Barrel Aged Cherry Baltic Porter
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery

 

 

Had on cask at Thirsty Monk part of Pint Night.

A: Solid black and thin, almost no head, ruby highlights. Looks like death.

S: Fruit. Cherry, plum, sourness. Nothing else.

T: Overbearing sour cherry and some other dark fruits. Comes with huge sour bite and sweet/tartness. Only the slightest underlying roastiness after the taste buds adjust to the shock.

M: Thick and soupy.

D: Way overpowered with the sour fruit. Balance is no where to be seen. Seems like an experiment gone wrong. Avoid.

Was at the Flying Saucer for their Anniversary party when they tapped this beer. Made specifically for the event and aged 1 year.

A: Pours a dark black brown color with little to no head (possibly from the delay in getting the beer). Has a very distinct purpleish hue to it.

S: The smell of cherries comes across right away. Slight bitter and malt background aromas.

T: Eh, the taste for this beer is very unique. I'm not a big fan of Sours and this beer is definitely a Sour. The sour cherries that were used provide a strong sour cherry flavor that, like the Terminator, doesnt sleep and doesnt rest until all you taste are cherries. The cherry flavor took a lot to get past, and the beer finishes with a slight, slight malty flavor. I wish the beer was balanced a little more to the malty flavor and a little less from the Sour cherries. It was definitely a bold move by Duck Rabbit, so I will give them credit for that.

M: Nice amount of chew to the beer. I was pleasantly surprised.

D: I wouldn't classify this as a drinkable beer. It has such a unique flavor that if it doesnt agree with you, then you might not be able to drink the whole glass. I managed to finish my glass, but definitely wasnt asking for a refill.

Overall: Overall Duck Rabbit went out on a limb and gambled with this one. It lives up to its promise of sour cherries. Unfortunately, the sour cherry flavor dominates everything around it and is so strong, I really couldnt get past it. I would have preferred a better balance with the malty aftertaste. Overall, I'm glad I was able to try it and I applaud Duck Rabbit for going out on a limb with this one.

One-off version of their Baltic Porter brewed exclusively for the Raleigh Flying Saucer in their Eagle Rare Bourbon Barrel with Michigan sour cherries. The beer was served in a standard pint glass a deep black with a nice lasting off-white head. Aroma was cherries in front of dark malts. The taste was loads of tart cherry sweetness with a malt backbone that tries to make itself noticeable. The beer is somewhat on the heavy side, but the sticky sweetness from the cherries dominates. This one was a bold experiment that turned out drinkable, but not as enjoyable I hoped it would when I heard about it.