cheerios (no kidding) and tea. 4.0/5.0

Mouthfeel: This beer feels very rich and creamy, but at the same time goes down very easily. It’s an interesting combination. At 5.7% ABV, this one will leave you standing, even if it goes down a bit too fast. 4.5/5.0

Drinkability: Smooth, tasty pleasant, easy going. What’s not to like? 4.5/5.0

Overall: "The Dark Beer Specialist" might sound a little scary, but all they really mean is that they’re not afraid of flavor. While this beer is definitely not light on flavor or body, it is highly approachable and a good example of the style. It doesn’t look pretty, but it drinks very nicely. 3.94/5.0

From bottle. Nice chocolately and rich roasted malt aroma, mild smoke. Light metallic hoppy quality, and a little lactose sweetness. Dark brown-black clear, with a creamy thick lacing tan head. Medium body with medium to heavy carbonation. Starts with nice dark roasted malt sweet-tang, mild smoky notes, and chocolate. Sweet throughout, rich but not heavy, with light carbonic acidity and light hop dryness. Sweet nutty and chocolate finish, with lactose sweet after. Very tasty porter.

12 oz. bottle courtesy of a trade with GAManiac. Pours nearly black with a few glints of reddish brown when held against sunlight. Lively pour with a large light brown head that lasted through most of the glass and left sticky lace. Pleasant aroma of chocolate, roasted malt, and some coffee. The flavor is similar to the aroma with roasted malt, chocolate and coffee all present. Medium to full bodied with a silky mouthfeel. Some light bitterness at the finish. Very good.

12 oz bottle

This was the last in a series of North Carolina treats. I wish Duck Rabbit would expand into Ohio so I get things like this on a more regular basis. It was worth the cost ($2) though I imagine a sixer is considerably cheaper.

Aroma / Appearance - A thin mocha colored head swirled meekly above a black body with clear lacing. The smell of iced coffee, ryed toast and black cherries made me think of a Southern brunch. Everything I expected was present.

Flavor / Palate - The first taste was of dark malts and chocolate. Next came mulch and sweetness. The leathery mouthfeel was a change of pace from the normal porter experience; the grittiness made it stand out in a crowded field. The wet finish highlights a nice daily drinker.

I thought I’d rated this bad boy before. Just picked up a fresh sixer from Whole Foods, Raleigh. I think this is yet another fine go-to beer from NC’s dark beer gurus. A nice healthy body, earthy and organic all the way. Rich and thick, nice head, and it strikes just the right balance between zesty, slightly bitter flavors and the creamy, oaty goodness I seek in a porter. As solid as anything out there.