The Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

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

Purchased this one as part of my Duck Rabbit splurge at D’s in Swissvale. Look is adequate, black with red highlights, minimal mocha colored head. Smell is quite good, roast coffee, chocolate, a little vanilla. Taste is pretty good. Kind of watery at first, then the aftertaste brings the robust fun. Mostly same hints as in smell, more roasty malt aftertaste. Mouth is still a bit thin, but nowhere near the atrocity that was the milk stout. This is doable. Overall, while this is much better than the milk stout, and a fairly good RIS, there are similiarly priced offerings that I much prefer, such as Great Lakes Blackout. Beef up the body and maybe a little more in the taste, we have a big winner.

BB:3/10.Nice looking black with a decent khaki,head. Leaves lasting ring with slow moving bubbles upon stir. Big dark malt,toffee/caramel,and light alcohol in aroma.Roasted grain as well. Super creamy,oily,texture. Not cloying at all. Medicinal alcohol and chocolate are followed by roasty notes. Finish is lingering bittersweet,and light alcohol. Alcohol fades as beer opens leaving a little more dark fruit added to the finish. Light hopping evident by hop burps. Pretty straightforward,but tasty. No sourness detected. Room temp.

Aroma is dark chocolate malts with hints of caramel and alcohol. The flavor hits sweet and slightly sour with a roasty bitterness akin to dark chocolate and coffee. Hints of alcohol, but it’s welcome.

This brew was dark and deadly. With its ink like color and silky smoothness this brew could knock you out. As I poured it, I thought the room got darker. As I drank it, I felt like this is how a good beer is supposed to taste. I wouldn’t skip this beer if offered.

Appearance: Pours a midnight brown with a small gathering of brown suds atop. Aroma: Dark chocolate, brownie mix, dates, figs, and chocolate covered cherry. Taste: Dark chocolate covered cherry, black coffee, black pepper, red wine, burnt chocolate malt, and has a little bit of hop spice in the finish. Mouthfeel: Thick and almost syrupy. Overall: A nice sipper beer. With all of these deep bold flavors, I am surprized to not feel an alcohol presence. I would serve this with a Black Forrest Cake or Chocolate Mousse.

Calm black pour with tan head that dissipates and lingers as a rim around the glass. Roasty aroma of chocolate, licorice, coffee. Some dark cherry and currant notes. Smooth coffee and dark fruit taste, maybe a hint of roast and chocolate. Mouthfeel is a bit thin, but slick. Finished dry and roasty. Pretty good Impy.

Philosophy be damned, this is good beer. Black with a small tan head. Aroma bitter chocolate, licorice, coffee. Flavor is similar with a nice burn. Finishes very dry.

Black pour with an eggshell head that diminishes to nothing (due, in part, to ABV levels). Lots of malty mixed chocolates with dark cherry & raspberry esters fill the bouquet. Some dark fruity esters upfront mix with roasted notes; dark bittersweet / milk chocolates and molasses in the mid-palate, and some citrus and roasted, toasted hopping (well-integrated) to the back-palate. Some coffee beans and roasted toasty malts, along with a mild hop, closes the finish. A darn good impy stout, as the mouthfeel is full, thick and slick. The palate is complex and well-integrated. Overall, it’s an extremely good offering, and a sweet impy stout that I’d seek out again!