Paul's Day Off
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

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From:
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American Strong Ale
ABV:
9%
Score:
96
Avg:
4.42 | pDev: 7.69%
Reviews:
33
Ratings:
40
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jun 12, 2014
Added:
Mar 21, 2009
Wants:
  13
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by hopdog:
Photo of hopdog
Reviewed by hopdog from Pennsylvania

4.42/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
On tap at Capone's.

Poured a deep brown color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of roastiness, chocolate, some dark fruits, some woodiness, vanilla, and toasty. Tastes of roast, chocolate, caramel, toasted nuts, woodiness, vanilla, and toffee
May 05, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by DrFunkenstein from Pennsylvania

Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by gregory12 from Connecticut

Apr 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by jophish17 from Georgia

Dec 04, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by EasyReader from North Carolina

Nov 16, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by oline73 from Maryland

Nov 16, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by aerozeppl from New York

Nov 15, 2011
 
Rated: 5 by eerbayman from South Carolina

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of kkipple
Reviewed by kkipple from South Carolina

4.17/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Well hot-diggity-dang, Paul's Day Off was the kick-off brew at the legendary Brick Store 12th Anniversary. Super glad to try this one. From notes:

A. Long lasting and short lacy head. Paul's Day Off is clear, and brown-red, and dense. Kewl.

S. Big barrel notes, oak, char, bourbon-butter and all the fixin's. The beer is otherwise sweet smelling, with rich roasted malt and coffee notes and it all comes together quite nicely. Bourbon lovers (me) will love the nose on this.

T. Rich in flavor, but thin bodied. The barrel dominates. Sweet, roasty, hints of molasses and hop bitterness. Definite oak. Bourbon is BIG and it is slightly warming. Finish is warming with some bitter roasty malt and woodsy notes. Nice, but a bit young tasting. Nothing much else wrong here.

M / D. Thinnish mouthfeel is a bit disappointing, decent carbonation off the tap, the barrel seems to have dried the whole experience out and given it a shot o' booze in the mix... easy to drink and tasty, but ya gotta like woody things. Quite drinkable for 9% considering what it is.

One of the best Duck Rabbit beers I've had the pleasure of trying, Paul's day off is a big brash bourbon-y brown ale done right and it is good! I hope Paul takes more days off, 'cause this was a solid and tasty beer.
Jul 04, 2010
Photo of Deuane
Reviewed by Deuane from Pennsylvania

4.3/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
A-Deep, black/brown with a thin tan head that hung on strong and left thick, coating lace.

S-Deep, rich roasted malt, caramel, toffee, bitter chocolate and spicy hops with a touch of sweet whiskey in the background.

T-Rich and roasty with a spicy hop finish. Alcohol heat pokes its head in at the end. Light whiskey notes along with some bitter chocolate and some sweet toffee.

M-Medium to medium-heavy bodied. Rich and full flavoured with a luscious smoothness and a building dry finish.

D-I think Paul needs to take some more days off! A very tasty and enjoyable brew that is full of flavour!
Mar 26, 2010
Photo of chaz410
Reviewed by chaz410 from North Carolina

4.71/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
This is one of the best beers and definitely the biggest surprise of this past year.
Got this beer twice at the Common Market in Charlotte NC, once when it first came out and tonight, 8 months later.
This beer pours much like any typical stout. A dark black body but with a clean consistancy. Thin white head comes atop the body.
Smell is wonderfull! A thick belgian aromatic flavor, full of funky wheat sweetness with hints of caramel and cocoa. There is also a heavy load of sweet hops in the nose, in the later version, this is more subtle but the chocolate and mocha notes stand out more.
The taste is unlike any other beer. There is a huge punch of crisp and extremely clean cocoa and dark belgian malts. Lots of caramel and munich malt flavors, blended through a slight bit of coffee and sweet mocha. It's not sweet like a stout, but like a strong belgian but with the dark malts used in a stout. In the older version, the hops are more texture and the bitterness is more subdued but very obvious in the young age.
Mouthfeel is extremely clean and crisp, not thick and foamy like it appears.
Will age well and is very easy to drink, hard to drink just one!
Nov 29, 2009
Photo of thequeen711
Reviewed by thequeen711 from Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is probably the best offering from Duck Rabbit. The nose of this dark chocolate brew is an exquisite aroma of flavours...woodsy, roasted malts, fruity sweetness, and a hint of bourbon barrel aging... There is not just one well defined flavour, you get a mouthful of everything. Definitely a sipper, savour this moment, savour the sip...because there's not much around!!
Aug 19, 2009
Photo of Georgiabeer
Reviewed by Georgiabeer from Georgia

4.23/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Had this on-tap at the 12th anniversary celebrationj at the Brick Store Pub's 12th anniversary celebration. I was highly anticipating this beer, and I mostly thought it was what I was waiting for. 10oz pour into a snifter. Poured a dark brown with a fairly good head that eventually faded to a thin ring and left some nice lacing. Smells very austere and woody and very, very dry with some wood and banana notes playing against one another, Definitely less lush than I was expecting in the aroma. Tastes similar, that is austere and very dry and quite woody with very firm but restrained malt. Reminds me of a dry, light, austere scotch like Clynelish a bit. These impressions carry through in the mouthfeel as well, This one is a sipper forsure. Not heavy or brooding, more contemplative.
Aug 01, 2009
Photo of Bung
Reviewed by Bung from Michigan

4.23/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Draft at Revolution Pizza Charlotte NC. Very nice almost black pour into a snifter. Good sized tan head. Roasty aromas, malt, light coffee and nut. Some toffee, tea and barrel like aroma. Taste is a very smooth blend of roast malt, tea, tobacco, smokey oak, some molasses. Finish has most of the barrel qualities though they are subtle. Mouthfeel is not nearly as thick as the appearance would leave to believe, but still very filling. Drinkability is good in that the alcohol is well hidden, but this is a sipper and it would be an effort to have more than a couple of these.
As a side note, the American Strong Ale does not have to have a huge hop presence, that's what IPAs should be for.
Jul 27, 2009
Photo of gford217
Reviewed by gford217 from Georgia

4.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
On tap during the final day of the Brick Store 12th Anniversary festivities.

