Duck-Rabbit Schwarzbier - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.42/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Poured into duck rabbit snifter

Pours 1 finger of tan head. Good head retention with some lacing. Color is black.

Aroma: Very roasted and malty. It has some dark dried fruits showing. A bit of chocolate. Has a bit of cream to it. Not to much here.

Taste: More roasted with a coffee bitterness to it. It tastes metallic (thanks kbutler1). Fairly malty. Sour dried fruits.

Mouthfeel: Very fizzy and roasted with a bunch of carbonation. Medium bodied. Ends dry and roasted.

Overall, I just wasn't digging this one and I normally like the style. Way to fizzy for me and has an overdose of roasted malts. Not very drinkable for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 00:28:46 | More by mothman

dc55110

Minnesota

2.45/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Received as an "extra" from JCB!

12oz bottle, notched "10," poured into a 14oz tulip

Pours nearly opaque, just a small amount of light penetrates the edges. A vigorous pour yields about a finger of head that quickly dissipates to a small ring around the perimeter of the glass. A gentile swirly leaves a nice amount of lacing behind.

The nose is very much smokey and peaty. The roasted malts ought weigh anything else here.

Smokey, earthy and watery. Not much doing here. No malty-ness to the smoke. Very reminiscent of the smell of a fire-pit they morning after a long rain.

Thin, nearly watery, visually there appears to be a lot of carbonation, on the tongue there is little to nothing.

I'm hoping this was a bad bottle. There is nothing here besides burnt earth.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 03:50:37 | More by dc55110

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -24.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle. Pours a, you guessed it black color with a nice fluffy tan 2 finger head. The aroma is a fairly light roast coffee smell. The mouthfeel if pretty light with a good amount of carbonation. The taste starts off with a roasted coffee flavor with some chocolate sweetness that then has a strange and bad tasting metallic flavor. Some smokey type notes as well. The carbonation level is too high for me on this one and detracts from the overall enjoyment of the beer. The flavors are decent but the off metallic is not pleasing. No lace left on the glass.

Serving type: bottle

11-05-2010 00:30:26 | More by kbutler1

coachdonovan

Rhode Island

3.28/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured into an Ithaca Beer Company pint glass. Freshness date on the label says Best By 11/09. That's my fault - this one got lost among my cellareds and I forgot I had it.

Pours black with a 3/4 inch head that settles after about two minutes. Lots of bubbles along the line between beer and head. When held to the light a little brown/red comes through on the edges, but otherwise it's pretty black.

Aroma is roasted malt but without any smoke. It's got a nice bitterness to it but not from hops, just from the roastiness. Mouthfeel is thin, carbonation is fairly high. Certainly the drinkability doesn't suffer from the (presumably) low ABV, but I got a little tired of this one. If you're looking for a good Schwarzbier, this one delivers the goods; it's just not my thing to have more than one or two of them.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2010 19:37:53 | More by coachdonovan

MasterSki

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to BucketBoy for this extra. Served in a flute.

A - Popping the cap reveals a slight gusher. Pours with three fingers of light mocha foam that settles to a thin cap and leaves a few stray spots of lace. Body is typical schwarzbier - looks black in the shade, but is a transparent chocolate brown with ruby highlights when held to the light. Lots of bubbles in this one.

S - Thankfully this doesn't smell infected. Guessing the gushing was due to something else. Heavily roasted malts, a hint of smoke, baker's chocolate, some fruitiness, and a metallic twang.

T - Taste is more bready, with light cocoa, floral hop notes, and some nuttiness. Tastes a bit better than it smells, as it doesn't have that metallic note.

M - It's overcarbonated for sure, with some zest and harsh lip-burning going on. Body is medium, with a sticky, chewy finish.

D - It's a fairly solid American take on the Schwarzbier. The carbonation issue knocks it down a bit, but otherwise it's a reasonably enjoyable brew.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 19:21:33 | More by MasterSki

AgentZero

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark bee, almost black, that's a little transparent when held up to the light. Small bit of off-white head that didn't leave anything on the sides.

S - Roasted malts, coffee, little bit of chocolate, some yeast, mild hop aroma.

T - Chocolate with some roasted malt, coffee, little bit of hops, hints of licorice, some yeast. It's pretty solid.

M - Smooth, medium bodied, moderate carbonation.

