5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

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, 8.3%

Reported IBUs: 25

I know I keep saying I need to drink more of 5 Rabbit's stuff, so here we are. 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 Gran Missionario is a "Double Wheat Beer fermented with muscat grape must & pear juice." The bottle reads: 

"Missionario celebrates the intersection of cultures that occurred in the missions set up all along the Pacific Coast of the Americas. 

Wheat and muscat wine grapes were among the plants brought over from Spain, being tasty as well as essential for church services. In honor of the many other crops grown in Mission gardens, we’ve chosen pears for this version of Gran Missionario. It is creamy, dry and fruity in a most comlex way, with aromas of flowers and spice.

It is a sophisticated beer capable of complementing a wide range of foods from crab tamales to sheep cheese to apple pie."

5 Rabbit Gran Missionario

The bottle says this clocks in at 8.3%. This one is brewed with US Pilsner, flaked wheat, and oats malts. This uses Muscat of Alexandria grape must, and pear juice. This also features Northern Brewer, and Hallertau Blanc hops (Floral and fruity with passion fruit, grapefruit, pineapple, grape and lemongrass overtones...yum).

The beer pours out a hazy, straw-like, golden-yellow color, kicking up two fingers of lightly gold-tinted head. The head is fluffy and thick, and looks to be the product of rich wheat and oat malts. The beer looks much the same in bright light, with some orange tones present, and nice streams of tiny carbonation bubbling away. There's lacing and nice head retention.

On the aroma: wheat, straw, barnyard and farmhouse funk, apple slaw salad and pears, pear juice, grapefruit, and big, juicy, musty grape/pear. I'm getting some pear skin...it almost smells like pear tannin...with subtle white wine, grapes, and green pepper notes. It's a complex aroma, for sure.

This is impressively dense and juicy, with huge waves of creamy pear juice and grape juice mounted on those giant wheat and oat malts. I feel like I'm a kid again, with the juice box apples and pears popping here. I'm getting big apple juice, pear juice, creamy white wine foam, white sugar/clove, perfume and seductive alcohol a la a Belgian Strong Ale, apple and slaw salad, and citrus fruits (grapefruit, passion fruit, pineapple). This sort of reminds me of the amped up and huge Pineapple Bling. 

I'm a big fan of this beer, really nice stuff. This is a fantastic fusion of juice and wheat/oat malts. I'm not getting any alcohol here, except for some perfume booze. You don't taste the 8.3% at all. Palate depth is fantastic, and this is fairly complex. The wheat and oats give this a medium-full mouthfeel. Up front: creamy wheat malts, big pear, grape, and apple juice, passion fruit, citrus; that rolls into big oats and wheat malts, clove, white sugar, perfume alcohol and Belgian funk, white wine, grapes, yeast; the back end trails with some bitterness, wheat astringency, lingering passion fruit and citrus, perfume spice, and nice dryness. This is really fantastic stuff....slept on, really.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average here. This is fantastic; just an incredibly, big, juicy wheat beer. This is a nice fusion of wheat, apples, grapes, and pears. I could see myself pairing this with goat cheese, poutine, or something more delicate. Maybe a pasta or dumpling dish. I'd pick this up again...I hope they brew it again.

Random Thought: I need to type up a thoughtful rant about this year's Beer Camp, but I'm really lazy. 

Dogfish Head Piercing Pils

Brewed By: Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware

Purchased: 12oz bottle from a 4-pack bought at West Lakeview Liquors in Chicago, IL; 2014 

Style/ABV: American-style Pilsner/Fruit Beer, 6.0% 
Reported IBUs: 35

I love Pilsners. About Dogfish Head:

Dogfish Head is a craft brewery based out of Milton, Delaware. The brewery was founded by Sam Calagione back in 1995.The brewery began as a brewpub (the first in Delaware) called Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, and was originally located in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The initial brewing setup included three kegs and propane burners. They brewed 12-gallon batches of beer three times a day, five days a week. In 1996 the brewery began bottling their beer, and by 1999 they had distribution to around a dozen different states. In 2002 the company outgrew their Rehoboth location, and moved to Milton, Delaware. More info can be found HERE.

The Piercing Pils has serious potential to carve a niche as a moderate-gravity, easy-drinking beer. This "Perry-Pils hybrid" is a "Czech Style Pilsner" that is brewed with white pear tea and pear juice. The juice and tea are added in the kettle during the whirlpool after the boil. This one also features Amarillo and Saaz hops. 

Dogfish Head Piercing Pils

The beer pours into a dark golden body, kicking up three fingers of thick, dense, white head. The head falls off slowly, leaving lots of lacing. The body is transparent, with moderate, mid-sized bubbles rising upwards. 

The aroma features huge floral notes, white tea, Saaz spice, Noble hop character, light citrus, peach, pears, apple slaw salad, wet rain, grass, white peach, kumquats, and big underlying biscuit/toast/cracker from the Pils malts and Pilsner base.

The taste follows the aroma appropriately, with big Saaz spice and floral notes, mild citrus from the Amarillo, and big peaches, white tea, kumquats, pears, and slaw salad from the tea. The back end of the beer drops giant Pils malts on your palate, with huge cracker and biscuit. The finish is bitter with lingering cracker/biscuit, mineral water, and lingering bitter/dry grassy hops.

This is light-bodied, refreshing, and crisp with lots of carbonation. I almost wish it was a bit lighter than 6.0%, because that's a hefty enough ABV that drinking a few of these will get you drunk. Palate depth is good, and complexity is good too: up front is big Saaz and Amarillo hops; the mids roll into peaches, pear, pear juice, white tea; the back end dials up big cracker and biscuit, lingering hop bitterness, Pils malts, and a dry Pilsner finish.

Rating: Above-Average (4.0/5.0 Untappd)

I'm feeling a Strong Above-Average on this. This is super quaffable and would make a great Spring or Summer brew. The Saaz and Amarillo hops play off the subtle white tea flavors, and the beer works. I think the base could stand out a little more, but I'm not sure how you'd go about integrating that....I don't get the hate for this beer. It's just a well-crafted, above-average Pilsner. Food pairings: meats with peanut sauces (think chicken satay with peanut sauce), grilled chicken, sushi, white fish, pizza, white pasta, fish tacos, pork tacos. Good stuff.

Random Thought: I hate Sunday nights.