Duck-Rabbit – Milk Stout


www.duckrabbitbrewery.com

Relatively new to the craft beer world, the Duck-Rabbit Brewery defines itself by brewing dark beer and dark beer only. Their deliciously sweet Milk Stout is the fearless leader of the Duck-Rabbit gaggle of beers. It’s symbiotic flavors balance between sweet lactose and roasted malt. With a creamy mouthfeel and a slight coffee-like bitterness from the roasted grains, the Milk Stout is perfect for a relaxing evening by the fire or out camping with friends, roasting marshmallows and telling stories.

Speaking of stories, have you heard the one about the philosophy professor turned full-time brewer? Probably not...yet. But give him a little time and the Gestalt-inspired logo of the duck and rabbit donning each bottle will become a well-recognized symbol of great beer being brewed in the South. As the story goes, founder Paul Philippon spent his “former” life (about 9 years ago) teaching philosophy to university students in and around Eastern Michigan. Drawn by his love for brewing and the lack of good opportunities in academics, Paul decided to follow his dream and become a professional brewer. After a 6 ½ -year stint brewing for others he decided to move out on his own. A natural thinker coming from the world of philosophy, Philippon realized there was an under-served market in the area of dark, full-bodied beers. His experience in home brewing and the freedom he had brewing for a brewpub in Cincinnati provided the perfect background and experimentation he needed to create a terrific milk stout. He loved the flavor and uniqueness of the style and it didn’t take long before the Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout was born.

The Milk Stout wasn’t crafted to be your everyday thirst-quenching beer. It’s the kind of beer you go for if you’re looking for a rich, robust carnival of flavors that will go down smooth and linger as a reminder that you aren’t drinking just any libation. I recall trying the Milk Stout for the first time in Raleigh-Durham at the 2006 World Beer Festival. It was a dreary day—cold and wet but that wasn’t stopping us. We approached the Duck-Rabbit booth without preconceived notions. What we found was a delightful change of pace from the APA’s and highly hopped beers that were in abundance from the other American brewers. The Milk Stout’s warming effect was as much appreciated as this small town brewery’s story of success through hard work and a commitment to craftsmanship. One sip was a flavor-filled testament that Philippon knew how to brew dark beer.

The biggest problem for now is getting your hands on it. I had to have family in Wilmington pass it along through other traveling family members so I could enjoy it here in Georgia. As of now distribution is limited to most of North Carolina and parts of Tennessee, but according to Philippon, Georgia is next on the list. They’ve even nicknamed their newest member to the brewing family, “Georgia.” He was hired due to Georgia’s demand and their plans to start selling in the state.

I imagine the pride local enthusiasts must have about their Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout, and I see Paul Philippon happy to oblige. He’s not in this to get rich. There is a greater calling for Philippon: one that involves dirty jeans, honest work and a product made with his hands. When asked about his idea of Duck-Rabbit’s success he talks about humble growth, forward progress and the ability to provide a decent living for his staff. In his own words, Philippon demonstrates the Duck-Rabbit priority of great recipes and old-fashioned effort by saying they strive to brew a line-up of beers to which they can give their “full bodied support." For now, the founder’s goals for volume and distribution are reminiscent of a small boutique winery serving the locals. Philippon believes in product first and marketing second. Consequently, Duck-Rabbit is one of the South’s best-kept secrets worth traveling the miles to discover. Given time and strong distribution progress, those miles will get shorter. All in due time. Yes, all in due time.