Not long ago, I
was remarking upon the relative dearth of good porters in the South. I’m
still not sure why that is, since porter is an English style and of course
many of the southern states on the east coast (Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina) were all at one point English colonies. It could be that the
warmer weather here is less conducive to dark beer drinking, though I do see
more stouts than porters in the southeast.
Whatever the case, I was very happy when I discovered Charleston, South
Carolina’s Palmetto Porter . But now it seems that the other Carolina is in on the
porter act too, as not too long ago I found another local porter to warm the
cockles of my heart: Duck-Rabbit Porter from Farmeville, North
Carolina. Of course, North Carolina already had an entry with Highland
Brewing’s Oatmeal Porter , though the Duck Rabbit’s version is a bit more
traditional.
I concede the name of the brewery may be a bit unusual, but I explain it in
a bit more detail in my review of their Amber Ale (see link below) if you’re interested.
The people at Duck-Rabbit call themselves the dark beer specialists, so it
only makes sense that they would offer up a porter. Other beers in their
lineup include a milk stout, an imperial stout, a barleywine, and brown ale.
This is a rather small operation, so you’ll only find their beers in a few
states. About a year ago I managed to get them in South Carolina, but now
they’re being sold in Georgia, too. I’ve seen them in Tennessee, too.
Duck-Rabbit Porter pours to a dark brownish black color (not
completely opaque) with a very thick head of tightly packed bubbles and a
roasty malty, grassy hoppy nose. The body seems a little thinner than I
would like here; a little more texture wouldn’t make this a stout
necessarily, as I fear some brewers these days think.
After that, though, things get better: there’s a lot of roasty espresso
character here along with some bittersweet chocolate, a hint of ripe fruit,
and some herbal hop aroma that becomes a little bitter in the finish.
There’s some roasty, slightly astringent bitterness in the finish, too.
Definitely a robust porter by flavor, and all in all a very nice effort.
Comparing it to the Palmetto Porter, I think I prefer South Carolina’s
porter to North Carolina’s. That said, Duck-Rabbit Porter is still a worthy
brew, and one well worth trying if you see it.
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.