5 Lizard Latin-Style Witbier

Unfiltered wheat beer brewed with coriander, lime peel, and passion fruit. 4.3% ABV

5 Rabbit Cerveceria, Bedford Park, IL

 

 

While in Looking Ahead Mode recently, my wife helpfully reminded me that Cinco de Mayo is not that far off (and a good excuse to review a beer, I think!). As I perused the available Mexican beers in my head, I recalled having tried something a year or more ago from a brewery called 5 Rabbit that had some ancho chile in it. Sounded like a nice change of pace from the usual suspects. Well, it turns out that 5 Rabbit isn’t actually a Mexican brewery, but a Latino brewery in the US, named for one of the five Aztec gods of excess. And that’s close enough for me! Especially seeing the variety of beers they produce.

 

I had several options to pick from at one of my favorite Dayton area beer sellers, Belmont Party Supply, and chose this witbier since we seemed to be finally breaking Winter’s long, hard grip. What could be more refreshing with the coming of warmer weather than a witbier? And the twist of replacing the usual orange peel with lime peel and adding passion fruit to the mix sounded sure to put me in a tropical state of mind. With visions of palm trees and sandy beaches now stuck in my head, I opened one and served the beer in a short, chunky tumbler.

 

5 Rabbit poured out a cloudy, bright straw-yellow hue topped with a short-lived head of white foam.

 

Aroma was fruity, with the passion fruit very evident, some lime, and a bit of coriander. Very appealing.

 

Light body with spritzy carbonation and a somewhat thin texture.

 

Tart and refreshing up front. Fruity with definite passion fruit character and some lime zest. Coriander comes through as well. Light bittering, with some light, crackery malt. Bit of a floral note reminiscent of citrus blossoms. Nice sour edge to it. This wants some hot, sunny weather and ceviche, chicken fajitas, or grilled fish or shrimp to accompany it. Distinctive, fresh flavors. Tasty and easy-drinking brew.

 

Rating:     Appearance: 3.5/5     Aroma: 8/10     Palate: 3/5     Flavor: 8/10     Overall: 15/20