Forbidden Lager
UTOG Brewing Company

a cucumber lager brewed specifically for taboo pizza, sounds so refreshing and good on a hot day after a long drive to start vacation, literally just about anything would have hit the mark, yet this somehow didnt, which is a real indictment, i wasnt even sure our server poured me the right pint at first, but this one is a mess, tastes more like vanilla than cucumber, is lacking as a lager, neither the quality nor the cucumber flavor are where they need to be in this, and it was a real letdown, despite my eagerness. light blonde and close to flat in the shaker pint by the time it gets to our table. the nose is maybe slightly waxy green cucumber outside, but that is being generous, its like weird vanilla and more sweetness than should reasonably be expected from a malt bill this basic and light, a hint of honey, but it doesnt belong, a little chemical, phenolic character, not cleanly lagered, and that is true in the taste too, there is subtle cucumber past the sweetness, green and vegetal but not quenching, not real authentic, or maybe there is a freshness issue, but again its cheap vanilla and a perfume thing that isnt anything like an actual cucumber, and despite some lager yeast flavor in this, i think the ferment is also part of its downfall, this just drinks cheap and amateur and i didnt want to have to go looking for the cucumber. lighter than it should be on carbonation too so a bit of a watery mouthfeel. i see the promise of this, especially in a pizza context in high summer, but the execution just isnt there, a shame...