The Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

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

Best By Date January 2008, Sampled July 2007
Another very well carbonated beer from Duck-Rabbit; this time I was ready for it, but I still ended up with a fat, three-finger thick, creamed-chocolate brown colored head. The beer is a deeply blackened, brownish tinged color. The aroma is actually vinous in some ways; notes of prunes, wood smoke, light notes of espresso, raisins, cherry cough-syrup and once you really dig for it something like a piquant, aged slightly too long, cheddar cheese.

Thickish, though still somewhat light for an Imperial Stout. The first sip brings a finish with a pronounced, sharply herbaceous, phenolic driven, green, yet slightly rancid vegetal character that is somewhat reminiscent of broccoli. This note really seems to linger on in the finish & even mixes in a harsh way with the alcohol; burnt broccoli indeed! Up front the beer has rich flavors of salty malt, layered with chocolate, blackened-lightly acidic coffee, browned-toasted grain. If you never let the beer leave you mouth the harsh finish will not plague the flavor, unfortunately you must eventually swallow or spit the beer out and when you do the broccoli will get you every time.

As the beer warms up, the vegetal character in the finish lets up just a touch, not enough to not be noticeable though. Regardless the beer is still too acridly roasted, with notes of burnt grain-husk bitterness, and a burn malt driven acidity, both of which also come to a head in the finish.

Bottle. Looks just plain amazing - the deepest black with a dark brown head. Aroma is pleasant - Sweet blueberries mix with malty chocolate with hints of roasted peanuts. Flavor makes a statement right away. I was on the verge of giving this one of my highest ratings because of the amazing complexity on the first swallow but the almost insane power of the flavor makes it hard to completely finish this beer. Its just a flavor overload of berries, bittersweet chocolate malt and alcohol and that was probably the brewers intention. Whew

Black colour, bigger tan head. Chocolate malt, some roast, a bit of sweet in the aroma. Chocolatey with some coffee notes and a bittering feeling that doesn’t overpower but lets you know its there.

Pours black, with a brown head. Aroma is chocolate, malt, dark fruit, and molasses. Dark fruit and chocolate flavor, with malt and coffee. Sweet in the beginning, but grow slighty bitter in the finish. Another Duck Rabbit winner. Thanks to Jmichael for this one.

bottle.....appearance: looks very typical of an imperial stout. deep black with a thin tannish head. medium to light bodied judging from the pour.....aroma: chocalate and malt, some dark fruit. nothing extraordinary.....taste: chocalate, malty, roast with a sourness to it that i didn’t appreciate. carbonation level was a bit high as well.

This Imperial Stout pours a eclipse black color form a 12oz bottle. Medium sized tan foamy head. Aroma is chocolate and roasty. A medium bodied Imperial Stout. Malts are chocolate and coffee. Hops are earthy. There is a touch of soy sauce and smoke here as well as the chocolate and roasty malts. Mouthfeel is full. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Pours near deep black with a nice thin lastin head and some lace. Aroma is loaded with chocolate malts, and fruity yet not out of control esters- dark dried fruits, a bit of leather and hints of roast as it warms as well. Licorice and dark chocolate flavors, plum, raisin, roasted nuts, hints of coffee- and a bit sweet before turing a bit tannic, bitter and a little astringent. Good full mouthfeel and smooth palate. Top notch impy stout.

Pours like a typical Imperial Stout. Aroma of chocolate and coffee. Taste of coffee and chocolate, also had an odd taste I couldn’t place. Still not bad.