Maybe it’s just me, but I would never have figured Three Floyds to pin one of their twelve seasonal hats on a Saison. It’s not a very prominent (or popular) style here in the states…and it just doesn’t scream “strange“ or “extreme“. But hey; maybe it’s for that very reason that Rabbid Rabbit was created. One thing’s for sure, they’ve certainly kept the intensity of the beer name and label art.

And Rabid Rabbit is an intense beer…sort of. Perhaps it’s just not intense in the ways one might expect. Is it hoppy? No sir. Is it malty? Umm, not really. Is it heavy? …ish… Is it light? In color, yes. What IS it?

Well, in a word…yeasty; quite possibly the “yeastiest” beer I have ever encountered.

Let’s count the signs, shall we? It’s a cloudy, translucent liquid (1). It smells like bread…pungently so (2). It tastes like you poured a packet of yeast in your mouth (3). And that about proves my point.

Ok, so the beer does have some nuance. In keeping with the style, it possesses a creamy mouthfeel despite the high carbonation. It pairs its yeastiness with a peppery spiciness and tangy finish. And I’ll be darned if it isn’t one of the driest beers you’ll ever come across. Ever wondered what it would be like to have all the moisture sucked from your tongue? A few sips of this and you’ll be well on your way to finding out. Finally, it subtle-ly tricks you into believing it’s a light beer because of its hazy gold color and effervescent qualities. But Three Floyds has again ramped up the alcohol content just enough that it hides behind the flavors but goes straight to your head if you’re not too careful. There really is a lot going on here if you care enough to notice.

As a disclaimer, I honestly must say that my mouth and Saisons do not have a very agreeable relationship. But I also must admit, despite this fact, that Three Floyds has again created a complex, quality beer that is true to style. Perhaps where I found the beer lacking was its overly traditional approach to the style. I was prepared for a unique interpretation (a la Three Floyds), and only got a slightly stronger version of the original. But I suppose going 12 for 12 is nearly impossible…