Cucumber Saison - Cigar City Brewing

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.08/5  rDev -45.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Churchkey. Served in a mini snifter. Pours a clear light golden color with maybe a touch of cucumber. That’s unfortunately there’s the only place with just a touch of cucumber. The nose smells like cucumber juice. It tastes like cucumber water. Light body; no real beer character. It says saison, but I don’t get any sort of pilsner or bready malt, nor is there anything indicating saison yeast. Just cucumber. It doesn’t taste bad, but it’s not beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 19:12:19 | More by Thorpe429

hoptualBrew

Florida

2.3/5  rDev -39.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Everyone has opinions, like everyone has an asshole - here is mine. Appearance is what a saison should be, nothing exceptional. Smell is muted but just like the label says - cucumber salad. I bought this with hopes that it would be a funky &/or spicy traditional saison with a crispness of cucumber green. Other way around, mostly cucumber while neglecting the fact that it's a saison.

If your looking for a quality saison, look elsewhere. This is outside of the box thinking and experimental brewing, which I do applaud at times. But I don't think this one should have ever left the tasting room. I'd take their Guava Grove or Table Saison over this any day of the week. If your looking for liquid salad, have fun but making a cucumber/lettuce/vodka blend will give you the same effect without spending $12 for 750ml. Hyped up, yes. Worth investing in, no.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 01:56:26 | More by hoptualBrew

mwilbur

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 750 mL bottle into cervoise.
A: Pours a hazy yellow with a faint hint of green. Nice 2 inch bubbly white head.
S: Mild sweet citrus, subdued farmhouse funk, and crisp cucumber.
T: Wow, this is different. Lots of crisp watery cucumber up front...hits a bit hard. Hints of peppery spice and melon. Faint citrus and funk in the distant background.
M: Crisp, bright, and a tad watery. I suppose it's what you'd imagine a cucumber beer to be.
D: For a saison, this is quite different. This is more vegetable beer than saison. If you want a low ABV, watery cucumber beer you've found it.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 04:42:30 | More by mwilbur

tlazaroff

Virginia

3.28/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Very odd aroma on this. I don't get cucumbers, but it is very vegetal in nature. Apples make a guest appearance, bell pepper, and a bit of funk in the background. Very odd indeed, not bad.. just odd.

Cucumber Saison is slightly hazy straw color with bunches of streaming of carbonation to support the big bubbly white head. No lacing, which is kind of sad.

I found the cucumber! Its in the flavor! I get a nice (which I hardly describe this as nice) grainy flavor followed by that cucumber freshness. It actually tastes pretty unique and it's kind of amazing. Well balanced, moderately high carbonation, and a medium body with a little slickness to it. Not too bad, I may not try it again, but I'm glad I did.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 04:46:40 | More by tlazaroff

AlexFields

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lovely thick apricot color with a large bubbly head. Head does fade fairly quick though.

Damn, smells like salted cucumbers. Some faint spice and yeast and somehing vaguely metallic here too but the nose is dominated by cucumber to a frightening extent. Preparing for the worst...

Taste is way better than I expected. Some yeasty saison flavor, mild spice, good amount of cucumber but not nearly as much as in the nose. Some fruitiness in the finish. This is actually a subtle and fairly balanced beer.

Very drinkable, good mouthfeel. Very refreshing beer.

This is a kindof odd beer but I really like it. Very refreshing.

7.0/10

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2013 00:29:32 | More by AlexFields

SkeeterBoganski

Colorado

3.48/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bomber in to a couple of pints to share

A - pours a straw copper look; exceptionally heady...some soap foam qualities

S - it smells like a traditional saison, although the cucumber essence really brings out a pickled aroma

T - well, this is pretty much a perfect cucumber saison...all the flavor you'd expect from this combination: cucumber, a lil salty, organic/earthy; and again, that element of pickle juice; some real light melon flavors

M - it's really heady/carbonated; the gherkin flavor lingers

O - this is a really unique, albeit totally 'accurate' saison infused with cucumbers; I'm not a huge fan of farmhouse ales or cucumbers for that matter, but if you like either, it's def worth a try

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 19:49:58 | More by SkeeterBoganski

Hex92

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Well... that certainly is a different beer.
A-nice big fluffy head that takes a while to disapate. Murky yellowish color for the beer.
S- CUCUMBER.
T- clean taste. You can definitely taste the cucumber. And its bitter too, but not a hop bitter, its the bitterness of cucumber peel. And you can taste dill too.
M-not at all syrupy. Very clean. High carbonation.
O- an odd beer. Worth trying if you want something different, but I won't be buying any more.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2012 00:55:20 | More by Hex92

