Duck-Rabbit Schwarzbier - The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

Spica66

Indiana

3.95/5  rDev -2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown/black color. Extreme head formation! Be careful pouring this one!!

S: Dark coffee, roasted barley, very nice!

T: Just like it smells. Dark, roasty and nice.

M: Medium body. Over carbonated for sure.

D: Very tasty. Like a light-bodied porter. I would have more of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 00:59:49 | More by Spica66

Urbancaver

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Huuuge head on this beer. Dark beer settling at the bottom with brown head. Smells malty. Hints of some smokiness. Not sure what else is going on. A bit weird. Tastes stouty roasted and smoky. Solid mouthfeel and fairly drinkable but overall not that great

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2011 03:14:45 | More by Urbancaver

jimpala

North Carolina

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Is this supercharged with co2?
Makes a vigorous noise when opened and pours a huge head.
Even as it warms up a little it still pours a huge head.
Let the head settle and it is very drinkable. Nice smokey, chocolate, hoppy flavor.
I'll look forward to the 2011 rendition.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2010 23:10:49 | More by jimpala

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a flute. Lot of carbonation going on here. First pour yielded four plus fingers of head.

3.5 A: Black color. Three fingers of frothy light tan head. Good retention, but just touches of spotty lacing.

4.0 S: Dark roast coffee, roasted barley, ashy toastiness, and grainy. Finally, a slight touch of funkiness similar to what you might find in a Berliner.

4.0 T: Taste is much like the nose. Dark roast black coffee, roasted malts, ashy, smoky toastiness, and grainy.

3.5 M: Lighter medium body. Too much carbonation, which gets really annoying trying to pour this one. Roasty aftertaste and reasonably smooth. Anyway, too much carbonation, but okay otherwise.

4.5 D: Solid beer. I've had more than half a dozen of this style now and I'm really starting to appreciate it. Each one has been noticeably different. This one is definitely the roastiest one and is something I'd like to drink at least once a year. Anyway, good drinkability. Tasty and interesting enough to warrant another.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2010 02:57:49 | More by DavoleBomb

errantnight

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A really well done Schwarz. Pours a heady (very heady) deep, almost black with a fluffy pale head. Lightly roasted notes come through on the nose, accentuated on the palate, with a nice balance of earthy, faintly citric hopping and a crackery body. Medium to light bodied with an acidic finish. Could drink it all evening.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2010 04:52:07 | More by errantnight

aval89

Arizona

4.2/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Special thanks to wedge421 for this brew.

A: poured a nice dark dark brown almost black color with at least a 3 finger worth of head (off white almost tan).. Very creamy head with tight small bubbles.. Head sticks around for quite some time.. As it settles it becomes more frothy..

S: roasty & sweet upfront.. Cocoa & toffee for sure with hints of milk chocolate... Lightly roasted coffee beans are also in there..

T: taste almost follows the smell.. Has a quick roasty coffee note upfront with cocoa quickly overpowering it.. Then a very noticeable milk chocolate flavor comes in with a nice toffee/caramel underlying flavor... Finish is dark chocolate with roasty coffee bean bitterness but is very clean for what it is..

MF: a little more carbonated than I'd like.. Heavy medium mouthfeel.. Still nice though..

D: nice drinkable brew.. It actually blew me away a little.. Wish I had another..

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2010 07:40:18 | More by aval89

tpd975

Florida

3.9/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a nice dark black, tan head good retention and some spotty lace.

S: Light smoke, loads of chocolate, coffee, and a tinge of hops.

T: Nice brew, rich with a touch of smoked malt. Rich bitter chocolate with some acrid coffee. Another good DR brew.

M: Medium in body nice carbonation solid

D: Good I really like it.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 23:14:00 | More by tpd975

MasterSki

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -15.6%
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

aerozeppl

New York

4.47/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: Black with only the slightest hint of brown around the edges. Really nice looking beer. A little bit of coffee colored head with minimal head retention.

S: Huge chocolate and roast character. Little bit of sweetness in the back end and a touch of lager yeast. The chocolate and roast are really pleasing though.

T: Smooth as part of the taste. The chocolate and roast are so nice and work so well together that this beer is a joy. The most flavorful example of the style I have had by far.

M: To style the mouthfeel is light and never overbearing. Nicely carbonated.

D: Really nice drinker for a cool evening. We have snow on the ground here so it was time. I have had their super rare one off stuff but their normal seasonals should not be overlooked.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 23:55:18 | More by aerozeppl

JohnQVegas

Tennessee

4.18/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle into Sam Adams sensory glass, picked up in Asheville. One of my favorite styles, so very eager to try.