O - Not a bad beer, particularly for a style that often ends up boring. Would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2011 04:36:13 | More by AgentZero

Risser09

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pilsner - fridge - BB Nov. 2009

Appearance: Pours a pitch black color with an aggressive head that builds quickly. A 2", light tan head shows great retention. Some spotty lace streaks down the glass.

Smell: Very well roasted malt smells like burnt toast and heavy espresso. Dark chocolate mixes with lager yeast aromas. Not much sugar.

Taste: A semi-sweet dark chocolate flavor mixes with burnt toast and an oatmeal/milk stout creamy feel. Lager yeast and some small alcohol finishes the flavors.

Mouthfeel: Burnt, toasted mouthfeels are full of tannin-like bitterness. Smoke and a touch of sweetness are finished by some alcohol.

Drinkability: This black lager has lots of dark, burnt flavors that could become cloying after a few beers. For that reason, it isn't so much of a session beer. Good for the cold fall and winter nights.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 19:34:16 | More by Risser09

rootbeerman

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: pours very dark basically black. Short lasting head, was brown, no lacing and no halo.
S: not much aroma to me, a bit of roasted/toasted bread. A bit of caramel but not much else.
T: dark roasted malt, light hint of coffee. A little touch of smoke.
M: thin but not watery, good carbonation.
O: lagers aren't my forte, but I like this, roasty and toasty not heavy at all. Easy drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2011 09:32:26 | More by rootbeerman

orangesol

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Yet another bottle from Deuane and his bucket of bad luck. I have no idea how old this one is...

A - Pours very dark brown, bordering on black, with a nice one and a half finger tall off-white head leaving spotty lace down the glass.

S - Smells of lots of dark roasted malt, coffee, chocolate, and the faintest hint of citric hops. I am pretty sure that if this was a bit fresher I would have liked this one even more.

T - Starts off with a big dose of dark roasted malt slowly giving way to hints of coffee, chocolate, dark fruits, and the faintest of hints of hop bitterness. The finish is a mix of dark roast and light sweetness, lingering for some time.

M - Medium body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Dark, toasty, feel with plenty of it sticking around through the finish. A bit stale and one dimensional. It could have used a bit of that hop bitterness I detected in the nose.

O - Not too bad. I enjoyed it for what it was I just think it was a bit too old. I may have to seek out a fresher bottle of this one in the future.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 19:56:42 | More by orangesol

57md

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance is dark brown-to-black with a finger of head that dissipated rather quickly. Good, hearty roasted malt profile upfront, but this offering thins out at the end. There is also an odd sour taste on the finish that I cannot quite place, but it is less than pleasant.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2012 22:06:53 | More by 57md

cdizinno

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Dark brown, almost black, with reddish-maroon highlights. Head dies quickly with minimal lacing.

S: Licorice and dark roasted malts. Some coffee notes and dark fruit.

T&M: Definitely complex. Similar to a belgian double. Dark chocolate, coffee, and pumpernickel bread. Some mild hops find its way through. Definitely some smokey flavors are in there as well. Prominent licorice on the fade. Light bodied and smooth with a gentle carbonation.

Drinkable and complex, great beer from "the dark beer specialist."

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2010 01:04:02 | More by cdizinno

thain709

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A - Dark and black in color except when held to light you can get a lighter brown towards the bottom of the glass...an off white head formed and fell as quickly into a wispy cap and a ring...some lacing

S - Holy roasted malts! The roastiness takes full control of the aroma...malts, espresso beans, and cocoa beans have all been roasted...a hint of caramel sweetness and some vanilla

T - The roasted characteristic stands out in the flavor but it comes to the point where it starts tasting a little burnt...they might not be burnt but there's a lot of roastiness going on...all the flavors from the nose are present...you get a hint of caramel followed by vanilla in the middle...hints of lactose are present in the middle...the beer ends with a bitterness from the cocoa and espresso beans

M - Medium bodied...smooth, slick, and creamy

D - This was my first Schwarzbier and I did a side-by-side with the one from Sam Adams...this was a nice beer but it reminded me more of a milk stout/regular stout...I'm looking forward to try Duck Rabbit's other dark beers

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2009 21:49:22 | More by thain709

glazeman

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Received as an extra from Macky20. Thanks Matt! I really enjoyed trying this interesting brew. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

A: This beer pours black in color with a nice 1 finger mocha head. There is moderate head retention and nice lacing.

S: espresso, toffee, chocolate, and a bit of peanut butter are the main whiffs I get. Overall, this is a complex smelling beer and wonderfully balanced.

