OK, you ask,
just what the blazes is a duck-rabbit anyway? The obvious answer here is a
brewery, a brewery in Farmville, North Carolina to be precise. Actually,
it’s a pretty darned good one, too. Of course, that brewery had to be named
for something, right? Which brings us right back to where we started: just
what the blazes is a duck-rabbit anyway?
You see, Duck-Rabbit founder Paul Philippon used to teach philosophy at
university before he decided instead to focus on that most philosophical of
beverages, beer. Paul is an admirer of German philosopher Ludwig
Wittgenstein, who pondered on the image of the duck-rabbit, which you can
see on the brewery’s website. It’s the duality of the image that’s key; if
you look at it one way, it looks like a rabbit, from the opposite
perspective, it looks like a duck.
There. Now you know. Duck-Rabbit bills itself (hope you got the pun) as “The
Dark Beer Specialists”, and they do indeed make a number of dark brews. But
they also produce a fine Amber Ale as well, and that’s what I’m
sipping tonight. And that’s rather apropos, given that amber ale is a style
as ambiguous as the duck-rabbit itself. Don’t take my word for it: ask ten
different brewers and you’re liable to get ten different answers.
Usually, the style is malt-accented, somewhat similar to pale ale but
usually cleaner and made with a generous amount of caramel malt.
Duck-Rabbit’s version certainly has that malt character, though they use
plenty of hops here, too.
Duck Rabbit Amber Ale pours to a deep burnt amber color with a thick
and creamy head formation and a slightly herbal grassy hop nose. A sip
reveals just the right amount of body here, and as the beer warms in my
glass a firm and chewy caramel malt flavor reveals itself. It’s a little
nutty, a bit toasty, and maybe even a tad fruity if you really look for it.
Underneath it all is a very herbal, slightly tea-like and grassy hop aroma
that intensifies into the finish, where it becomes rather bitter and
balances nicely.
I like this one. It’s very tasty and eminently drinkable. Probably not my
favorite beer from Duck-Rabbit, but a solid one all the same. Why not try it
if you find yourself in North Carolina?
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For
reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.