Cucumber Witbier
Mikkeller ApS

stunning execution of a really good idea, this is exactly what I have come to know and love and expect from mikkeller beers. the label suggests the beer gets capped with a carved cucumber, but that seemed over the top, especially for how intense the cucumber is in the nose of this pearly white headed lively pale golden beer. apparently made with cucumber juice, its an intense earthy but refreshing green vegetal summery vibe, unmistakably cucumber. the wit yeast is great, white grapey, orange notes, a little funk and tang, its fluffy too in mouthfeel, and makes this thing feel super alive with effervescent bubbles. so much cucumber in the flavor, but it goes well with the wheat and yeast, just real strong. despite the incredibly bold flavors, this still drinks real easy and is refreshing. almost as much a cocktail as a beer, and about as much of any vegetable as I have ever known in a brew. crisp, even texturally like a cucumber. I would love to know more about how this one was made, but suffice it to say its another delicious mikkeller oddity. part of the advent calendar, which is becoming more and more worth the investment with every single bottle we open...

BOTTLE: Brown glass. 33cl. Unbranded silver pry-off crown cap. Purchased at Svijet Piva in Zagreb, Croatia. Label art is fantastic.

6% ABV. Best before 13/08/16. Brewed at De Proef.

Served cold into a pilsner glass. Expectations are high; Mikkel is perhaps my favourite brewer, and the premise (a cucumber witbier) is an excellent one, though I'm always wary that fruits/vegetables like cucumber or watermelon will end up shallow and weak in beers. Let's hope the cucumber comes across...

HEAD: Occupies ~60% of the glass. Off-white colour. Frothy and foamy enough (audibly so), with a nice consistency which is a bit thicker than you'd usually find in a witbier. Head retention is rather good - ~7-8 minutes. Leaves spotty inconsistent lacing as it recedes.

BODY: Surprisingly, it's a translucent transparent pale copper - not the body colour you expect in a great witbier. And it lacks the trademark cloudiness of a good witbier. I'm concerned.

Appears overcarbonated. Isn't to style - or at least tradition.

AROMA: Crisp crackery malts, clean barley, mild grassy hop notes, and, yes, cucumber - when I look for it. I don't know that I'd instantly recognize the vegetal note as cucumber in a blind tasting, as it doesn't ring particularly distinct in the aroma. Not the cool refreshing cucumber I was hoping for. And there's a bit of a tropical fruit hop punch on the back-end. While this does suggest an overhopped witbier by traditional standards, it never seems imbalanced, and I find it alluring overall.

Aromatic intensity is average.

TASTE: Lacks the signature biscuity Belgian yeast character you'd expect in a witbier, but the cucumber addition is lovely, bringing a cool refreshing aspect to this well-balanced summer brew. There's some subtle tropical fruit from the hop profile lurking in the background, which complements the cucumber nicely. A clean barley base coupled with fresh wheat provides all the body this beer needs, and more or less functions as a neutral platform meant to elevate the cucumber.

Obviously, the first thing you'd look for in a cucumber witbier is cucumber, and this delivers. That's more than I can say about chocolate in many chocolate stouts, hazelnut in many hazelnut porters, etc. And that's why this beer is fundamentally a success; it is what it's trying to be.

While I do miss the traditional Belgian ornamentation of the style - which Mikkel has deliberately left behind - I dig this new world witbier approach. This is more evidence that Mikkeller - unlike breweries like Brewdog and Stone - doesn't push boundaries for boundary pushing's sake; his experimentation is a means to the end of making great beer.

TEXTURE: Cool, refreshing, smooth, wet, and medium-bodied. Overcarbonated. A lighter feel on the palate with less weight and heft would better play to the beer's strengths. This doesn't quite elevate the beer as a whole, but it does a nice job complementing the taste - and the dominant cucumber flavour.

OVERALL: Great premise, good execution. It ain't traditional, but it's a worthwhile nouveau take on the style that will please the discerning drinker. Highly drinkable, and an excellent summer beer. I'd love to see this in 6 packs at a reasonable price. That said, there is some dialing in to be done - especially in terms of mouthfeel. And the cucumber could boast still more depth of flavour. Bringing in another cool fruit like watermelon might also prove to be an improvement. In any case, this is a beer I'd happily buy again.

High B-

It’s hard to go past that wacky-one-man-team known as Mikkeller, a former Math and Physics teacher Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, who hails from the most Danish of countries: Denmark. This Cucumber Witbier, brewed in conjunction with I’m A Kombo (some sort of Danish catering company I believe) has what I would consider an eye-catching label with instructions on how to cap your beer with a cucumber. Needless to say I didn’t follow them.

Poured from a 330ml bottle into a Chimay chalice.

A: Presents a hazy amber body with a wispy white head that sticks around at about half a centimetre. Looks more like a Pale Ale than a Witbier, but I’m still drawn to it nonetheless. 7/10.

S: This is why I love reviewing beers - to this day I am still presented with new and exciting aromas, tastes and textures, and this Cucumber Witbier has one of the most unique aromas I’ve ever encountered in a beer with; Cucumber (of course, we all expected that) with a distinct note of dill (never encountered dill in a beer before). In the background hints of lime and dry white wine grapes add to the olfactory delight. 9/10.

T: The cucumber becomes less notable in the flavour - it is quite a light flavour to begin with - as the dill, dry white wine, lime take over. Along with this is a tiny bubble gum note, some sweet candi sugar and pepper towards the finish, which is more a vermouth dry than bitter. The aftertaste leaves a pleasant cucumber and dill sandwich taste on the palate. 9/10.

M: Medium bodied with a nice soft carbonation that suits this Wit well. 7/10.

D: Damn this is an interesting brew I’ll have to try again, if I ever see it again. Which I won’t because Mikkeller (usually) only brews single batches, I hate you Mikkeller! But I also love you Mikkeller! Make this beer again and forever and I will keep a spot in my fridge for it. Overall this beer is an oddity in ALL the good ways - a moreish treat for an old beer geek like me, helped along by the fact that I love a good old-fashioned cucumber sandy. 9/10.

Food match: You know what I’m going to say and it is cucumber related.