Muskoka Brewery Cool as Cuke Fruit / Vegetable Beer at 4.7% ABV | 30 IBU (C$3.66 at NLC Stavanger, 473 ml, best before 27-Aug-2018, acquired 11-May-2018, reviewed 12-May-2018)
Appearance: clear medium gold with one finger of fluffy white head, good retention and spotty lacing. (4/5) Aroma: mild, lemongrass, cucumber, melon, light earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter, light tart. (7/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate carbonation, crisp slightly astringent finish. (3/5)
Cucumber is one of those things that, every time I encounter it, I ask myself why I don’t have it more often. Cucumber in a gin & tonic, for example, is quite pleasant, giving a completely different experience than the more traditional lime. This behaves similarly, with a pleasant cucumber, melon, and almost-but-not-quite-mint character. Casting a little shade is the fact that there’s also a vegetal astringency that grows as it warms (so probably best drink it reasonably quickly for maximum enjoyment) making me wonder if perhaps they should have peeled the cucumber before incorporating it into the brew, since the rind seems to be slightly over-represented. Overall, though, it’s cooling and refreshing. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
