Baltic Porter
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

Baltic PorterBaltic Porter
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From:
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
Baltic Porter
Ranked #62
ABV:
9%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,431
Avg:
4.07 | pDev: 11.3%
Reviews:
500
Ratings:
940
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 11, 2024
Added:
Aug 10, 2006
Wants:
  178
Gots:
  107
The Duck-Rabbit Baltic Porter is deep, rich and velvety soft. A full blooded roasty character with almost no burnt flavor is balanced by complex alcohol notes. Strong (9% alcohol by volume) yet unfailingly subtle, this special brew rewards unhurried attention. Enjoy!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by biboergosum:
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

4.02/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz bottle, day 16 of the Craft Beer Advent Calendar - glad am I to be able to try these sought-after brews from the south-eastern US, especially this one!

This beer pours a rather solid black abyss, with the scantest of basal mahogany edges, and one finger of puffy, loosely foamy, and mildly creamy brown head, which leaves but a few strands of dotted mitochondrial lace around the glass as it quickly blows off.

It smells of bready, grainy caramel malt, rich bittersweet chocolate, reduced brown sugar, a touch of those Scandinavian anise candies, cafe-au-lait, an indistinct dark fruitiness, and a wee hint of metallic alcohol warming. The taste is softly grainy and roasted caramel malt, subtle toffee, cherry and raisin-infused medium dark chocolate, muddled coffee grounds, a suggestion of soured milk, stale brown sugar, ethereal black licorice root, and a relatively respectful dose of booze astringency.

The bubbles are pretty weak in their tamped-down frothiness, the body a decent medium-heavy weight, and generally smooth, only a bit of wayward alcohol heat picking away at my palate here. It finishes off-dry, but not by all that much, as the cocoa, licorice, and coffee have a sort of collective placating effect.

Well, I gotta say, this is pretty damned good, but not the game-changer or eye-opener that it might have been if I'd come into it a number of years ago. Anyways, very worthy, especially as a spreader of this somewhat esoteric style across the near deep American south, I'd imagine.
Dec 16, 2015
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.28 by SeanP99 from North Carolina

Jan 11, 2024
Photo of VABA
Reviewed by VABA from Virginia

4.07/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Pours a very dark opaque color with a slight head and lacing
Aroma has caramel and molasses hints
The taste has caramel and molasses flavors
A medium bodied moderately carbonated beer
A good Baltic Porter
Apr 08, 2023
 
Rated: 5 by Greg_Eans from Kentucky

Jul 29, 2022
Photo of LesDewitt4beer
Reviewed by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

4.44/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
12oz bottle best before date Aug 2022 into a 12oz glass.
L: Pours darkest brown w/a 3/4" creamy med-dark tan head w/good retention, no visible carbonation, moderate sheeting and lacing.
S: Molasses, dark rum, cherry, dark roasted malts, char, root beer, leather.
T: Taste follows nose exactly and includes chocolate, dates, rose water, mahogany, light smokiness, very woody w/an extremely long mellow citrus bitter finish that lingers on & on.
F: Robust, creamy, full bodied tawny mouth feel with an incredibly long linger that goes wide. Quite drying and firm at first then smooths over time.
O: A divine Baltic Porter. Earthy with a rather large taste that is warming in the chest. No taste or smell of alcohol. It is outstanding in it's style.
Jun 16, 2022
Photo of Singlefinpin
Reviewed by Singlefinpin from North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5
Drinking this at one of my favorite tap rooms, Tapped Craft and Drafts.
Poured from a tap into a pint glass.
Looks dark brown almost black with a nice foamy tannish head that lasted.
Smells malty, sweet, chocolate, vanilla,
Taste follows the nose nicely and the high ABV not really detectable.
Mouth feel is medium plus for the style with a nice creamy finish.
Overall a very nice example of the style that I would definitely order again.
Cheers!
Jan 13, 2022
Photo of tone77
Reviewed by tone77 from Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a black color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is of chocolate, dark fruits. Taste is chocolate, cherries, molasses, a hint of alcohol. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a quality beer worth trying.
Dec 23, 2021
Photo of EnderFett11
Reviewed by EnderFett11 from Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured moderately hard from a bottle into a snifter glass, forming basically no head, which was a little surprising. Smell is almost raisin-like, kinda like it but not expected. Taste is an excellent baltic porter, malty and some fruit, kinda raisin/date like the smell. Light to medium bodied with very little carbonation. Simple but tasty!
May 03, 2021
Photo of oldmankoch
Reviewed by oldmankoch from Tennessee

