The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

Buck-rabbit describes this one as a traditional full-bodied milk stout with the sweetness to contrast with the sharpness of the roasted grains.  This one comes in at 5.7% ABV.  The beer pours a nice dark brown, almost black.  No appreciable head forms.  So far it looks like a stout.  The sharp grains definitely come through on the nose.  Carbonation is healthy and on par with a 5.7% beer.  The sweetness is noticeable and a very nice touch but the roasted grains are the star of this beer.  They impart a lively taste to the beer that just begs for a second and third taste.  It took a while before I was able to discern any hints of the earthy flavors of any hops.  The flavor is best described as coffee flavors and could be completely unattributed to any hops.  This beer has a bright finish that seems to be common in North Carolina beers.  The smokey flavors of the grains are very well balanced in this beer.  I very much enjoyed the balance in this beer.  It it very drinkable and the whole experience entirely enjoyable. This could serve as an excellent introduction to the style.  Milk stouts can be a difficult beer to brew as so many seem to get it wrong.  This one gets it right.  Give this one a try if you have not yet.

Took a Little Trip

So this week I took a trip and decided to check out a new craft beer store.  I found a couple of beers from some North Carolina Breweries that I have been wanting to try.  In keeping with my winter trend I found a couple of beers brewed with toasted grains.  The first is The Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout.  This one is described as a more or less traditional stout that balances the sweetness with the toasted grains.  The second is the Mystery Brewing Company Annabel Black Saison.  This one is described as a dry, black saison with notes of fruit, chocolate molasses and peppercorn.  These beers are not regularly on hand at the local craft beer store so these are exciting finds.
Visiting this store has also inspired me to start a section of the blog dedicated to the craft beer stores that get it right.  The one we visited this weekend did it well.  They had great selection of home brew supplies, large refrigerators where they kept ALL their beer.  It was nice to see more sellers taking craft beer seriously.