Uinta Cucumber Farmhouse

The first time someone offered me cucumber water I thought they were messing with me. At that time I did not see much use for the cucumber. I found it to be the boring veggie I would typically eat first in my salads to make sure it did not affect the flavor of anything I actually did want to eat. I had no idea adding a cucumber to water would not only pleasantly enhance the flavor of the water, it seemed to make it even more refreshing. From that point on, I developed an appreciation for the cucumber. I found myself enjoying it more on its own. I stopped eating it first in my salads. I also felt it was only a matter of time until the refreshing flavor of cucumber found its way into some of the beers I drink. At a recent bottle shopping excursion, I was excited to see Cucumber Farmhouse from Uinta Brewing Company on the shelf. To make the first cucumber beer I have seen on shelves even more interesting, I saw that it was aged in gin barrels. I quickly picked it up, placed it in the fridge and waited to drink it on an incredibly hot day. Well, that day is today and I hope this beer is as flavorful and refreshing as it appears to be.

Cucumber Farmhouse pours a dense cloudy gold with a fizzy white head. The aroma is lightly spiced with clove, banana, coriander and cucumber. I rushed the aroma part because it is extremely hot and I had high hopes that this beer would be extremely cooling and refreshing. I was half right. The cucumber flavor stands out nicely. It hit my palate immediately before giving way to lemon, banana and clove. The finish then hit me with a lot of pepper and a hint of gin and oak. To put it simply, there is a lot going on here. Some of it works and some of it does not.

For my longtime readers you know I am a huge fan of barrel aging. In this particular case, I do not think it was needed. The light gin and oak notes do not seem to add anything positive to the beer. If anything they subtract slightly from the saison yeast in the finish. I think the light, crisp lemon flavor adds a nice touch to the beer. It provided a nice balance to the sweetness of the cucumber. Sadly, it got lost in a muddled finish with the a strong pepper flavor and a hint of oak. That being said there are some really nice flavors going on here, they just do not compliment each other well. I do feel there is a lot of potential for cucumber in beer. I would not be surprised if various styles of cucumber beer become a summer mainstay in the next few years.

Overall I would rate Uinta Cucumber Farmhouse a 2.5/5. There are just too many flavors here that do not go well together. There is potential for cucumber in beer however and I look forward to trying more of it in the future.

Rating Scale:

1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!

Hop Nosh IPA

The great thing about sampling a lot of different beers is once in awhile you happen to stumble upon one that is truly exceptional. When this happens, every bad beer you have tried up until that point seems worth it. And every good beer you have had seems like it built your palate to appreciate this very moment. This was the feeling I had when I first tasted Hop Nosh IPA(formerly Hop Notch) from Uinta Brewing Company.

Brewed in Salt Lake City, Utah, Hop Nosh IPA pours a slightly hazy golden amber with a finger thick white head. The strong citrus aroma with a hint of malt sweetness seemed to jump right out of the glass promising a bold flavor. Upon tasting this medium-bodied IPA, I was immediately hit with the bitterness of grapefruit and the sweetness of pineapple. That sweetness fades abruptly into a dry, bitter finish that lingers until the next sip. And I found myself looking forward to the next sip until my foam-laced glass was empty.

Some beer drinkers do not like IPAs because they feel they are too bitter. And while this is a bitter beer, it still feels properly balanced. The pineapple sweetness, although brief seems to go a long way into balancing the bitterness of the hops. That being said I would’ve liked to have seen that pineapple flavor stick around a little longer into the finish, but that’s a very small gripe when enjoying a beer this well-crafted.

Hop Nosh IPA has an ABV of 7.3%. While it is slightly present in the dry finish, it is mostly hidden in the bold flavor which makes this beer deceptively delicious, and seem lighter than it really is. It might not be as light as a session IPA but it does feel lighter than other IPAs. Basically it’s a great beer to compliment the warm weather, but if you are going to enjoy a few be careful when you get up out of the lawn chair.

Overall I give Hop Nosh IPA a 4/5. This is a fantastic beer and a great example of an IPA.

Rating Scale:
1 - Repugnant and undrinkable
2 - Acceptable but forgettable
3 - Good, worth a purchase
4 - Excellent, a step above the norm
5 - Truly exceptional　

To discuss this blog or all things beer follow me on Twitter & Untappd at @ACraftyLook

For more beer reviews go to: http://acraftylook.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading. Sláinte!