Duck-Rabbit Porter - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap in a pint glass

Appearance – Served a deep brown colored brew boarding on black. Upon serving there was a small tan colored head floating on the top of the brew. The head faded rather fast to leave a lighter level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The brew smells sweet and roasty. The roasted aromas were a nice mix of coffee and chocolate with the sweet being largely of a caramel nature.

Taste – The taste begins with a roasted malt and caramel sweetness. While the nose suggested a chocolate taste somewhere in the taste, there was is only a very little cocoa/chocolate present. While not much cocoa, a coffee flavor does start developing more toward the middle of the taste. As this occurs, the caramel sweetness begins fading some vanilla comes to the tongue and still keeps a nice sweetness to the brew. Also when the coffee comes to the tongue, so too does a light bitterness of some earthy and herbal hop. The hop and coffee when combined with the roasted flavors and the slight lessening of the caramel sweetness leave a nicely roasted and semi-sweet bitter flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is on the rather average side in terms of its thickness with a carbonation level that is on the average to slightly above average side. It is a little light in body and a little too high in carbonation for my taste, as both really don’t complement the nice roasted and earthy/herbal hop flavors of the brew very well.

Overall – Besides the just moderate body, it was a quite nice porter. It was sweeter upfront and slightly more bitter at the end with some nice coffee flavors streaked throughout.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2013 00:21:51 | More by Darkmagus82

JTSbeerislife

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a British Imp Pint

Pours a thin tan colored head, with no length and not lace
Black, opaque color

The aroma really has no hops but what it does have is malt. A very distinct, deep, rich malt with a roasted chocolate and cocoa smell. Some yeast and dark bread.

Nice crisp entry on the palate. Again no hop character or maybe just the faintest hint. This is followed by medium distinct, enjoyable, rich malt, refined, with a roasted character and hints of cocoa
The body is medium yet balanced with fine carbonation and a off dry sweetness.

Acceptable finish, medium length with no hops present but again nice rich cocoa tinged malt, lingering.

A very good and enjoyable Porter, typical, and a good example of the English style.
Very drinkable and recommended for a try.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 00:42:19 | More by JTSbeerislife

thegodfather2701

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours very dark with auburn hues. It has a nice mocha colored head.

S-Coffee, chocolate, roasted malts.

T-Very much like the nose as coffee, chocolate, and roasted malt dominate the flavor profile. It seemed to have more hops than I expected for some reason.

M-Nicely carbonated.

D-Definitely sessionable.

Overall, this beer didn't really floor me or anything, but its just a solid American Porter.

Serving type: on-tap

01-16-2011 22:25:46 | More by thegodfather2701

Verecund

North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap on 12.28.2010.

Dark brown bordering on black. Half inch of tanned head leaves light lacing.

Nose is somewhat nutty, with notes of cocoa and caramel malts. Not much to it, but it's fine for the style. Taste is one step better: light roastiness; sweet, dark maltiness; a tiny bit of that DR dark-beer cherry fruitiness; sweetened coffee; a small amount of earthy hop bitterness and heat on the finish.

Medium carbonation, somewhat creamy.

A fine beer, but a bit one-note, particularly in the nose, falling short of other DR "dark" beers. It also drinks a shade hotter than its ABV, in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

12-29-2010 01:38:57 | More by Verecund

JamesS

Indiana

4.78/5  rDev +27.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Pours a fantastic dark brown, nearly black, with fantastic head and wonderful lacing. Excellent scent, deep and dark, very robust, with coffee aromas and a slight chocolate tinge; great burnt grain scents. Excellent taste, very deep with great burnt grains; no astringency; wonderful coffee undertones that don't take over. Goes down very well. This is a great higher ABV porter.

Serving type: on-tap

11-29-2009 13:30:29 | More by JamesS

aubuc1

Florida

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

poured sort of flat in to a shaker pint glass at barleys

smell is sweet roasty maybe some licorice

tart roast taste with a cherry like sweetness. some slight sourness in the finish.

full mouthfeel and leaves me wanting more

very good beer from a good brewer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2009 16:50:34 | More by aubuc1

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.93/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a rich sable brown, almost opaque, with a thick, fine-bubbled tan head. Smoky aroma has some maltiness and coffee undertones. Flavor is rich, strongly of burnt coffee with hints of molasses and some hoppy bitterness. It leaves a hoppy and smoky aftertaste.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2008 03:37:23 | More by Cyberkedi

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very non-offensive and session-able, but at the sacrifice of depth and texture. The beer opens with a moderately low aroma of mild coffee and pecans with a medium not of chocolate and lactose sweetness. Looks lighter brown than usual for Porters, and with fair head formation and fleeting retention. Flavors are very clean and display the same mild coffee, nutty, chocolate characters found in the aroma, but with a cola-like flavor that follows up in the finish. Hops are light in flavor and bitterness, keeping in balance wiht the light texture, which edges very close to watering. A good drinking beer for folks who like something between a brown ale and porter flavors, but perhaps with a smaller body.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2007 20:25:00 | More by BEERchitect

