Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator Doppelbock

Another beer I received at a beer pairing dinner at The Black Gryphon in Elizabethtown was the Duck-Rabbit Duck-Rabbator Doppelbock. The beer pours a dark amber/brown color with a thin bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists of caramel, raisin, fig, malt, grass. The taste is bold with burnt caramel, toasted toffee, and raisin. The finish has a dry malt flavor with some grass and pepper accents. The alcohol content is 8.5% ABV. This had some great flavors associated with it, and it was balanced quite exceptionally well. There was just enough spices to dull down the powerful sweetness in the beer, and it was more than enjoyable to drink.

Duck-Rabbit Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale

Another beer I ordered while at Fat Head’s in Pittsburgh was Duck-Rabbit Hoppy Bunny American Black Ale. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head, similar to the appearance of all of the Duck-Rabbit beers. The aroma consists of lemon, pine, chocolate, toasted malts, and tangerine. The taste has a strong roasted malt presence with chocolate, coffee, pine, and spruce accents. Lemon and tangerine appear on finish. The alcohol content is 7.3% ABV. This was a bold and delicious beer, and I was more than impressed with this new offering from Duck-Rabbit. Now only if they would update their website...

Olde Hickory-Foothills-Duck Rabbit Olde Rabbit's Foot

I received a bottle of the Olde Hickory/Foothills/Duck Rabbit collaboration Olde Rabbit’s Foot from the Beer Club 4 Men in a beer trade. The beer pours a black color with a thin bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate, vanilla, and bourbon. The taste is smooth but has a dry alcohol bite. Roasted malts come out before dry chocolate nibs dry out the mouth. A light honey accent, hints of alcohol, and oak are present in the finish, rounding out the flavor. The alcohol content is 10.13% ABV. This was a well crafted beer with delicate balance that was much appreciated. It was as if all the flavors were holding hands in harmony rather than fighting to get the attention of my tongue.

Duck-Rabbit Marzen

My buddy Matt picked up a growler of Duck-Rabbit (worst brewery website I know of) Marzen for us all to share. The beer pours an amber color with a frothy off-white colored head. The aroma is malty and has some grassy hops and caramel accents as well. The taste is also malty with caramel and a spicy pepper accent with some grassy hops. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would assume it to be approximately 5.0% ABV. Duck-Rabbit has crafted an excellent marzen with plenty of enjoyable spices providing an all-around enjoyable experience.

Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout

I picked up a bottle of Duck-Rabbit Rabid Duck Russian Imperial Stout from Pinocchio's in Media, PA. The beer pours a black color with a lofty foamy tan head that has a good lacing on the glass. The aroma is filled with chocolate, coffee, and roasted toffee. The taste is very chocolaty with a strong espresso presence and a smooth roasted malt finish. The aftertaste is milky and smooth as well. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. The Rabid Duck was an ideal Russian Imperial Stout. The chocolate and espresso flavors were overwhelmingly amazing and really danced across my tongue.

Harrisburg Brewers Fest 2010

I attended Harrisburg Brewers Fest 2010, hosted by Troegs and for the benefit of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It was an extremely hot day, but cold beers definitely helped the situation. Below are my tasting notes and pictures of the beers to accompany. Keep in mind that with smaller samples and an expedited schedule, my tasting notes a bit more brief than normal. If I get the chance to review these beers again, I will expand on them.

Bullfrog Fran-tastique Saison- The beer pours a cloudy yellow color. The aroma consists of wheat and lemon. The taste follows the aroma with lemon and wheat and nice slight hop bite. The alcohol content is 7.5% ABV. I thought overall that this was a very good saison that was clean and refreshing

Duck-Rabbit Marzen- The beer pours a nice amber color. The aroma is very malty with a slight sour hint. The taste is smooth and malty with great sour hops finishing off the flavor. The alcohol content is not available online.

Smuttynose Barleywine- The beer pours a golden amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is malty with a light citrus zest. The taste is malty and bitey (great hops included) with caramel and some orange and spice accents. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was a great barleywine and I would like to get an entire bottle of it rather than just a taste.

21st Amendment Brew Free or Die IPA- The beer pours a clear yellow color with a bubbly white head. There is a lemon aroma that is pretty faint. The taste is mostly lemon with some light pepper accents. The alcohol content is 7.0% ABV. I thought that this was a tame IPA, making it great to an IPA newbie, but still pretty good and easy drinking.

Market Cross Pub Red Ale- This beer was the winner of the home brew contest that Market Cross held previous to Brewer's Fest and it was available on hand pump. The beer pours an orange amber color with a bubbly white head. There is a nice malty aroma. The taste is malty, smooth, and creamy. There is no alcohol content available online. I thought that the Red Ale was delicious and one of my favorites, if not my favorite, beer of the day.

Erie Presque Isle Pilsner- The beer pours a yellow color with a bubbly white head. There is minimal aroma. The taste is sweet and wheat and overall light bodied. The alcohol content is 4.2% ABV. I thought that this pilsner was pretty decent but not mind blowing. I would definitely order this beer again for its easy drinking on a hot day.

