When I was first introduced to beer, my tastes immediately gravitated towards typical Brown Ales like Newcastle. There was something about all of those complex flavors that I loved. Soon after my love for Newcastle developed, I began exploring the world of dark ales altogether, including high gravity brews.
At the time, I’m not sure if I enjoyed most of the high gravity beers I had drank because of their flavor, or because of the buzz they gave me. Slowly but surely, I grew up a little bit. My tastes evolved and I am for the most part, an IPA, the more hops the better kinda guy.
So why am I writing about a Brown Ale that I apparently have strayed away from? Simple. The Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale has balls. 
The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery is a small microbrewery located in Farmville, North Carolina. They are the “dark beer specialists” and thank God for ’em! It was their quirky name and logo that grabbed my attention at first. Then I saw underneath the Brown Ale label, “hoppy and beautifully bitter.” That sparked my curiosity even further. The icing on the cake for me was that it was a beer brewed in the South. North Carolina has been doing a great job at producing quality craft beers recently and I had to try this supposedly hoppy ale.
Though a duck-rabbit would be a terribly awkward creature, there was nothing awkward about this brew. It had an authentic taste to it. There were the sweet tastes that come from a brown ale mixed with the bitter from a hoppy brew. The marriage of the two styles worked perfectly. It wasn’t a Brown IPA, but it had just enough kick to satisfy my taste buds. Duck-Rabbit’s Brown Ale isn’t overly complex, which I love. Some beers seem to lose themselves in adding more flavors just to be different. This beer stays true, while adding a bit of a twist of hops and spices. Grab a six pack for yourself or a pint at the pub.
I have found The Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale in a couple of places around Atlanta. I strongly suggest you find your first pint glass at Rosebud in Virginia Highlands and enjoy it with the Coffee Braised Lamb Shank.
Cheers.
Have you ever had a dark beer from The Duck-Rabbit? Have you visited their brewery in North Carolina? Drop a line and leave a comment!