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Shared by caSSino during BRoss242’s send-off party before he moves! Will miss you man! Served from bottle into a Mikkeller taster flute. Poured a hazy yellow-orange with a one finger white head that subsided to a minimal amount slowly. Maintained decent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, cucumber, spices, and earth. The flavor was of sweet malt, cucumber, spice, earth, and earthy hop. It had a light feel on the palate with high carbonation. Overall this was a decent brew. If I am honest here, I really like cucumber, however the cucumber in this brew was SO intense that it was almost unnatural. My guess is that they used an extract on this brew as the cucumber isn’t know for being too strong on taste for the most part. While I’m glad Cigar City wanted to try something new I just don’t think the cucumber addition was the right choice on this one. Still drinkable and enjoyable, but there are definitely better options out there to experiment with.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2012 11:43:42 | More by thagr81us

Vec2267

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - cloudy pale yellow, pure white foam, nice retention

S - cucumber and lemon

T - again cucumber foremost, some grain, fairly tart

M - very carbonated, lots of little bubbles, makes it very light and crisp

O - I like beer, and I like cucumbers, however, I'm not a big fan of this combination

A nice crisp summer beer that is very different. This is about as well executed as is possible for this idea. Their skill is certainly on display. But why?

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 22:48:31 | More by Vec2267

UCLABrewN84

California

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to vacax for sharing this one at NoSignsOfPain's birthday bottleshare hosted by mrbubbler.

Pours a murky light orange with a foamy off-white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of grain and lots of cucumber aromas. Taste is of grain, cucumber, herbs, and spices. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that has a really spot on cucumber aroma and taste that is quite interesting.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2012 01:43:33 | More by UCLABrewN84

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.55/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On draft back in July. Served in a snifter. The brew appears a pale yellow cokor hazed with a white head. The cap fades leaving some spotty lace on the glass. A couple swirls release a few bubbles back to the surface.

The smell is mildly fruity with wheat and typical saison spice. The fruited quality gets zesty and light across the nose that transcends into an unmistakeable scent of cucumber. Once the cucumber wrangles your nose, its hard to shake it and it almost dominates all other aspects of the aromatics.

Taking a sip, the initial flavor of cucumber is readily evident. It gets mildlybfruity and herbal with hops and some spice like clove. Some herbal bitterness and wheat grain flavors persist into the aftertaste and increase in perception as the brew warms up. There is nothing bad going on in the flavor, it just seems strange and a but clashing.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a modest amount of carbonation. The alcohol is very well integrated here and the cucumber is surprisingly bold. I think this was an interesting idea and they executed it fairly well. Its worth a try but in the end it just didnt work for me to warrent wanting to have it again. To give you an idea of how bold the cucumber scent is, my wife had no idea what was going on and stated outloud while I was drinking this that she smelled cucumber salad.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 19:14:17 | More by stakem

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: cloudy tan/dirty yellow, finger bubbly/white head,
ok lacing

S: yeast, grain, light cucumber, grassy, mild floral

T: lemon zest, grain/belgian yeast,
cucumber/grassy semi-dry finish

M: med body, bubbly, semi-dry mouth

O: Interesting beer to create, love the brewery,
but don't know if I would seek it out again.
Another fine brew from Rare Beer of the Month Club,
really enjoying this Father's Day gift from my wife.

GOOD, NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2012 16:21:51 | More by BeerLover99

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pretty good beer except the cuke goes a long way. Poured at a good temperature with a nice, billowy, foamy, off-white head that settles after a bit and a smidgen of lace. Color is a a hazy amber. Flavor's like nose, cuke really dominates and offsets all the other qualities. Body and carbonation are good. Finish is like flavor, with the cuke wasn't so assertive, not a repeater.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2012 02:59:33 | More by drpimento

Patandnik

Florida

3.59/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Confusing and interesting... At first sip the cucumber hits you much harder than anything else. After a few sips, however, those saison spices and dryness begin to blend in a little bit better... At first sip I wasn't sure that I wanted to drink 22 oz of it alone, but by the time I got to the bottom of that bomber, I admittedly wanted a little bit more. Overall, I wish it was a little more "saison-y", and a bit less "cucumber-y", but c'est la vie. I wouldn't run out to stockpile this beer (especially if you can get CCB's Guava Grove Saison), but I certainly wouldn't turn down another glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2013 14:10:13 | More by Patandnik

nick76

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The aroma is very cucumbery with a touch of pickles, citrus, and honey. The appearance is light honey with a small head. The taste is exactly like the aroma. The palate is thin and refreshing. Overall it's a very unique beer with a lot of character but I'm still trying to figure it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 00:20:49 | More by nick76

brentk56

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Well, it's an impressive pour, all right, with a massive head sitting atop the cloudy straw-colored liquid

Smell: Fresh dill and cucumbers - we are on our way to the pickle factory

Taste: Cucumber and dill, with an underlying grainy character that tastes more like a Lager than a Saison; grainy, in the finish, as well, with cucumber and dill flavors holding their own

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with high carbonation

Overall: Well, I am glad I tried it and, while I like cucumbers and I like pickles, I didn't much care for them in a beer; my scores are higher than otherwise out of respect for the creativity

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2012 23:50:02 | More by brentk56

ehammond1

California

3.6/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, VaTechHopHead!

