Venice Duck Brewery 'Stoner Duck' Nut Brown Hemp Ale. 5.6% abv. 28-32 IBU. Dark brown color, nearly black. Finger of cream colored head. Good retention, excellent lace. Nose of roasted malt, dark chocolate. Front taste of roasted malt, bitter dark fruit, nutty, earthy hops. Aftertaste is dank grain flavor, faded bitter hops, yeasty. Sustain is weak herbal taste. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bubbly.
This beer starts off well, with roasty, dark flavors, notes of fruit and earth, but is compromised by an aftertaste that falls off into a subdued, dull taste of yeast and stale botanicals. It tastes like this beer is unfinished, that there are flavors within it yet to be awakened. Perhaps this is a fluke from an upstart brewery still finding its footing. I'd like to try more of their wares, but for now I'm leery of having another Stoner Duck. Pass on this one.
From the brewery:
"We are two bartenders from Venice Beach who love good beer. Venice Duck was inspired by a local legend of a guy who went to a party in the Venice canals and woke up the next day on the sidewalk covered in ducks. We hope you wake up in your own bed, or at least someone else's. Like the iconic Venice Beach boardwalk and all those who inhabit the 90291, Venice Duck has many personalities. Meet Stoner Duck, a professor of easy living and smooth vibes who holds a PhD in Biochemistry. Spending sunny days rapping with fellow 'doctors' on the Venice boardwalk and his evenings in the lab, he has perfected this easy drinking, nut-brown ale with just the right dosage of organic hemp. It has a backbone of caramel and toasted malts with a touch of chocolate, complimented by fresh American hops and a mild tea-like aroma from the addition of hemp seeds. The doctor is in."
[source: veniceduckbrewery.com]
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