The Duck-Rabbit is one of the local breweries in North Carolina who’s felt free to hop into the seasonal contest.  Specializing in dark beers with extra hopping, The Duck-Rabbit Märzen should prove rather interesting.  Their previous offering, a liberally hopped Brown Ale, proved there’s a pretty good shot that the propensity to hop liberally will benefit this märzen in a good way.  Can The Duck-Rabbit Märzen balance the hops and the malt, or is this one migrating south quick? 

 

Sight:  Chestnut colored, not a lot of head, maybe half a finger, the color of cocoa powder.

Smell:  It has many toasty, earthy qualities about it.  It also brings in a bit of subtle spicing and caramel.  There’s an interesting kind of almost metallic sort of smell, like copper in a dirty penny ale.  It’s very much toward the darker mysteriously earthy side of hopping.

Sip:  The body is pretty weighty, the carbonation noticeable, but not aggressive.  There are plenty of darker flavors that come through, ranging from chocolate and subtle spice to more hoppy pine and earth.  The flavors aren’t overtly clear. [A.B.V. ?, if you know, let us know]

Savor:  The dark chocolate, subtle caramel, and a touch of orange pith linger.  It’s not an overly strong end.

The Duck-Rabbit Märzen is a dark take on a märzen, but not really the best example of the style.  Their märzen isn’t a bad brew, but Duck Rabbit Brown Ale is so much more kick ass it’s not worth buying when compared.  The flavors on the Brown Ale are tighter, less muddled, and more balanced.  This märzen is still definitely drinkable, and better than some of the seasonal brews, but it leaves a lot to be desired.  Worth a try it if you can find it and like dark, hoppy beer, but give this one another year in development, The Duck-Rabbit may nail it yet. [Prove me right guys!]

Verdict:  Hop, Malt, Muddle
Price: $2.99
Farmville, North Carolina
http://www.duckrabbitbrewery.com/