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a good black with a thin head and some lacing. Almost more stout like in appearance. The smell has a light roastiness, dry malt, and a slight whiff of cocoa. Taste is similar, but the malt seems sweeter than the smell let on and there is a not unpleasant note of tar as well. Also somewhat stout like, but dryer and slightly lighter bodied than many stouts. The mouthfeel is pretty creamy, but dry. Really a nice job for quite a drinkable porter. Their Baltic porter is sublime, but this is a good everyday porter.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2007 14:12:15 | More by Georgiabeer

cgdogg

North Carolina

4.55/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Originally bought a six pack a couple of months ago, was impressed with the depth of flavor from a domestic, went ahead and bought a keg last week, and it blew me away, the chocolate and smoothness with hardly any after tase. It poured rick and dark, there is a strong alcohol smell at first, but soon the complexity took over and it became moot.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2006 20:26:16 | More by cgdogg

Enola

North Carolina

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This was my first from Duck-Rabbit and I must say I am impressed. A very dark beer that lets little light in around the edges. A sweet smell. It has a strong taste of roasted grain. I will certainly have to try more from this brewer. The mouthfeel and drinkability are both high. If you have a chance to try this beer you should. I spoke with the owner of Duck-Rabbit at Brewgrass Festival and he was a very freindly person.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2005 23:22:47 | More by Enola

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Duck Rabbit Porter pours black into the glass with a small creamy head. The foam leaves a few spots of lace on the glass.

The aroma is a nice blend of chocolate, dark fruits, roast malt and an earthy nuttiness.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is velvety smooth with light carbonation. The flavor is much like the aroma, chocolate, roast malt, caramel, and an earthy nuttiness. It finishes mildly bitter and grassy. Once gone the roast malt and nuts linger on the palate.

This is a full flavored, easy drinking beer. However, the body seemed a little thin to me.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 18:50:42 | More by WanderingFool

mattkoon

South Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

this duck rabbit porter is pretty good. i have to say that i dont typically like porters... i like stouts better b/c there thends to be more on the market that have been jazzed up with spices and chocolate and things of that nature. this is a nice porter however. the taste has a bit of smoke and chocolate. and a nice bitter finish that is far from harsh but gives enough to satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2013 21:54:43 | More by mattkoon

Mojo

Alabama

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 ounce bottle -> World Market Tulip glass

This beer pours up a deep black with a one finger caramel colored head, no retention, and medium amounts of lacing. The nose is very minimal with some roasted notes. Taste is very sweet and caramel malty followed by a mild roasted coffee finish. Mouthfeel isn't bad, but nothing too great either. Overall, it's okay. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 04:24:55 | More by Mojo

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque black in color with dark amber highlights and light to moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall tan head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of roasted malts with some hints of chocolate and coffee - light hints of ash but not enough to take away from the enjoyment of the aroma.

T: Starts out with some moderate flavors of dark roasted malts followed by some light to moderate flavors of semi-sweet dark chocolate and freshly brewed coffee. Light hints of vanilla. Light amounts of sweetness at first and some light to moderate bitterness in the finish which lingers.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Creamy.

O: I think this is a very nice example of an American Porter and one that I have enjoyed for several years while living in NC - picked it up over the holidays when visiting family. Definitely one that I could enjoy regularly and wish that it got distributed to where I now live.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 23:41:27 | More by dbrauneis

Ego

New Jersey

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

had this on tap a few times in my travels in the OBX, enjoyed it then, let's see how it stacks up packed up...

eyes...
pretty dark but not completely black, one finger of cocoa head on the initial pour that settles down pretty quickly, pretty good lacing, nothing too exciting and nothing out of place here, your average porter

nose...
strong molasses with malt heft, roasted notes with an almost burnt tinge under the malt blanket, some milk chocolate, a touch of alcohol and cocoa powder as well, certainly sparks up the senses on this wintery night

taste etc...
the finish is just like the nose.. except weaker (unfortunately), there is a nice ashen flavor that lingers for some time though.
the start ? (why I started with the finish I have no idea...) on the first sip this really seems to light, upon further review it isn't as bad as I thought but does lack some body over all. you get a mild bitterness with coffee tone on the initial tongue blast and that fades into the darker more euro chocolate notes that linger into that ashen glow. The carbonation is really nice and molds well with the brew, the bubbles are not in the way but are there enough to carry the day.

verdict?
man, this is like a 'just miss' beer, if it was just a little better in certain places it would be killer. it is definitely worth trying if you see it

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 05:14:00 | More by Ego

Deathpod

1.5/5  rDev -60%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Probably in the top 3 worst beers I've ever drank. I am a big dark beer fan, and was excited to try something from the self proclaimed "dark beer specialists", but was really let down on this one.

The aroma while so so, appearance was ok, taste was really disappointing. It had metallic tones throughout, very irony taste which turned me off from actually enjoying my beer, which is the point no?

I suppose its possible i got a bad batch or something, because from the reviews seen here and then actually drinking this beer, i am left wondering, what happened?

