Beer Review: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout

Reviewing the Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout from The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery out of North Carolina. I have been wanting to try some of their brews for a long time. In particular, I am still seeking a bottle of their Duck-Rabbit Rabbit Duck Russian Imperial Stout.
Score: 82

This beer was recently received as an extra in a trade. The "enjoy by" tab is notched for February 2012. Served in a Dogfish Head snifter and enjoyed on 03/02/12.

Appearance: Pours a jet black color. Totally opaque save for a super thin brown highlight atop the glass. Three full fingers of foamy mocha head at pour gradually settles into a third of a finger of creamy "whipped cream-like" mocha head. Average lacing, above average retention. 4/5

Smell: Chocolate malt, pear roasted barley, toasted oats, creamy oatmeal, used coffee filter, and a little bit of whole milk. Smells primarily like a dark Munich lager mixed with creamy oatmeal stout characteristics. Very grain-forward; too much so for a stout. 3/5

Taste: Super creamy milk chocolate throughout, which decreases in relative presence as the beer warms and layers. Bitter grain, a touch of spice, and barley malt upfront and on the midpalate. A subtle bitterness lingers throughout the whole beer. Roasted chocolate malt and a hint of oat towards the back half. The barley grain and roasted chocolate malt flavors seem to grow as the beer layers. Tastes better than it smells, but this beer is still nothing special on the palate. Milk stouts tend to be a weaker style of beer in my experience. This is not a bad brew for the style, however. Certainly a huge upgrade over the Left Hand Milk Stout. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, low-plus carbonation. Creamy mouthfeel. Dry, slightly bitter finish. 3.5/5

Overall: A solid beer for the style that is certainly well brewed with a certain mass-appeal quality with respect to its flavors, but Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout is nothing stand out overall. I would drink this again if offered a bottle, but I would not buy it again on my own initiative unless it was the best available beer at the bar.

Recommendation: Fans of lighter stouts, Guinness and milk stouts generally should seek this beer out. Worth trying if given the opportunity, but definitely not worth seeking out.

Pairings: Reuben sandwich on rye bread.

Cost: $8.99 for a six pack.