5 Rabbit Huitzi Midwinter Ale

Brewed By: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Bedford Park, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at Walgreens in Chicago, IL; 2013 

Style/ABV: Belgian Strong Golden Ale, 8.7%

Reported IBUs: 22

Another night, another local brew...

5 Rabbit brewery is an Illinois-based craft brewery launched in 2011. The brewery has a unique perspective, focusing on Latin-themed craft beer. The company is lead by CEO Andrés Araya, Creative Director Randy Mosher, and brewmaster (and former Goose Island employee) John J. Hall. Despite some fighting within the company, it seems like 5 Rabbit is moving forward. 

Tonight's beer, the Huitzi Midwinter Ale, is a big ol' Belgian Ale with a Latin twist. If you roll over to the Huitzi page, you can read what is on the side of the bottle:

"Huitzi is a winter beer that doesn´t wallow in the dark cold days of this season. Like it’s namesake, the Aztec hummingbird god Huitzilopoctli who smashed the winter to allow the sun to return, Huitzi looks forward to the brighter promise of spring. We think of it as a winter cooler."

This Belgian Strong Ale is brewed with hibiscus flowers, ginger, thai palm sugar, and local Chicago honey. Clocking in at 8.7%, this beer has a Pilsner and Vienna malt base, uses Glacier hops, and features chamomile in addition to the Hibiscus and ginger. This one is available between January and April.

5 Rabbit Huitzi Midwinter Ale

The pour yields a cloudy, reddish-orange beer, with a centimeter of brownish head that quickly crackles away. Swirling this doesn't even kick up head, but there are some alcohol legs. In bright light, the beer is a juicy orange color, and looks to be both unfiltered and quite swampy. There's definitely carbonation present, so hopefully this isn't flaccid in the mouth (phrasing).

The aroma is really nice...with vibrant and sweet mango, tropical fruits, and bright citrus. It reminds me of the Sam Adams' Summer Ale and the Sam Adams' Verloren. You definitely pick up some berry and flowery aromas on the nose, and there's some underlying Belgian Strong Ale: clove, wheat, Pilsner malt, white sugar/vanilla/honey. Maybe a dash of ginger spice. 

Straight up, the carbonation leaves a lot to be desired, especially for the style. But otherwise...wow. This is intriguing, with clean ginger, fruity-citrus grain, big tea-like floral character, lots of hints at chamomile and Hibiscus, hints of clove and pepper, and a really nice dry finish that leaves big citrus-grain on your palate. The Belgian base -- surprisingly not a big character here. I'm also getting a ton of lingering berry/orange jam (the natural stuff, not the fake, sugary, Smucker's shit) on my palate.

This is slick and juicy, with a medium-light to medium-full mouthfeel. There's not enough carbonation, and the beer drags a bit because of it. On the other hand, the beer has a nice dry finish, and it leaves a ton of lingering fruit on your palate. Palate depth, great; complexity, okay. Up front is a brush with carbonation, Hibiscus, tea-like berries, big clean ginger, and grainy citrus; the middle rolls into some more citrus, maybe a dash of floral hops, some chamomile/tea; the back end is lingering grain citrus, and the finish is dry. You get residual, jammy fruits left in your mouth. Spectacular money shot.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5 Untappd)

I'm a big fan of the style, but this is a Light Above-Average. Nice stuff, 5 Rabbit. The jammy finish is dynamite. My only gripe is where is the carbonation? This does a really good job taking the Belgian base and turning it into something unique. This almost veers into Belgian White territory, with hints of apples and grape...but yeah. You could definitely pair this with a fruit salad, fruity desserts, ceviche, or lighter Mexican foods. This is intriguing and delicious...I hope they make it again next year.

Random Thought: You know it's a good weekend when you get two Hawks games in a row. I can't complain. Tomorrow...I may bust out the Rodenbach.