324. Three Floyds Rabbid Rabbit

Another possibly “overly aged” beer from Three Floyds, although like with BrooDoo, since neither of us had tried Rabbid Rabbit before, we figured it was worth the risk. Plus, saisons do age a bit better than fresh hop beers. And by a little bit, we mean a whole bunch. This makes eight from Three Floyds (see BrooDoo for the last seven), and while some may say eight is enough, since we’re talking about beer and not kids, I say those people are full of shit. I will also add that after our most recent experience with these two beers, we might actually learn to hold off when we find an awesome beer selection in a small, rural, out-of-the-way place. We laud the dedication, but not so much the ag-ed beer. Proper aging matters.

Pouring a hazy gold, Rabbid Rabbit has a minimal white head and a spicy, clove-y, and Belgian yeast nose. The beer begins with candy and spicy yeast flavors before giving way to chamomile in the middle, along with some clove flavors that help transition into the end, which includes fruit esters (specifically banana) and more candy sweetness. In the words of Adam Sills, this beer is a bit “too busy” with the flavors—there is a bit too much going on all at once that is not sufficiently married or mixed together, and the beer would benefit from a more judicious use of chamomile. Rabbid Rabbit is medium bodied with medium carbonation; it could stand to be a bit drier in the mouthfeel, as it tastes a bit underattenuated and sweet for a saison. At the same time, it also has something of a Belgian golden ale taste to it, although even as a golden ale, it should still be a bit drier in the overall mouthfeel. Not the best we’ve had from Three Floyds; this one comes together less that their other beers.

Silly rabbit, choking out Smurfs is for kids...

From the bottle: “Rabbid Rabbit is a deep golden, complex, spiced Belgian style ale. Chamomile and rock candy are added to the brewkettle, giving the Rabbit a mysterious and refreshing mouthfeel and flavor. The slight haze in the bottle is from bottle-conditioning, where yeast is added to the bottle for a secondary fermentation. ‘Saison’ is French for season. Enjoy!”

From the Three Floyds website: “This Franco-Belgian style Farmhouse Ale has an effervescent body and a light straw color. Rabbid Rabbit, with it’s light malt body, augmented by spices, is a complex and frothy beverage with a deceptively high alcohol content. March release.”

ABV: 7.4%
IBU: 25

(5/20/2010)