Clear golden with a small near-white cap. Leaves the glass dotted with moderately-sized bubbles. Very little retnention. Appropriate enough.

Distinct aroma of cucumber and little else. There's perhaps an earthy quality to the aroma that actual cucumbers don't have, but the dominant aroma overall is very clearly cucumber.

The flavor, too, is, not surprisingly, very cucumber forward, along with a bit of earth and some bitterness. Very simple and straightforward, while obviously very unique as well. Very drinkable. I enjoy it, but it's simply not a very complex saison.

Thin bodied with moderate-high carbonation.

A wonderful cucumber drink, but an uninteresting saison.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 00:18:14 | More by ehammond1

Brittmb29

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lucky to taste this! only 10 gallons were produced and some made it to The Funky Buddha in Boca Raton for a CCB tap takeover. This is reviewed from notes:

A- golden yellow with no head retention or lacing, poured into a shaker pint

S- pure cucumber, saison yeasts , and a faint pickly brine background.

T- medium malty with yeast that supports the incredible fresh cucumber flavor. Hop bitterness translates to sour rather than bitter to mimic a cucumber salad taste.

M- good carbonation to give some softness to the thin body.

O- great for a one time release for fruit in the room! however i couldn't have had another one and almost had problems drinking down the entire pint, the taste becomes VERY cucumber salady after the first few sips. But, to try out such a unique flavor it was a great single beer.

[as of 6/17/12 i have had the newer batch on draft and in bottle fresh. this version was very refreshing light and much more cucumber in flavor without any accompanying brine. May re review when i open a bottle because it was substantially more enjoyable for my palate]

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2011 16:21:06 | More by Brittmb29

macrosmatic

Florida

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from 750 mL bomber into 7venth Sun snifter.

A: Yellow to pale golden in appearance. One-finger white head. Visible carbonation at first, doesn't last.

S: Cucumber. Hints of yeast as it warms.

T: Cucumber hits you up front, but then it fades into some cucumber flavor in the middle of the tongue. A really nice cucumber presence near the end. Oh, and then you can taste some more cucumber. Some yeastiness as the end of the bottle nears.

M: Nice and light...did I mention cucumber yet? Fairly dry.

O: Look...it was good, and I'm very glad I tried it. Not sure I'll be in a hurry to crack open another bottle, but given the right day & the right food pairing, I think it would be absolutely amazing. Definitely not an all-night drinker. My only real complaint is that if "saison" wasn't in the name of the beer, I don't think I would have come up with that for the base beer's style.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 00:03:39 | More by macrosmatic

axeman9182

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

750 mL bottle thank to notjustgc. It was poured into my Duvel tulip.

Cigar City's Cucumber Saison pours a slightly hazy goldenrod, with plenty of lemon highlights. There's just about four fingers of frothy white foam capping the beer. Head retention is very good, and while there's a little bit of lacing, there could definitely stand to be a little bit more. Amazingly enough, cucumber is indeed the first the to jump out as I take in the aroma. There's a little bit of tropical fruit and citrus present as well, but that's all *very* much in the background. Again, cucumber is the centerpiece of the flavor profile, but the fruity, lemony accents from the Citra and Sorachi Ace hops are a little more present here. In fact, they actually are a little too loud, and clash a bit with the delicate, refreshing flavor of the cucumber. The body is just a little too full for being a low ABV saison, though the carbonation attempts to sparkle through it admirably. Cucumber is definitely on the list of ingredients I never thought I'd see in a beer, but Cigar City has definitely done an admirable job of infusing a beer with cucumber flavor. It's just the rest of the recipe that's a little lacking.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 04:13:10 | More by axeman9182

Florida9

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

A: Bottle opens with an audible pop. Beer itself is mostly clear light amber in color. Unsurprisingly, this one forms a large, very carbonated, white head. Good retention, moderate lacing.

S: aroma is primarily Saison-like. I mention this because I was expecting the cucumber to dominate. It's there, but I certain,y get a lot more of the yeasty phenols and spice with a "green" cucumber aroma more in the background.

