The Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter

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

In short: Very good thick and sticky porter focussing on black-liquorice flavour
How: Tasting session bottle from MartinT. Then a few months later a bottle left behind in my fridge by Dickinsonbeer and/or dmac621
The look: Black body topped by a tan ring of foam.
In long: Thick and heavy porter. There’s obviously a lot of roasted malts in there but the beer doesn’t have a lot of roastiness or chocolaty flavours. Rather sweet. Black liquorice is the dominant flavour backed-up by dark fruits, molasses and burnt caramel. Thick and sticky body. Medium carbonation. Although it is very good it was starting to gross me out after only a small bottle. Way above average porter but I don’t understand why this beer is currently on ratebeer top-40 averaging about 4.2. Although it is a very good beer, I haven’t seen something so undeserving of being in the top-40 since, well, most top-40 music.

Appearance: Pours a near black body with a smallish, light tan head. Smell: An excellent, inviting aroma of dark unsweetened chocolate, mild dark fruits, coffee, and hints of nuts. Taste: The taste is huge and dessert-like, with flavors of dark chocolate, vanilla, brown sugar, dark fruits, and toasted caramel. A light, subtle herbal hop flavor brings you to the light, roasty finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-full body. Low carbonation. Soft, creamy mouthfeel akin to melted chocolate. Drinkability: I think its safe to say that its Duck-Rabbit’s best! *Sampled again at the 2007 Brewgrass Beer Festival. Still as great as ever, and still Duck-Rabbit’s best!*

Black body, brown head; Great nose, chocolate soft, something roasted like potato chips, burnt licorice; Very soft texture like velvet, soft big carbonation, slightly bitter a little sweet and salty complex and great; Finishes long with a very little refreshing acidity, roasted aromas. I should write a lot more but I cant be bothered. Amazing beer!

12oz bottle. Black with brown tint. Ovaltine. Roasted malt. malty flavors. Caramel, Chocolate, molasses, Finish with a hop background.

Pours almost opaque black color with a brown head. Aroma is malty, lactose, dark chocolate, and roasty. Flavor is malty, very roasty, dark chocolate, and some dark fruit.

Kudos to hopdog for sending this my way. Pitch black with a thick very dark brown head. Salty licorice on the nose, burnt toast, light soy and caramelized sugar. A touch of figs/prunes, but mostly massive amounts of dark roasted malts. Silken palate, cocoa, caramel, toast and toasted malt. A hint of tartness on the back helps balance the intense maltiness. Alternating waves of dark chocolate, strong roast, and heavy sweetness that completely coat the mouth in silken deliciousness. Why is this style so hard to find examples of when it is so damn good. Awesome brew that is worthy of its world-class status.

Bottle from JCB - thanks, Jason! A good one to break in the new Duvel glass. Huge dark chocolate aroma with a good deal of roast and prominent soy sauce notes. Motor oil-black pour, opaque, with a huge rich creamy rocky light brown head (quite the looker!). Taste is roasty, lightly bitter with medium sweetness and light sourness/acidity. Strong soy sauce with salt and light notes of smoke. Faint molasses and some light burned, slightly nutty notes. Hint of vanilla. Silken, creamy mf with a medium-full body that just feels fuller. Must be the loveliest mf of any beer I’ve had this year. Darkly fruity, and yet the result is light, playful, and extremely drinkable - not a hint of alcohol anywhere near this thing. Really complex and cultured brew, very flavorful but subtle and nuanced. Superb, world-class.

Bottled. Thanks to Immy for this. Pitch black coloured. Dense light brown head. Sweet and ligth roasty aroma. Has some chocolate and light coffeenotes. Flavour is a bit dissapointing imo. LIght raoast and vanilla and some soya notes. Coffee and chocolate present. Surprinsingly weak body. Not saying its thin, but definately not the fullness I’ve expected. Light sweet roastyness in the end. Oh well. By far not the best Baltic Porter I’ve tried. Would take a Wiibroe or a Limfjordsporter if I had the choice.