Beer: Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter
Brewery Location: Farmville, NC
Beer Style: Baltic Porter
Serving Style: Bottle
ABV: 9.0%
I've written about this beer a couple of times, but I have never actually reviewed it. I reviewed another offering from Duck-Rabbit a few months back, and this is the beer that I recommended for Winston Churchill in a dinner and beer pairing.
I enjoyed this so much the last time that I had it I wanted to trade for some. The great thing about being in Indiana is that there are many local breweries that people from around the country want and are ready to trade for them.
Despite being called a Baltic porter this beer style is an English creation. It was originally an ale, but the Baltic states and Scandinavian countries that brewed this started using lager yeast, and from what I understand most Baltic porters are brewed using bottom fermenting lager yeast.
This beer pours a nearly black hue with brown highlights when held up to the light. A very small light mocha head quickly dissipated and left a small blanket of head. The scent is big and malty with highlights of brown sugar, dark chocolate, and rum soaked dark fruits (plums and raisins). I think this smells more like a Russian Imperial stout than a porter, but that doesn't bother me at all. The taste is heavy on roasted grain and bitter chocolate. Secondary in the flavor profile are tastes of coffee, toffee, and dark fruits. This is a damn well crafted beer. The mouthfeel is so very smooth and full bodied with the alcohol very well hidden. The drink ability is very good on this for several beers.
This is one of my favorite Baltic porters. I wish I had more access to this beer instead of always trading for it, but I will take what I can get. There is a big influence from Russian Imperial stouts on this beer, but it comes in a little smoother and a little less heavy than its big brother. Fantastic beer if you get your hands on this one.
Cheers!
Matt
1 comment:
Yeah, I liked this beer as well, thanks for the comp, Matt. Also, being something of a newbie, good to know that the fact that the Duck-Rabbit didn't have much of a head was not necessarily due to a poor pour. I also dig the artwork; very minimalistic, like something you or I could create with Microsoft Paint. I will say that after the beer got to about room temperature it was kind of gross...probably less the beer's fault than mine (what's the recommended amount of time to drink a 12 oz. beer?), but I feel, and I know Phil Collins agrees with me, that both sides of the story are important. Later! Look forward to more free beers for favors.
Post a Comment