Cascarudo
5 Rabbit Cerveceria

Poured from a 750 ml bottle into a snifter.

L - Medium copper color with some orange; clear with just a tiny bit of haze. Head is weak and quickly fades to a wispy island in the middle of the beer, along with some light lacing on the glass.

S - Smells strongly of ginger, with other spices and dried tropical fruits asserting themselves as well. Lemon zest aroma hints at the sourness.

T - The moderately tart, lemon-like acidity blends well with the strong ginger flavor. This unusual combination has the potential to be too sharp and assertive, but it is handled with enough subtlety here that it is pleasant. Malt and hops don't add anything of note to the flavors. The oak aging does not add character that I can detect.

F - Medium to thin body. Low carbonation, which helps explain the weak head. Hops bitterness level is difficult to determine because it is overshadowed by the acidity. Alcohol heat seems is present, but not extreme for a beer of 7.3% ABV.

O - This is an interesting and enjoyable beer. The spice and dried fruit flavors and aromas somehow remind me of Christmas and you could think of it as a sour Winter Warmer. I'd prefer a bit more carbonation and more of the promised oak character, but the beer is complex and interesting as it is.

 

An interesting collaboration between 5 Rabbit and Central State, a kettle-soured ale with cascara, ginger, orange peel, aged on oak. Thankfully, the kettle souring is not too intense, only lending a light tartness that complements the additional ingredients instead of overpowering them. The cascara cherry is the most dominant flavor, giving notes of tea and guayusa, while the ginger and orange peel show up on the midpalate to add a bit of bite and brightness. Quite an interesting concoction, with uncommon flavors that all meld to an enjoyable whole.