5 Rabbit Ki'Chun

Brewed By: 5 Rabbit Cerveceria in Bedford Park, IL  

Purchased: 750ml bottle bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014

Style/ABV: Spice/Herb/Vegetable Beer, 9.5%

Reported IBUs: 28

5 Rabbit has been flying under the radar for too damn long. I don't see any hype or love for these guys, despite the fact that they are making some tasty brews. This review is more than just a tick, and I have a few more of their beers in my queue. About 5 Rabbit Cerveceria: 

5 Rabbit Cerveceria 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. For more info about the brewery, check out their Facebook or their website. 

The Ki'Chun is a Belgian Style Amber Ale brewed with Chanterelle mushrooms. The bottle reads: "Ki’Chun is a Mayan name meaning “tasty start,” which refers to the new baktun, or time cycle for which this beer was first brewed. Chanterelles bring an ethereal apricot perfume, blending perfectly with the Vienna and melanoidin malts plus toasted oats, amplified by the exotic fruitiness of New Zealand Rakau hops. Dark Thai palm sugar lightens the body a bit and makes this 9.5% alc/vol beer dangerously drinkable. A Belgian yeast strain offers further aromatic complexity."

This one features Vienna, Melanoidin, and Honey malts; New Zealand Rakau hops; and Toasted Oats, Dark Thai Palm Sugar, and fresh and dried Chanterelle Mushrooms. Let's glass this exotic beer up and see what we got.

5 Rabbit Ki'Chun

This pours into an Amber body with some nice orange/gold/bronze tones. The body looks colored with those Vienna malts. The beer produces two fingers of bready head. From the onset, this looks like a Marzen or Vienna, and doesn't conjure up images of Belgian lore. The head even settles into a centimeter of toast-like covering, typical of your Oktoberfest. You could pour me this in the Fall and I'd be happy.

The aroma here is interesting...and by interesting, I mean weird. And by weird, I mean earthy. And by earthy, I mean I'm smelling something that reminds me of dog food on the aroma. I'm also getting a lot of apples, apple juice, raisin, apricot, and caramel-malty sweetness. The earthy, dog food note is also kind of spicy and funky, and I have to guess it is the work of the mushrooms. There's some tingly spice in here, cinnamon maybe. And that earthy note - it smells like the forest/woods. Like, if you stand in a field in front of the forest and smell that aroma. Super interesting...there's some hints of nondescript citrus and tea, wet leaves....but it keeps going back to that earthy dog food note. 

The weirdness carries through into the taste, and I like it. This is a malt-forward beer, Amber indeed. There's big biscuit and toast character in here, with that earthy and substantial "dog food" character showing up between big caramel malts, apple sweetness, and perfume apricot. There's a lot of sweetness in this one, almost like a Tripel or Dubbel. I am tasting some candy sugar, with hints of dark fruits, raisins, figs, and other Belgian Dubbel/Tripel trappings. This one also imparts some nuttiness, kind of like a Brown Ale. Very malty, then caramel, then apple/apricot/raisin/dark fruit sweetness. It's like a Dubbel meets and Amber or something.

The bottle doesn't lie: the 9.5% here is totally blunted. This is full-bodied in terms of mouthfeel, with an emphasis on sweet malts. There's some carbonation, spice, and fruitiness which helps move things along. Palate depth is good, with lingering candy sugar kisses. Complexity is so-so. I mean, I don't really know how you stylize this. I assume you don't. Up front: big bready malts, caramel, biscuit, toast; the mids roll into that mushroom note, dog food, cinnamon spice, apricot perfume, apple, raisins, dark fruits; the back end grows with lingering toast, dark fruits, more spice, candy sugar...the finish is candy sugar. I think my biggest knock on this is that it is very sweet.

Rating: Average (3.5/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Average here...if this wasn't so sweet, I think I would like it even more. But sweet beers aren't bad...this just isn't something I'd drink by the 6-pack on the up and up. This sweet, malty beer has a time and a place...probably paired with a sweeter main course. I'm going to pair this with some artichoke pasta tonight, but 5 Rabbit recommends throwing this at some lobster or foie gras. I could see the sweet notes in this beer working with lobster or crab. Yum.

Random Thought: I watched my first episode of Brew Dogs and basically I think it was just okay. Not great, not bad...just okay. I'll have to report back after watching a few more.

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.