T: Disappointingly not as good as the smell. The taste starts out good, but the finish just feels watered down and tasteless. At the start I get some coffee, toast, and some unexpected hops. Then all taste fades away and I feel like I'm drinking a flat soda.

M: Probably my biggest complainant about this beer is that it feels like an IPA. While the flavors are great, I would just like a little bit more body to the feel and a tad more of an aftertaste and a little less carbonation.

D: Pretty good drinkability. The initial flavors are pretty good, it goes down easy and is on the thin side.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 23:00:11 | More by glazeman

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle purchased from Beverage World in Ft. Oglethorpe $2. These guys are the dark beer specialists so I'm sure this will be cool and if they were going to make a lager I guess it would be a dark one. Dark brown, almost black. Smells like rich malts, not bad at all. Flavor is dark lager, reminds me a bit of Full Sail Session black but might be a notch up taste-wise. I would love to be able to get Duck Rabbit Porter and Milk Stout on a regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2010 04:06:56 | More by ArrogantB

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Ive heard that awful I word thrown around about this one.

Pour is pitch black with a huge thick frothy light toffee-colored head.

I get alot of smooth coffee and chocolate on the nose, with a hint of light cherry that reminds me of the bottle of their Rabbid Duck I had.

The roasted malt comes out straight away, and I like that. Loads of powdered black chocolate and a bit of toasted coffee. But it competes with sour cherry from what I think is that awful "I" word. I like the base Schwarzbier. Its very toasted and roasted malt, and with no real body.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 17:10:23 | More by VncentLIFE

Naugros

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I was worried at first because it sounded and looked like I had poured a cola into the glass. A lot of sizzle and an active head with bursting microbubbles. But then it settled down I was able to pour more into the glass and raise the head well above the rim of the Duck-rabbit tulip I got in a BIF trade. As I continued to pour, the top of the head began to look the top of a soft-serve cone...coffee flavored. Absolutely awesome!

Roasted malts mixed with German hops make up the nose, smelling a little like a Baltic porter, for anyone not familiar with a schwarzbier. For anyone not familiar with a Baltic porter that means some dark fruits and a vinous quality amid roasted malts and a touch of hops. In this case the hops, being German, give off a bit of floral.

The taste is a bit disappointing, but still good. There's a metallic tang, like licking a penny...go ahead try it...you know you want to. But beneath that are the roasted malts and the hops. The copper tang lessens as the beer warms, but is still pretty distracting. This does not seem to often be an issue with this beer, so I'm assuming it is either this batch or this bottle. No one knows where metallic tastes comes from (even some think they know), but the only theory I could check was the bottle cap and it seemed fine.

The beer was a little over-carbonated, as I suspected from the initial pour, so there was a bit of tingle in the mouth, but it didn't lessen the body considerably.

I feel that this could be a phenomenal brew. I'll need to get another bottle to confirm that this is an anomaly. If I can, then I will surely change my score in the Taste category.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 03:51:17 | More by Naugros

mattpoin

North Carolina

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I'm always happy to see Duck-Rabbit coming out with new styles, especially since so few breweries are committed to dark beers year-round. The pour is gorgeous--as black as beer can get. The nose and taste aren't quite on par with the best schwarzbiers yet; the Einbecker Schwarzbier is much more robust and malty. Still, it's exciting to see an American brewery giving this style a go. Definitely worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 01:14:20 | More by mattpoin

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.7/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

a very deep amber almost black in color with a finger of creme colored head. smells of roasted grains, chocolate, bready yeast. slightly fruity like cherries with lots of chocolate, and roasted grain flavor. has a nice tartness to it from the lager yeast. medium body, high carbonation.

a nice offering from this brewery.. they sure do like their dark beers!

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 05:47:50 | More by facundoCNB

AltBock

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle with a shiny silver and black label that has a bright red center. Inside the red center is the world famous Duck Rabbit wearing a baseball cap turned to the side. To the far left is the Government warning and to the right is a notched best before date.

When poured into a Lagunitas pint glass, this Schwarzbier appears to be solid oil black colored beer, but when it's held into the light, it was more of a dark chocolate brown color. On top was a 3/4 of an inch beige colored head of foam. In less than a 1 minute, this head of foam quickly receded into a hand full of beige rings and about 2 spots of lace.

The aroma was about about the roasted scents! It kicked off with a strong whiff of dark roasted malts. After the malts leave, in comes a hint of roasted coffee beans, roasted nuts, bitter dark chocolate, and then it finishes up with a gentle touch of caramel. It needed that caramel to help balance out all the dark roasted aromas.