4.19/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Extremely delicious, especially as it begins to warm. Lots to love with this beer as it's akin to a classic British Porter but pumped up. I'm picking it up on cinnamon, nutmeg, smoke, chocolate, coffee, cherry nyquil and a touch of earth & classic c-hop.
Apr 19, 2021
 
Rated: 4.55 by Hoptometrist from Ohio

Apr 01, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Maillard from Ohio

Mar 13, 2021
Photo of freshwater_drum
Reviewed by freshwater_drum from Ohio

2.76/5  rDev -32.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Does anyone else taste fish in this? Maybe I got a bad batch, but this tastes like it was mashed with sardines. Almost threw it out, but just can't bring myself to do that. I was looking forward to it, but there's no way I can get this a good review.
Feb 23, 2021
Photo of trevormajor
Reviewed by trevormajor from Ohio

4.38/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
5 oz pour at The Daily Growler Columbus:
L - dark, Head dissipated quickly
S - malt, notes of molasses and caramel
T - deep and full of malt, molasses, caramel and cocoa
F - dry with minimal carbonation and a full mouthfeel
O- great porter, full bodied and balanced
Oct 08, 2020
Photo of schoolboy
Reviewed by schoolboy from Ohio

3.64/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
It's been a little while since I've had a Baltic Porter. It's a style that is supposed to be pretty funky, but I've had some great ones. This one is close but not quite what I would hope for in my old world blackness.

It pours really nice, with a big head that simmers down to a light fizz. The aroma is a weird kind of dirty. Nasty odd hops tastes plus funky yeast and malt. The taste takes that a step further, with a funky aftertaste too.

Not recommended. Seek other examples of the style. My sample could have been old - it tasted it - but the label markings did not indicate anything.

PS - A later sample (I can't believe I got sold another of these) showed that it is better to drink a bit colder than I had that first one. It is just too nasty otherwise.
May 24, 2020
 
Rated: 3.59 by Jcarriglio from Florida

Apr 25, 2020
 
Rated: 4.61 by rangerred from Tennessee

Apr 02, 2020
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

4.14/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Khaki head left nice lacing. Aroma of roasted malts complimented the dark fruit, raisins and raspberries. Flavors of bittersweet chocolate, tobacco and a touch of coffee. Alcohol is enhancing, not overpowering.
Mar 30, 2020
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.8/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
If it's dark it's Duck Rabbit. And keeping the traditional beer of the Baltic region alive, the brewery gives the Baltic Porter style a go.

Very dark, bark-brown, their simply named Baltic Porter pours with a slightly muddled appearance before crowning with a dense sepia cap. Its scent of toasted sweetness, dark fruit, cream and coffee comes with hints of chocolate, cola nut and vinous tartness. Stern sweetness of caramel and toffee glides onto the early palate with an earthy richness of sorghum.

The finer nuances of the porter open up on the middle palate, leading with chocolate, nuttiness and coffee. Medium in their intensity, the smoothness of the beer allows for the fruitier elements of red grape, raisin, dates and currant to add a pep of brightness that leads to a wine-like tartness with hints of pepper, peat and smoke for added complexity late on the palate.

Full bodied yet smooth and quite unassuming in finish, the stronger porter veers from the toasted intensity of standard porter and favoring a slightly more British stock ale character in a fruity, mulled spice aftertaste. A not-so-subtle measure of astringency plaques the finish to draw the beer's only true flaw.
Feb 18, 2020
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

4.1/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This decent little baltic
pours a deep brownish black with a thin cola highlight and a
nice head of dissipating foam that settles to a thin ring and light
dusty layer. Nose of cocoa, dark fruit notes of blackberry and
cherry, dark molasses, and light herbal notes. Flavors surpass
the nose with dark cocoa, subtle coffee, black berry, dark cherry,
raisin, and dark breaded notes with subtle herbal hops. Nice mouth
feel; medium full body, smooth, light carbonation, and a rich
cocoa and roasted malt finish that is faintly dry.

Overall, a solid little brew

Cheers
Feb 02, 2020
Photo of bluejacket74
Reviewed by bluejacket74 from Ohio

4.11/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
12 ounce bottle, label notches say best enjoyed by 1/21. Thanks to Brutaltruth for this one! Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both decent enough. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like roasted malt, dark fruit (plum, raisin), cocoa and coffee. Taste is similar to the aroma, but there's also some dark bread, molasses, cherry and herbal flavors noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's slick and smooth with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a good Baltic Porter, certainly worth trying. I know I'd drink this again given the chance!
Jan 31, 2020
Baltic Porter from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 940 ratings