Paul's Bitter Holiday
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

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From:
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Extra Special / Strong Bitter (ESB)
ABV:
4%
Score:
79
Avg:
3.16 | pDev: 18.99%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
12
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 10, 2013
Added:
Dec 18, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 2.5 by lupercmda from North Carolina

Jan 10, 2013
Photo of OWSLEY069
Reviewed by OWSLEY069 from Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Pours a clean yellow to orange-ish color with a light tan head. In the aroma, a small hop and a gingerbread like malt. In the taste, gingerbread like malt and a gritty pine hop. A small bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry mix of hops and malt. Too much in hop, or it needs more malt. I can't really tell what it is missing, but it is missing something.
Feb 06, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by ejimhof from Pennsylvania

Jan 29, 2012
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On tap at Sessions in Greensboro.Poured into an imperial nonic a clear rich copper/bronze with a half finger white head atop.Some caramel biscuit malt mainly in the nose,some faint toastiness comes into play as well.Sweetish toffee flavors with that biscuit malt,there is a smattering herbal hops in a dryer finish.A sessionable ESB that wont blow your socks off with its low ABV,not bad.
Jan 13, 2012
Photo of brentk56
Reviewed by brentk56 from North Carolina

3.8/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance: Arrives with a modest head sitting atop the amber liquid; a few strands of lace are left behind

Smell: Somewhat fruity, with an earthy hop tone

Taste: Caramel, up front, with apple and pear fruit flavors developing; earthy hops arrive by mid-palate and the finish brings the caramel back into the picture

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A decent enough example of the style, but I would prefer it if the flavors were a bit bolder and the ABV were a bit higher and more befitting the style
Jan 12, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by schwee from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2012
Photo of Stinkypuss
Reviewed by Stinkypuss from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev +36.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Paul's Bitter Holiday
Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

Pours a clear copper, with a yellowish soapy head. Aroma is full of raisin bread, toffee and butterscotch. There is a small hint of flowery hops in the smell as well. In the taste, more toffee and caramel with a very well done bitterness. Earthy, tea like, leafy bitters indicating more than likely that the Fuggles hop is employed. Mellow toasted malts, nutty flavor, and more butterscotch. Hop and bread notes follow, along with plenty of bitterness. Mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisply carbonated. Overall, this is a well made English style ESB, and I can dig it, especially as a session beer.
Jan 10, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by Mscarpen from Tennessee

Dec 29, 2011
 
Rated: 2.5 by Stigs from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2011
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Reviewed by WVbeergeek from West Virginia

4/5  rDev +26.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appears a deep copper color with a light khaki head forming, dwindles rather quickly leaves behind speckled lacing as it fades away. Aroma has mild fruity hops a touch of citrus with a nice caramel cereal grain based aroma, maybe a touch of metallic hard water and earthiness from the yeast. This beer would be beautiful on a cask system, I hope Piper's got this in that format. Flavor is pretty balanced, a touch of earthy fruity hops with some semi sweet caramel breadiness, a simple low alcohol true session ale weighing in at 4% abv. Don't expect the most extreme beer you've ever tried. Mellow carbonation, sips fine and easy nothing harsh or too exciting about this beer. Sessionability is high and there's enough flavors to kee it interesting to drink at least one growler of.
Dec 21, 2011
Photo of VncentLIFE
Reviewed by VncentLIFE from North Carolina

3.13/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On tap at milltown in Carrboro.

Beer looks translucent orange, with strong yellow presence. Small head fed by a constant stream of tiny bubbles.

Smell is rather iffy. I smell alot of corn. Sweet, like corn syrup. Odd, but here we go.

Taste is very balanced. The corn isn't as big as the nose leads you to believe, there is an earthy slightly metallicfeeling. The bitterness is more grounded, but still there. Light body, but the astringent twang isn't for me. The astringet feeling is almost medicinal.
Dec 20, 2011
Photo of tdm168
Reviewed by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

3.06/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap at Sawmill Tap Room 12/17/11

Pours a dark copper-amber with a quarter inch of white, foamy head that has great retention. This smells like a lot of toasted malt and burnt toast. The taste is also very toasty with faint caramel notes in the finish. This is a medium bodied beer that's well carbonated.

Ultimately, this is drinkable, but it's one dimensional and in my opinion a little boring. I was glad to try it though.
Dec 18, 2011
Paul's Bitter Holiday from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 79 out of 100 with 12 ratings