Pours deep ruby brown, verging on black depending on how it's viewed. Massive light brown head is very fluffy, rocky, looks very much like the head on a root beer float. Three to four fingers at first, then it actually grows a bit, before finally settling down enough to let me finish the pour a couple of minutes later. I'm thinking some carbonation issues may be present, eh? Still, retention is very good - takes forever and a day for the head to die down enough to really start drinking, and 20 minutes on top of that before it fell to a thin but solid light brown cap. And when it did finally die, there were sheets of lacing all down the sides of the glass.

Nose is rich with baking cocoa, preceded by just a bit of acidic roasted malt bite up front. Dry, powdery even. Lightly sweet, with just a hint of espresso.

Taste is smooth initially; nice fruitiness is surprising, adds a bit of brightness to the subtle dark cocoa and lightly acrid black malt notes that follow and come to dominate. Moderate amount of caramel sweetness in there as well. Just a bit of woodiness on the finish, with more lingering caramel sweetness, and a light, dry hop bitterness lingering the longest. A bit sweet for the style, yet still quite balanced. I found it quite enjoyable.

Should be noted, I also detected the light metallic taste noted by others on the first few sips, but that quickly faded as the beer warmed.

Mouthfeel is light, with a lightish carbonation that has a nice, soft fluffiness to it - guess the massive head did away with the carbonation issues I previously feared. Finish is nice and dry by the end.

Light in body, very flavorful, very well balanced, crisp - very nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 21:52:33 | More by JohnQVegas

kbutler1

Minnesota

3.05/5  rDev -24.3%
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

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

2.42/5  rDev -40%
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

bucklemyshoe

Georgia

4.15/5  rDev +3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle at refrigerator temperature into a pilsner glass @ Rooster's Beak.

A: This pours pitch black with a half-finger of creamy head.

S: It has notes of chocolate, lactose, coffee, and dark fruits.

T: It is eerily similar to both the milk stout and the porter: coffee, chocolate, light cream, and a bit of roastiness.

M: It is light-bodied and easy drinking.

D: This is a very tasty beer without the heaviness. I love Duck-Rabbit beers but the ones I've had pretty much taste the same.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 02:54:51 | More by bucklemyshoe

Wolfpack2005

North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours dark black with a three finger head that sticks around for awhile.

Has a malty aroma with a hint of licorice and coffee

Taste of roasted malts with small amount of coffee and hops make their way through.

Mouthfeel definitely has some bite but it is suprisingly light considering how heavy it looks.

Overall a pretty solid and complex beer. I will definitely be buying this beer in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2010 02:43:31 | More by Wolfpack2005

wvsabbath

West Virginia

3.98/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Black, very light traces of brown 1/4 inch creamy head

Smell - Has a burnt, smoked porter smell. Can smell the alcohol, hops, some sugars, malts and barley.

Taste - Well now, this has some bite to it. A little rough but alot of flavors, backed by a smoked taste. I really liked the malt kick it had. Theres some nice hop and yeast flavor in there also. This beer has alot going on

Mouthfeel - Its a little bitter but its very enjoyable. Mouth gets a treat since theres so many flavors in this.

Drinkabilty - I would buy this again. I reminds me alot of a smoked porter but its a little more bitter and hoppy. DIfferent, tasty and enjoyable, could drink a few of these

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2010 05:51:17 | More by wvsabbath

Jwale73

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to BucketBoy for the generous extra. 12oz. bottle served in a pilsener glass. Best by 11/11 notched on the label. Pours the color and clarity of cola with a loose, one inch, khaki-colored head. Head eventually settles into a solid skim with thick swaths of lacing revealed during the tasting. Nose suggests cocoa and lactose (similar to what I get from a milk stout) as well as a hint of wheat. Taste consistent with nose - chalky cocoa and a light metallic character and a slightly watery quality. Mouthfeel is light-bodied with an even carbonation. Easy drinking and flavorful, but I've had better examples of the style. That being said, it still goes down quite easy.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2010 00:49:12 | More by Jwale73

avalon07

South Carolina

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pilsner glass. Had a dark brown color and a thick, cloudy texture. There was a huge amount of creamy, off white, long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: A big smell of malt, with traces of coffee, licorice and chocolate.

T: Basically tastes like it smells. Malt, chocolate, a slight bready quality, licorice and coffee (this is very subtle). Much more complex than most schwarzbiers.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a smooth, dry finish. Medium-bodied.

D: Not classically a schwarzbier, but still very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 12:05:58 | More by avalon07

cdizinno

South Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -10.7%
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

BamaBeerBuff

North Carolina

4.28/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Very dark brown with maroon highlights. Head is firm and creamy, with a mocha color. Spotty patches of lacing.

S: Black licorice and dark roast coffee are highly prevalent. Some notes of dark fruit. A robust and inviting aroma--like a porter without as much roast and bitterness.

