The Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

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

Pours a "pitch-brown" with little light penetration and a big tan head, going down at an average clip. Big towering rich nose. Big round malt, particularly hitting the chocolate and the roast to a lesser extent. Fruity acidity and some floral hops lightly with no hint of alcohol. The palate is creamy and smooth. Subdued carbonation, though perhaps a tiny bit chalky. Very nice though. The flavors are a little bit raw. Big strong malt is schizophrenic. Strong bitter chocolate with some serious roast. Alcohol, roast, and floral to piney hops (Cascade?) overwhelm the sweetness of the malt. This has some over the top alcohol warming. Nice, but maybe some age could bring this down. The roast is so robust, it lends a sour acidity. Roast and hops in the finish. Heavy alcohol in the aftertaste. I wish I had the Baltic Porter, boohoo, woe is me. At least this was a pretty good beer.

Bottle courtesy of bleacherbum: Pours black with a tan head. Aroma, some coffee, a bit of chocolate, and some fruity alcohol notes. Flavor, lots of dark fruits, some alcohol, bittersweet chocolate, a dry roasty ashy flavor, and a tangy almost sour feel to it. There was some roasted bitterness on the finish, and that ashy character as well.

This is really a step down from the Baltic Porter. It’s a bit drier, the roastiness tends towards burned notes or ash and the hoppiness would perhaps benefit from a little aging. Still a quality beer, just not up to the Baltic Porter’s mark. Now, I think if I hadn’t had the Baltic Porter just before this, I may have enjoyed this beer a bit more.

Bottle thanks to ross. Black pour with a tall, frothy, lasting, tan head. Roasted malt aroma, bakers cocoa powder, some pine, and a bit acidic. Strong bitter coffee flavor backed up with unsweetened cocoa, some burnt hops and lots of alcohol. A little bit astringent. Body is full and oily with lots of carbonation. If you really like coffee based stouts this could be a good one, but in my opinion it doesn’t quite have enough body and sweetness to balance out the heavy coffee and alcohol notes in it.

2005 vintage. Pours black with a very small fizzy head that quickly disappears. No lacing. Aroma is deep, dark chocolates, slightly vinuous, with some toffee sweetness in the finish. Flavor is more bitter chocolates with some deep dark dried fruit notes. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, but slightly astringent. Alcohol warmth is gentle; the 10% is well-hidden.

Pours brown with a tan rocky head. Smells soapy with some decent coffee and chocolate undertones. Tastes of dark chocolate, coffee, caramel and lots of bitterness. Good, but nowhere near the greatness of their Baltic porter.

Thanks to Kan for this one! Pours a dark brown/black with a fizzy head that diminishes. Smells surprisingly fruity. With some chocolate and roasty notes. Taste is a lot of the same, the most fruity stout I have ever tasted, with chocolate and roast coffee. quite different, worth a try.

Pours a very dark brown with plenty of froth on top. Smell is of dark chocolate, roasted malt and cherries. Yeah, I think there is some definite cherry, fruit notes coming through moreso in the taste now. A different twist on an Imperial stout, but I’m digging it. Mouthfeel is full, thick and non-cloying. This is a very solid imperial stout that is able to separate itself from the others via its distinct taste. Would love to try again.