Ducks Breath Ale
McNeill's Brewery in Brattleboro, Vermont, United States 🇺🇸
Strong Ale Regular|
Score
6.69
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Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 5 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6.5
Noogfest A white head recedes quickly to reveal a medium orange clear body. Some cheesy meat broth aspects to the aroma which aren’t apparent in the flavor. Bitter, dry. I’d like more malt to balance this one.
Clarkvv (16523) reviewed Ducks Breath Ale from McNeill's Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 8 | Aroma - 8 | Flavor - 8 | Texture - 8 | Overall - 8
On cask at McNeill’s, 2/18/06 with Muzzlehatch. Served bright with a foamy white head, fairly dense in the middle, leaving plenty of lace on the sides of the glass and having only moderate retention. A nectarine-dull golden colored beer, with some lighter straw tints. The nose comes alive with lightly citric hops, a very slight hard-water-like note of light minerals and plenty of flowery notes coupled with soft, grainy, dry malts. Dry, grapefruit skins and perfume, with a touch of honey-almond and very light cherries are also notable, as well as some mossy/leafy dry hop notes. Aroma strength is fairly weak overall, as others have mentioned, but relative to the style (and taking in to account quality, not quantity), it dosent strike me as a problem. As I take my first sip, I’m surprised by both the tingly carbonation and moderately bitter hop profile. More light lemon skins, unripened nectarines and touches of grapefruit. Hops are really well done, not over the top in either flavor or bitterness, but just soft and flavorful. The malt is a creamy, almost chewy honey and just baked biscuits, with a growing note of very light caramel on the finish that complements the bitterness up front. I found no wateriness in my sample, and while it was in wonderful condition and tremendously drinkable, I didn’t really get much of the effect of a burton ale. I mean, an American yeast dosent really seem fitting, the beer just seems too clean. But scoring it based on the yeast used, it is nearly flawless. No diacetyl detectable, soft carbonation, no alcohol. Hardly seems like a Strong ale to me. Could probably put back about 12 of these on a nice sunny day.
Oakes (33493) reviewed Ducks Breath Ale from McNeill's Brewery 20 years ago
Appearance - 4 | Aroma - 7 | Flavor - 6 | Texture - 6 | Overall - 6
Muddy dull amber. Very low carbo visible. The aroma has floral hops with some woody notes and a yeast backdrop. Yeasty, heavy taste...thick, simple malts and oxidized hops. OK, it was best before an hour ago. Must’ve gone down the gurgler in those sixty minutes. Very light florals and esters. Pretty run of the mill stale Englishish ale.