Will most likely never buy again, first impressions go a long way, just to many offerings out there to try , sorry Duck-Rabbit.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:03:30 | More by Deathpod

fastrodney

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Glass bottle poured into my trusty Sam glass.

A: Dark as night. Light brown head dissipated quickly.

S: Smell is sweet with a caramel note.

T: Sweet and malty with a touch of hops.

M: Medium carbonation; thin to medium texture.

O: Not a bad porter. Mouthfeel seemed a little off - thin and carbonated. Flavor itself was pleasant with a rich molasses.

Serving type: bottle

08-31-2012 13:08:05 | More by fastrodney

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a dark brown almost black pour, 2 fingers of light tan head, great retention. smells of coffee, milk chocolate, roasted grains, slight hint of bourbon. very nice chocolate flavor, backbone is slightly odd.. very earthy taste of fresh green beans, coffee, tobacco, dirt. light-medium body... very watered down feel, yet creamy on lips. moderate carbonation. overall, an awesome porter. pretty heavy on the abv for the style, to boot!

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 21:16:06 | More by facundoCNB

Axnjxn

North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

A: very dark brown, close to black

S: caramel, chocolate, coffee.

T: just as it smells. caramel and dark, bittersweet chocolate tasting.

M: easy to drink but leaves something to be desired here.

O: good porter. not the best, not the worst. i wouldn't turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

07-25-2012 22:47:32 | More by Axnjxn

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.85/5  rDev -24%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Yet another of tone77's many drop-offs as my local trader that became a backlog of inventory. I will soon have run through all of the bottles so that I may return to The CANQuest (TM).

From the bottle: "Proudly hand made in small batches"; "The Dark Beer Specialist".

My pour netted me a solid finger of dense deep-tan head with good retention. Color was a deep, dark-brown with very little light penetration, revealing cola highlights at the edges. Nose smelled of coffee and milk chocolate and I was looking forward to the first sip. Mouthfeel was medium and the taste was of dark chocolate with a powderiness like over saturating chocolate milk with the powder. Interesting. Finish had a slightly burnt quality as though the malt was kilned too deeply which may account for that chalky powderiness noted earlier. This needs some work.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2012 01:34:48 | More by woodychandler

IronLover

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Black in color with hints of reddish brown on the edges of the glass. Poured with a tall rocky foam with good staying power, that consisted of large soapy bubbles. Sweet chocolate and vanilla aromas with dark roasted malt and ground coffee in the background. Soda pop fizzy carbonation overwhelms the feel. Sweet chocolate flavor up front that ushers in dark roasted malt into the middle. Bitter hop bite through the middle with a ripe fruit flavor in tow. Sweet chocolate returns briefly toward the end but is overrun by bitter hops, burnt malt, and black coffee flavors at the finish. The aggressive carbonation hinders the flavor potential in this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 02:08:18 | More by IronLover

chinchill

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Undated (despite code area on label) 12oz bottle served in a snifter.

A: nearly black in color with a thick, creamy, khaki colored head.

S: dark roasted malts with a surprising amount of roasted coffee in the aroma, as well as hints of dark chocolate and raisins.

T: Dominated, as it should be, by a rich dark malt flavor. Again, a surprising amount of roasted coffee, yet without the pronounced bitterness of actual expresso. Fine lingering, dark malt aftertaste.

M: Medium body; smooth. Slightly dry finish.

O: a delightful porter; unique without any radical departures from style.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 23:31:39 | More by chinchill

JCaweinstein

Ohio

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This porter is black with a little red around the bottom and sides of the glass. A one finger light tan head clears to a thin cap. There are plenty of bubbles.
There is a robust aroma to this porter. I mostly smell coffee and toast.
Toasty type of bitterness like you get from dark toast and a very slight sweetness.
Crisp and bold up front followed by more bitterness. It's seems a little on the light side for a beer with strong flavored and aromas.
A tasty and good smelling brew. Not my favorite porter but glad to have tried it.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 01:44:23 | More by JCaweinstein

Ruds

United Kingdom (England)

3/5  rDev -20%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a 355 ml bottle into a tulip style glass.

Pours a rich black colour with a good finger of thick beige head which soon begins to subside reducing to half a finger within a couple of minutes.

The aroma was of roasted malts, caramel and brown sugar. Not a 'big' smell to this beer.

The taste was more of a let down than the smell, a straight 'average' 3! I nearly gave the smell a 3.5, it would have got a 3.25 if it had existed! A little smokey tasting, roasted malts and little caramel in the background, pretty much mimicking the smell but weaker in actual flavour! A slightly sweet and dry aftertaste.

I didn't enjoy the mouthfeel at all. Prickly carbonation (sorry reviewer a couple down from me - I was trying to think of a way to describe it and you hit the nail on the head so post edit!) and far too much carbonation also too watery.

Overall a disappointing porter that got worse as the journey progressed. It looks good, but that's as good as it gets! Way too watery and too highly carbonated. Will not go near this again!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 20:33:10 | More by Ruds