Hubbard's Cave El Zacation 2Pk

Hubbard's Cave El Zacation 2Pk is a 12% ABV American double/imperial stout sold as a two-pack, brewed with mole-inspired ingredients across nine adjuncts. Rated 94 on BeerAdvocate from over 100 reviews, this release from the Niles, Illinois brewery stands among the most ambitious pastry stouts in the Midwest craft scene.

Quick Facts: ABV: 12%  |  Origin: Niles, Illinois, USA  |  Style: American Double/Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Hubbard's Cave

Production & Heritage

Hubbard's Cave operates out of Niles, Illinois, producing limited-run, adjunct-heavy stouts and other specialty styles. El Zacation is fermented on toasted oak with an unusually layered adjunct bill: almond flour, cacao nibs, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, ancho chilies, guajillo chilies, habanero chilies, and cherrywood. The almond flour in particular distinguishes this beer from other chili stouts—it introduces a sandy, cookie-like texture and amaretto character at mid-palate that most competitors in the mole-stout category lack entirely.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark chocolate and roasted cacao lead immediately, followed by a pronounced wave of cinnamon. Beneath that, almond sweetness recalls marzipan, with faint vanilla and a suggestion of dried chili warmth hovering at the edges.

Taste: The entry is sweet and rich—cocoa, toasted grain, and caramelized sugar arrive first. Mid-palate, the almond flour asserts itself with a baked, nutty quality that reviewers consistently liken to amaretto cookies. Cinnamon spice threads through the second half, while ancho and guajillo chilies introduce earthy depth. Habanero heat builds gradually rather than announcing itself.

Finish: Medium-long and warming, with lingering cinnamon, a touch of light char, and residual chili heat that stays on the lips well after the last sip. The toasted oak rounds out the tail end, adding a dry, tannic frame to the sweetness.

How to Drink El Zacation

Serve at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a snifter or tulip glass to concentrate the aromatic complexity. At 12% ABV, this stout rewards slow, deliberate sipping—rushing it buries the chili progression. Given its density and layered spice profile, El Zacation is best enjoyed neat. A small pour of heavy cream on top can mellow the heat for those sensitive to capsaicin, creating an impromptu stout float. It also works surprisingly well as the base for a beer cocktail riff on Mexican hot chocolate, blended with a splash of espresso and agave.

Best For

• Sharing with a fellow craft beer enthusiast who gravitates toward pastry and adjunct stouts
• Pairing alongside a mole dinner or Oaxacan-inspired tasting menu
• Adding to a curated imperial stout vertical tasting night
• Gifting to a collector who seeks out limited-run Midwest brewery releases

Frequently Asked Questions

What does El Zacation taste like? El Zacation delivers rich dark chocolate, cinnamon, and almond up front, followed by building chili heat from ancho, guajillo, and habanero peppers, with a toasted oak backbone throughout.

How does El Zacation compare to Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout? Both are mole-inspired imperial stouts featuring chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and chili peppers, but El Zacation's use of almond flour introduces a distinctive amaretto and baked-cookie character absent from Hunahpu's. Hunahpu's carries a perfect 100 on BeerAdvocate and is widely considered a benchmark for the style, while El Zacation's 94 rating reflects its strong standing as a comparable but distinct interpretation.

Is El Zacation good for sipping neat? Absolutely—at 12% ABV with nine layered adjuncts, it is built for slow sipping at cellar temperature, where its chili heat and spice complexity reveal themselves gradually.

Where is El Zacation made? El Zacation is brewed by Hubbard's Cave in Niles, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago known for producing limited-batch imperial stouts and specialty ales.

What foods pair well with El Zacation? Chicken or pork mole benefits from the shared cinnamon-chili-chocolate vocabulary. Dark chocolate truffles with sea salt amplify the cacao and balance the heat. Almond biscotti echoes the almond flour character. Smoked brisket complements the cherrywood smoke notes. Churros with cajeta mirror the caramelized sweetness.

What sizes does El Zacation come in? El Zacation is sold as a two-pack, which is the standard retail format for this release.

Is El Zacation worth the price? El Zacation positions as a premium craft release within the adjunct imperial stout category, and its 94-point BeerAdvocate score and complex nine-ingredient adjunct bill place it among the more compelling options at its price tier for serious stout drinkers.

Why El Zacation?

The almond flour is the real differentiator here. Where most mole-inspired stouts rely on the familiar chocolate-cinnamon-chili framework, El Zacation's baked, amaretto-like mid-palate sets it apart and gives the beer a textural dimension that few competitors match. The triple-chili approach—ancho for earthiness, guajillo for dried-fruit warmth, habanero for genuine heat—creates a more nuanced capsaicin arc than single-pepper stouts typically achieve. A 94 on BeerAdvocate across more than 100 ratings confirms this isn't just an ambitious ingredient list; the execution delivers. For anyone serious about pastry stouts, this is a release that justifies the hunt.