The Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

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

Appears black in the glass with a light mocha colored head that retains pretty well. Roasted charcoal aromas paired with some earthy hoppiness, booze, and vinous smells. Taste begins quite ashy and earthy, maybe a bit vegetal too. It does transform into sweeter caramel flavors as it sits on the tongue, with a roasty finish, but doesn’t start off good and finishes rather weak. I think I also got some lactose and cherry flavored Tootsie-Pop flavors too. Nice thick, full body, but it is too carbonated, which takes a way a little. This just seemed to be missing a lot for me, maybe I’ll need to visit this one again sometime.

(Bottle) Pours an opaque black body with a small creamy beige head. Aroma of chocolate, toasted marshmallow, nuts, and fennel. Flavor of roasted malt, some vinous, and coffee with a bitter finish.

Bottle courtesy of ucusty. Pours very, very dark with small mocha colored head. Couldn’t agree more with Beerlando’s nose description of wonderful dark chocolate covered cherries, raisins, vanilla, fudge and bourbon. Gets much fuller as it warms. Flavor is some quicky hoppy heat initially, then gives way to a smooth nutty oak and chocolate mixture that finishes with a salty scotch-like flavor. I expected the palate to be much fuller than it was. This will certainly get better as it ages...but it’s nice right now.

The body is basically pure black, with a small, foamy tan head that settles to a thin layer. Sudsy, rounded out flares of lacing stay behind on the glass. The aroma is very fudgy, dark and chewy, with heavy doses of anise, vanilla, dark cherries, and raisins. Oak and earthy hops emerge from behind a massive, chocolaty shroud. Figs, scorched caramel, and nougat add ever increasing layers of depth. The flavors follow suit in both richness and depth. Sweet and bitter dark chocolates, nougat and caramel provide the utterly decadent malt base. Rich, bittersweet, dark chocolate syrup exerts itself as a dominant component. Vanilla and stewed figs, plums, and raisins add depth and moderate heat. The full, sticky body finishes long, roasty, and bittersweet. Significant alcoholic heat and strong earthy hops add an unnecessary harshness that might fade with age. This is a solid, but unspectacular brew.

Pours an opaque black with a big chocolate milk head that dies much quicker than I thought it would and laces sheets around the glass. Smells of big roasty malt, ground coffee, a hint of alcohol that reminds me of a cherry/rum chocolate. Tastes earthy, alcohol, chocolate, ground coffee and fig. Full in the mouth with lively carbonation on the tongue. Though alcohol is present, the ABV is well hidden. A sipper for sure. Another tasty brew from duck rabbit!

Black color; generous creamy head. Nice aroma, coffeish, creamy. Thick body, quite oily, strong chocolate and dark caramel flavor, some roasted malt too, a hint of liquorice and cinnamon; everything is very well mixed. Strong final, well bitter; if I can just dislike something, it’s a bit of sourness in the end. Powerful, excellent.

Thanks to Ucusty for making this beer possible. Pours black with a large moussey brown head, looks like an imperial stout should. Aroma of hot raspberry filled cake, peat, wood, coffee, dark chocolate, and is that a bit of rotten fruit? Only appears after reaching room temperature. Dark chocolate and dry cocoa on the intial flavor, with some toasted oats, peaty wood/saltiness, a tangy flavor that’s shy of fruity. FInishes with nuts, coffee, toast, and wood. Good inital flavor and finish, but why’s this taste salty? Seems more peaty than their Wee Heavy. Creamy texture, but it feels lighter than I thought it would, but it certainly doesn’t lack body. Some alcohol flavor and a moderately warming finish. Decent offering, but I’d prefer it sweeter and less salty.

Bottle. Aroma of Dark Chocolate, roasted and burnt malts, vanilla and coffee. Poured a dark almost opaque black. Flavors were a swirling myriad of the aforemention nose. Palate was smooth and full, abv well hidden. Overall, Delicious!