T: Taste is similar. Lightly sweet blend of lemon-lime and cucumber. The some yeast, a slight tartness, and a bit of spice. Finish is a touch astringent with a cucumber skin bitterness. Again, the cucumber is noticeable. Unmistakable even, but it doesn't (thankfully) overpower the beer itself.

M: on the lighter side of medium. Very aggressive carbonation. Light sweetness. Fairly crisp. Mild astringency.

O: I found this to be a fairly nice beer. I was rather curious about it when I learned of it and sought on out, especially for my wife whom likes both Samson's and cucumbers, but ended up hating this beer. I on the other hand, enjoyed the combination of the cucumber along with the lemon tartness and yeasty spice giving this one a "salad in a glass" feel to it while still retaining its beeriness.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 03:20:04 | More by Florida9

jegross2

Illinois

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Reviewing the Cucumber Saison from Cigar City Brewing out of Tampa, Florida.

Score: 86

2012 vintage bottle served in a plastic wine goblet and enjoyed on 07/29/12. Review is from iPhone notes I jotted down at my birthday bottle share.

Appearance: Pours three fingers of white, soapy head atop a cloudy, dull golden-wheat colored body. Good lacing and retention. Looks a lot like you’d expect a saison to look. 4/5

Smell: Totally cucumber forward. Cucumber water, light wheat and yeast. 3.75/5

Taste: Cucumber waiter with a light funk and straw/grain flavor. Simple and straightforward. 3.5/5

Mouthfeel: Light-plus bodied, medium carbonation. Smooth mouthfeel, somewhat dry on the finish. 3.5/5

Overall: Light, summery and refreshing. It should be pointed out that I am not a fan of saisons. However, this one was pretty solid and “inoffensive” (and I mean that in a good way). No horse blanket, barnyard, etc. This beer essentially smells and tastes like lightly fermented cucumber water. This is not one I would go out of my way to seek out, but it is certainly a beer that made a good palate cleanser at the tasting. While no one loved the beer, no one disliked it either.

Pairings: A very basic salad.

Cost: $10 for a 750 ml bottle.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 06:21:55 | More by jegross2

flagmantho

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 750mL bottle into a tulip.

Appearance: silvery-golden hue with plenty of haze and two fingers of creamy white foam atop. Quite attractive!

Smell: fresh, crisp and strong cucumber aroma atop a mild maltiness. Just weird enough to be good.

Taste: cucumber flavor is right up front, although it's not quite as crisp as in the aroma. A little bit of funk then develops, and it finishes a bit on the dry side. I love the adventurousness of this beer, but really, I don't think cucumber has a big future as a classic beer fruit.

Mouthfeel: light body with a big carbonation that puffs out to a large, mouth-filling creaminess. Good stuff.

Overall: a weird beer all-around. Definitely an experience worth having, but I certainly won't be going out of my way to drink another of these anytime soon. Also, like any novelty, a dab will do you -- this would be a good splitting beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2013 03:46:15 | More by flagmantho

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Do you like cucumbers? Do you like water? Then this is the beer for you...do you like saisons? Skip this beer, this is not a saison in any sense of the world. On draft at Churchkey served in a snifter. Beer is yellow and clear with a white head of medium and large bubbles, low retention, moderate carbonation, looks fine.

Aroma is cucumbers, about what I expected and it smells good.

Beer is thin like water and wet like water and tastes like cucumbers. Is this beer? Next.

Serving type: on-tap

06-19-2012 00:58:45 | More by drabmuh

adam42381

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

2012 Edition

Poured from a 750ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy medium gold with a 3 finger frothy eggshell white head. Nice head retention with the head finally leaving a small layer of foam which sort of pools in the middle. Decent lacing.

Smell: Earthy saison notes with freshly cut cucumbers dominating. I detect a touch of melon as well. It's a nice, refreshing aroma that doesn't overpower.

Taste: Sweet, fresh cucumber mixed with bitter cucumber rind up front with a touch of mango followed by mild traditional saison notes and a touch of honey in the middle before ending with melon and more cucumber. Aftertaste is bitter cucumber rind, black pepper and a touch of sweet melon. Very complex flavor that is fairly refreshing.

Mouthfeel: Light-bodied with a high amount of prickly carbonation.

Drinkability: Decent drinkability, but you will want to share the bottle with a friend. I couldn't finish my second glass.

Overall: Pretty good beer overall. I like that Cigar City pushes the envelope. Cucumber is not something I typically associate with beer and there may be a good reason for that. That said, it's a solid beer that is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2012 23:13:23 | More by adam42381