The taste was a fight between the dark roasted malts and the roasted coffee beans. You actually taste a struggle between those two flavors. There was no clear winner, except for maybe the consumer. After the dust had settled, this dark roasted taste ends with bitter dark chocolate, and roasted nuts. There was no subtle sweetness in the taste to try and balance out all the roasted flavors.

This was a medium bodied beer with more than enough carbonation. Don't think so? Look at it and taste it and you'll see what I mean. This beer had a roasted aftertaste of dark roasted malts, roasted coffee beans, bitter dark chocolate, and a subtle touch of roasted nuts.

The Dark Beer specialist did it again! They made yet another great dark roasted beer. I could see this as a dark roasted session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 22:02:20 | More by AltBock

spartanfan

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours an opaque black with a small of white head that quickly dissipates into a ring.

S: Lots of roasted and smokey smells up front with some chocolate and malty sweetness in there as well.

T: The chocolate is more pronounced in the flavor of the beer than the scent. Nice toffy and caramel flavors that are not too sweet at all. There is a deffinate smokey characted that is also not overpowering, but very enjoyable. It offsets the sweetness very well.

M: Moderate level of carbonation, and perhaps the slightest warming sensation.

D: This is a unique beer that I thoroughly enjoyed, and hope to have again, but not one I think I would like all the time.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2010 23:21:45 | More by spartanfan

smakawhat

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the botle into a nonic pint glass.

A two finger toffee brown and sticky character looking head is made, sitting on a real nice dark ruby red body. Head falls normally. Great looking body color.

Ripped husky grains, and light malts, mixed with a very light balance of milk chocolate and coffee. Real nice, impressive.

Taste is, lager like and almost crisp, mostly with a burnt grain sense. Sharp bitter and almost hoppy, with a little coffee. Texture is a little too gaseous, but still pleasurable. A little sour also on the fnish.

Overall though, the great nose does not bring the wonderful taste expected, but it is still another enjoyable beer from the Duck.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 22:38:37 | More by smakawhat

zeledonia

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle date is illegible. But it's been refrigerated most of the time I've had it.

Pours very dark brown, black in the glass, and opaque except at the very edges. Half-finger of medium-tan head, gone in a flash, but some decent lacing.

Smell is quite smooth, with mellow citrus and smoky wood. The different components of the smell work really well together, forming an integrated whole that's hard for me to parse apart. Malty, slightly hoppy, dark, but airy and ethereal at the same time. If this beer were a fantasy character, it would be a happy dark sorcerer. Only complaint is that I'd like it to be more potent.

Taste is less integrated, and less interesting. A mix of slightly roasted malt with a hint of smoke, and some rather bland hops. Finishes mildly bitter.

Light-bodied, medium-low carbonation. On the flat side.

I was enthusiastic after the smell, but the taste let me down. Not bad, and among the more refreshing dark beers I've had. But not great.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2012 03:24:19 | More by zeledonia

treehugger02010

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I bought a case of this at Bryn Mawr Beverage in Rosemont, PA. I poured it into a pint glass.
Appearance: The body is deep brown almost black body. The head is a creamy tan head, 3 fingers tall, great retention, beautiful lacing and small bubbled.
Smell: The aromas are very roasty, chocholate and breast yeast.
Taste: The flavors are again roasty, sweet and some coffee notes.
Mouthfeel: The mouthfeel is a bit thin.
Drinkability: This beer is great.
Don't drink and review.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2009 13:07:27 | More by treehugger02010

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a deep amber to black in color with a light tan head. In the aroma, dry caramel and a small smoke presence. In the taste, small roast, small smoke, and a hint of fruitiness. A small bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry smokiness in the aftertaste. I thought this was a nice representation of style. I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: on-tap

02-26-2011 18:19:28 | More by OWSLEY069

mikereaser

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Duck Rabbit Schwarzbier
A - Pours a very dark brown almost black with an inch or two of tan foam that quickly faded leaving some lacing on the glass.
S - nice mocha, coffee and vanilla aroma, nice roasted background
T - nice roasted malt flavor, some caramel, coffee and vanilla with just a hint of smokiness as well.
M - A bit thinner than I was expecting, nice carbonation, almost a cola feel with a bit of charred finish
D - Good flavor, just a bit thinner than I was hoping for. Easy to drink and not tiresome.

4/3.5/4/3.5/3.5

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 04:01:34 | More by mikereaser