Pours a deep chocolate brown with light only showing through at the edges. There's a big, creamy tan head that shows excellent retention and lacing.

The aroma doesn't mess around and has all kind of things going on. There first thing I got in the nose was the bourbon which I could smell from pretty far away. As I got closer, the next wave of aromas is the citrus and floral hops, and finally the huge caramel malt and dark fruit sweetness. Big, bold, but fairly well integrated nose.

The taste is big and probably bigger on the sweetness and bourbon than the hops. The toasted caramel malts form a backbone with lots of sugar-coated fruit on top. The finish is very boozy with plenty of oaky tannins.

The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied and well-carbonated.

This was one of my favorites of the day and had plenty of bourbon presence. A bigger hop presence in the taste could have put this one over the top, but it's still one of the best beers I've tasted from Duck-Rabbit.
Jul 17, 2009
Photo of shivtim
Reviewed by shivtim from Georgia

4.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Had this on my day off, at the Brick Store's 12th Anniversary shindig. It was one of my favorites I tried that day.

Deep black/brown, with a big thick khaki head. Looks fantastic. Nose is beautiful gentle chocolate malts, and a heavy dose of oak. Spicy rich toasty malt flavors. Decent hops come through. Complicated and nice.

Taste is lots of wood/oak. Heavy tannins. Nice aged bourbon and coffee flavors, slight vanilla, strong dry hop leaves. More wood on warming.

Very creamy, full mouthfeel. Pretty drinkable. Harmony of interwoven complex flavors!
Jul 09, 2009
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

4.27/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Appearance: Very dark brown, near black body with a half inch of light tan-colored foam on top.

Smell: A true bounty of dark malts and pungent hops and a full-on bourbon barrel notes. Loads of chocolate, deeply scorched grains, roasty coffee, citrus, and bourbon (oh, the bourbon!).

Taste: Roasty, blackened malts with full tastes of bittersweet chocolate, licorice root, and coffee-flavored ice cream. There's a bold sweetness without too much sweetness, you know. Light touch of dark fruitiness. Citrusy, earthy hops, and, along with the roasted malts, provide a moderate amount of balancing bitterness. Fair amount of vanilla-infused oak. Finishes dry and bitter with some enduring hints of spicy resin and black malts.

Mouthfeel: Medium-plus body. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: Flavorful and loaded with rich, malty nuances and hop complexities, to say nothing of the fine barrel-aging. At times I was reminded of Avery Fourteen and New Holland's Dragons Milk, though, having said that, I'll take this over them. A very pleasing brew and a fine way to kick off the Brick Store Pub's Anniversary Event! Paul needs to step out of the office more often.
Jul 03, 2009
Photo of PEBKAC
Reviewed by PEBKAC from North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Liter-sized growler shared on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Queens. Thanks for the sheets Paul. :P Spastically poured into my now famous Yard's mug.

A deep dark brown cup of mud with a touch of coffee creamer head.

Nose is of floral hops & melon-like fruit, with some sugar & milk chocolate as well.

Building on the smell(though not in the same proportions), more citrus, golden raisins & bitter chocolate. Wood chips. Glazed & bready, with a minor annoyance of coffee. Plenty of pine on the finish.

Grainy, slightly powdery feel. Iffy carbonation, but some heft to lean on.

Such a mish-mash, I'm surprised that I enjoyed it so much. I really came in wanting to wail on it. :)
Jun 03, 2009
Photo of scifan
Reviewed by scifan from North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Served in a standard pint glass at City Beverage.
Pours jet black with a light brown head that leaves nice lacing as you sip your way through this masterpiece of brewing.
Smelled really nice, the first thing that hits you is the bourbon. It's there but not too overpowering but its the most noticeable. Also some nice roasted barley, and chocolate malts in there as well, and a hint of vanilla.
Taste as good as it smelled maybe even a little better. Again the bourbon comes through strongly again, but also some more complexity, as I picked up the vanilla, and licorice as well. those flavors blended very will with the roasty chocolatey flavors quite nicely.
Feels nice and creamy and coats the tongue like a warm blanket.
Definitely could only handle one of these babies though I did think it was a touch "hot" from all that bourbon but all in all this is definitely best beer I've had from Duck Rabbit.
May 15, 2009
Photo of porterwoobie
Reviewed by porterwoobie from North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Served from tap into a standard pint glass.

A: dark, black

Smell: definitely the bourbon hits the nose first, but also can smell the roasted malts and some chocolate

Taste: very bold, complex. you get some maltiness, roasted flavors, bourbon, alcohol, and some hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel: full bodied, thick, very good.

Drinkability: very good sipping beer. 1-2 would be plenty. very enjoyable brew, probably my favorite so far from Duck Rabbit.
May 13, 2009
Paul's Day Off from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 96 out of 100 with 40 ratings