Sunday, September 4, 2011

Beer Review 59: Olde Rabbits Foot 2011

I've been away for a bit to long, but I'm back with a list of new beer's and whiskey's to review. Today's review is the 2011 Olde Rabbits Foot, a collaboration beer between these fine North Carolina breweries: Duck Rabbit, Olde Hickory, and Foothills. This has been a long time want for me, and I was extremely stocked when I was able to land 2 bottles of this delicious stout. Olde Rabbits Foot is an imperial stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon barrels, and if you know anything about bourbon, you know that Pappy is considered the best American whiskey out there. Furthermore, ORF(acronym for our beer) is brewed with honey and cocoa nibs which add wonderful sweetness to the beer and a lot more texture and complexity. Moreover, this American imperial stout is released once a year at the brewery only and sells for $15.00 for a 22 oz bottle. As tasty and amazing as this beer is , it is no slouch; bottled at a nice robust 10.13% abv this beer is a sipper and best enjoyed in 6 oz servings and in a snifter or small nonic pint style glass. Lastly, I must say this beer is best consumed on a cool evening as a dessert beer or paired with a nice mild cigar like a montecristo white. Do yourself a favor and seek this beer out, its great to drink fresh, but also makes a great addition to your cellar to age for a few years.

Color: Dark, dark brown, almost black. No head even after an aggressive pour and it leaves behind hardly any lacing.

Nose: Wonderful! Full of amazing scents. Bourbon, vanilla, hazelnut, caramel, cocoa, mellow honey, and a pleasant roastiness are all present. Very well done for a stout.

Palate: Full bodied and and complex. Drink ability is amazing, so smooth you can just put it down to quick. The carbonation is ok, not great, but nothing to hinder the quality of this beer. The tongue gets coated with waves of vanilla, chocolate, and nice, warm bourbon flavors. The abv is so well masked that it can hardly be detected in the mouth.

Finish: Long, warm, and with plenty of texture. Plenty of flavors become evident as it goes down the hatch, but Bourbon and honey are most evident. A sweetness eases the bit of abv that shows up at the end. A fantastic imperial stout that provides plenty to like. A true pleasure to drink.

Rating: 95 out of 100

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