Bottle to pint. Pours black with full brown head. Aroma of pine and roast. Taste was towards the toasty side and didn’t allow the hops to shine fully. Slight resin and citrus when present. Oily.

[1/30/16] Bottle sample at the Encomium bottle share, after RateBeer Best awards ceremony at Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel in Santa Rosa. Thanks everyone who shared bottles! Black. Aroma of chocolate, marshmallow, Nutella. Sweet flavor, chocolate. Medium-bodied.

Bomber from Capitol Beer in Sacramento, CA. Pours bright, translucent gold with a white head. Aroma of citrus, light stone fruits, and possibly earth/resin. It’s a pleasing nose. Med body or so. It’s very hop forward. The malt isn’t strong enough to qualify as roasty, but it supports the large amount of hop. Lots of citrus, almost like orange zest, with some other fruits and earth. Pine might be in the mix. It’s not at all harsh, but it is dry and bitter. Good stuff.

Tap at Capitol Beer in Sacramento, CA. Pours dark brown with a creamy dark tan head. Smoky aroma. Full bodied. Flavor is smoky, dark treacle, hints of chocolate and coffee. Very tasty.

Tap at Capitol Beer in Sacramento, CA. Pours hazy dark gold with a creamy white head. Fruity aroma. Full bodied or nearly so. Flavor is stone fruits, hint of resin, sweetish malt backbone. Not at all harsh, but very hoppy. Balanced finish.

Tap at Capitol Beer in Sacramento, CA. Pours bright gold with a white head. Aroma of light cucumber with pale malt. Med body or nearly. flavor is cucumber, light pale malt, no grass or spice detectable. Not quite dry finish. Beer for the pool or lake.

Bottle to glass. Especially after warming, this is a sweet hazelnut and malt bomb. Sweetness lingers.

GABF 2015. Labeled as "cool as a cucumber,’ and that is good name for a beer. Gold color. Some white foam. Lots of cucumber in the aroma and the flavor and I am getting salt as well, along with fresh vegetables. A good summer beer. Refreshing.