T&M: Incredibly complex! Dry dark chocolate and coffee flavors meld with a bread-like flavor up front. Light citrus flavor comes in mid-palate, and the finish is a complete gear-shift to notes of ash and smoke. A wonderfully contemplative beer. Rarely does a sessionable, lighter beer such as this pack such a complex and robust flavor. Body is light and smooth, with a subdued and gentle carbonation.

D: A fantastic schwarzbier. Quite drinkable and complex, with a fantastic mouthfeel. Well done, Duck-Rabbit.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 20:16:26 | More by BamaBeerBuff

javincik

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pilsner glass

A-Pours a deep brown, almost black, but not quite fully opaque. Reddish around the edges. Capped by a massive 3 inch brown head that recedes quite slowly to about 1/2 inch cap of foam that remains for the duration. Great head retention and leaves a nice lacing.

S-Some burnt and roasted grain along with subtler chocolate and coffee flavors. Hops lend an oh so subtle herbal mint aroma.

T-Pretty much follows the nose. This one isn't quite to style with the German examples I've had. A little heavy on the roast and somewhat drier and less sweet than some of the German versions. The hops round it out quite nicely though, lending a slightly medicinal character that plays off all the roastiness almost perfectly.

M-Heavily carbonated, almost excessively so. Took me almost five minutes to pour the full bottle into my slightly undersized pilsner glass. Still, head retention was excellent. Mouthfeel really improves as it warms. Despite the fact that it's a lager, I will drink this around 50 degrees from now on. Finishes nice and crisp as you would expect.

D-Great session lager for the late summer and early fall. Really wish more breweries would put beers like this out. Sometimes you just want something flavorful but still nice and easy to drink. This one fits the bill quite nicely. Definitely worth picking up a sixer during its seasonal release.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2010 14:15:40 | More by javincik

CBlack85

South Carolina

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Duckworths in Charlotte. Served in a pint glass.

Beer pours nearly black with brownish/ruby highlights when held up to the light. There is a small tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves some light lacing behind.

The aroma is of roasted malts and coffee. There are also hints of dark semi sweet chocolate, and dark fruits.

The taste is big on the roasted malts with hints of smokiness. The coffee that was so prominant in the nose, is much more subdued in the taste. Very smooth and creamy, which gives a nice contrast to the roasted malts and coffee flavors. Verging on sweet but not quite getting there, this beer has a nice balance of flavors not exhausting your palate on any one of them. Medium bodied and mildly carbonated with an almost silky feeling on the tongue. Easy to drink.

Very impressive offering from "the dark beer specialists"...

Serving type: on-tap

09-28-2010 18:45:20 | More by CBlack85

zoso1967

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is served up inky black just like the name would suggest. It appears to be opaque, but that might just be the result of the large .5 liter mug it is served in. On closer inspection I find that light can penetrate this beer, which has a nice ruby/brown hue to it. It has a nice light tan head that fades all too quickly, and does not leave much lace at all.

The aroma is quite nice with a very fruity character to it. I would say the main aroma profile is chocolaty, but it is a very fruity and fragrant cocoa character. It also has some clean malty notes and some roastyness as well

Flavor is very nice with plenty of the fruity chocolate characteristics that were also in the nose. There is also a decent amount of coffee, but nowhere near what you would find in a stout. It has a bit of earthy character to it that could be from either some light hopping or perhaps the roasted malt. Either way this beer has a wonderful flavor profile that is a good marriage of dark malts and clean lager yeast.

The mouthfeel is on the lighter side of medium and it has just the right amount of carbonation. The finish is slightly tacky with a hint of astringent dryness, but it does not take away from the dark chocolate and ashy notes that linger after swallowing.

This beer goes down very easily and is a wonderfully sessionable beer. I had tried and enjoyed many Duck-Rabbit beers at fests before, and I am glad I finally got around to reviewing one.

Serving type: on-tap

09-26-2010 14:51:49 | More by zoso1967

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours dark like coffee or cola with a half inch tan head that is quite dense.
The aroma is that of rich toasted malts. Hints of coffee and espresso come through.
Rich and malty tasting, roasted. Tastes similar to a porter.
Tastes and feels like a lager.
Everything about this beer suggests that it is a porter. In a blind test taste you would too, but as the beer warms up the lagerness comes into play.
As schwarzbiers go, this is definitly tops.
Drink well my friends.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2010 11:30:34 | More by micromaniac129

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -8.7%
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

jrallen34

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to Alex for a nice D-R, 12oz bottle into a Bells tulip...Pours a dark brown, looks a little watery though, a small off white head, not much retention or lacing...Aroma is nice smoke right off the bat, hints of peat, coffee, and chocolate...The taste is really roasty, coffee, smoke comes through. Not overly complex but good, add some more depth and this would be great.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 18:46:11 | More by jrallen34