Ricky and the Hendersons: Cucumber Blonde

Henderson Brewing Company's Ides of April 2017 was a Cucumber Blonde. Sold in honour of House of Anansi Press' 50th anniversary, this brew gave recognition the Henderson's neighbour. At just 4.7% alcohol, it was a sessionable spring ale sold in beautiful 650mL bottles with several local artists represented on the label: mine was Michael Winter's The Big Why.

The beer was a handsome golden ale topped with a lush white head. Its nose was definitely heavy in cucumber notes--more so than any other beer I've ever downed. Cool and refreshing, cukes were well represented in the flavour, too. As well, there were some slightly bitter notes toward the finish.

All in, the beer was sweet, refreshing, and innovative. A hot weather brew for sure, this cucumber blonde ale was deeply thirst quenching, though a trifle sweeter than it needed to be. Some deeper hops presence would have solidified its finish and made it elite. Still, I found Henderson's Ides of April 2017 to be a unique and captivating little ale. The marriage of cucumber and beer wasn't something that I anticipated would be enjoyable, but as often happens, I was well off the mark. It tasted fresh, sweet, and a bit crunchy.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10.