Swashbuckler Mocha Stout- The beer pours a dark black color with a tan bubbly head. The aroma is coffee and chocolate with a bit of cream. The taste is coffee and cream with some good chocolate taste holding together the backbone. There is no alcohol content available online. This beer was excellent and smooth and made my list of great beers for the day. I would make this my second favorite beer of the day behind the Red Ale of Market Cross.

Otto's Pilsner- The beer pours a clear yellow color with a thick bubbly head. The aroma is filled with sour malts. The taste is malty and crisp with a good helping of sour hops. The alcohol content is 5.1% ABV. This pilsner was very refreshing and again is a great choice for a hot summer day.

Weyerbacher Double Simcoe- The beer pours a reddish amber color with a bubbly foamy white head. The aroma is filled with grapefruit, just the way I like my IPAs. The taste is really well balanced with caramel and grapefruit and a sweet sugary finish. The alcohol content is 9%. The Double Simcoe was an extremely delicious beer and I plan on tracking this beer down for home consumption.

Flying Dog Woody Crick White- The beer pours a yellow color and cloudy with a bubbly white head. The aroma is filled with wheat and light hints of lemon. The taste is lemon and wheat. The alcohol content is 4.8% ABV. I thought that this witbier was really good but might have been slightly over-carbonated. However, this is less intrusive on a hot day as the beer is very refreshing.

New Holland El Mole Ocho- The beer pours a dark amber color. There is a chocolate and sour hop aroma. The taste is filled with chili and coffee, but in a great balance. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I was very surprised as to how good this beer was. It was my first experience with a spiced beer and I really enjoyed it.

Thirsty Dog Siberian Night- The beer pours a dark brown color with a tan bubbly head. The aroma consists of coffee, chocolate, and oak. The taste is the same as the aroma, mostly with the coffee and the chocolate. The oak provides a nice finishing touch. The alcohol content is 9.5% ABV. Overall, this beer is very delicious and I enjoyed the oak accents.

Marzoni's Avalanche IPA- The beer pours a dark amber color which was very surprising with a bubbly head. The aroma is filled with grapefruit. The taste consists of toasted malts and grapefruit. The alcohol content is 6.9% ABV. Overall, a decent IPA, as it contained a great bit of grapefruit flavors and the toasted malts gave an interesting but pleasing balance.

Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale

Another beer that was in the Duck-Rabbit sampler pack was the Amber Ale. The beer pours a golden-amber color with a lofty foamy white head. The aroma consists of caramel malts with sour hops and a hint of orange citrus. The taste is malty and sweet, with caramel providing the backbone. The beer finishes with a sour hop taste with bits of yeast on the outside of the tongue. The alcohol content is 5.5% ABV. Duck-Rabbit has provided a solid performer in the Amber Ale category. It was overdone, but also not too experimental. Either way, I'll still drink it again and enjoy it a lot.

Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale

As part of the variety pack that my friend Jeff brought to my Memorial Day picnic was the Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale. The beer pours a reddish-brown color with a lofty foamy off-white colored head. The aroma is malty, and smells like Cheerios and molasses. The taste is malty and bitter, mostly due to sour and bitter hops. There is also a bit of nuttiness in the taste. The alcohol content is 5.6% ABV. I thought that this was a well balanced and enjoyable Brown Ale. It may finish a little dryer than expected, but it did not hinder the experience.

Duck-Rabbit Porter

My friend Jeff brought the variety pack from Duck-Rabbit to my Memorial Day cookout. One of the beers in the pack was the Porter. The beer pours a deep dark brown color with a lofty bubbly tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate niblets and toasted malts. The taste is roasted malts and a hint of dry chocolate. There is plenty of oak flavors as well and a sweetness in the middle that likens to cherries. The alcohol content is 5.7% ABV. I thought this was a rather delicious porter with a great wood accent. The wood flavor helped dry out the beer on the finish, making a nice unique experience.

Duck Rabbit Milk Stout

McGrath's in Harrisburg recently picked up Duck Rabbit Milk Stout, so I decided to give it a try. The beer has a dark black color with a light tan head. The aroma consists of chocolate and toasted malts. The taste is plentiful of toasted malts with chocolate accent. The beer finishes smooth and creamy, The alcohol content is 5.7% ABV. I thought that the Milk Stout was an excellent tasting beer and was very smooth. There was plenty of flavors from the chocolate and toasted malts, making it more complex than anticipated.

Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale

I picked up a case of Duck-Rabbit Wee Heavy Scotch Style Ale. The beer has a copper color with a creamy white head. The smell is sweet and buttery with hints of toffee. The taste is heavy with alcohol, especially at first, and it is mostly comprised of malts with toffee accents. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. I thought that this was an amazing beer and very enjoyable. I've only had two Duck-Rabbit beers and have thoroughly enjoyed both of them. The Wee Heavy had such excellent flavors with no impurities that I highly recommend you try this beer.