Belt’s Beer Garden: Primo Brews

This week I have a couple brews rated quite highly across the three major beer sites (BeerAdvocate, RateBeer, and Untappd).

Up first, a brew that scored a 99 on RateBeer, a 92 on BeerAdvocate, and a whopping 4.16 out of five on Untappd - Interboro’s Primo Remix.

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Interboro Spirit and Ales is Brooklyn, New York’s only brewery/distillery and has been crafting up brews and spirits since 2015. While their website doesn’t offer too much information on them or their brews or spirits, the brewery has a very solid 4.0 rating on Untappd and a 4.09 on BeerAdvocate (both out of five).

And today I get to try one of their new releases – Primo Remix – which was just released on July 27, just over a month ago.

This newest version of Primo Remix was brewed with pilsner and Vienna malts, hopped using Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, Motueka hops, and then double dry-hopped with Mosaic powder.

Each of the 16-ounce cans has a solid 8% ABV and just 40 IBU. But a four-pack is pricier and will set you back $20. However, you might be able to find a solo can for $8, as I was able to.

Primo Remix poured a hazy golden copper color with just over a finger of eggshell white head topping the beer. The foam quickly fizzled away into a thin ring around the edge of the glass.

On the nose, this DIPA had very intriguing aroma with a decent hoppy backing. There was a strong bubblegum-like scent that led the way with some berries, melon, and citrus fruits underneath.

The brew begins with some very light carbonation that zipped across my tongue before the flavors really began to pop.

Up first was some light citrus and dark berries. It began with a mixture of pineapple, grapefruit, lemon zest, and blackberries before shifting gears a few seconds later.

That’s when the pink bubblegum flavor really began to strike, giving off a sugary-sweet flavor that reminded me of those giant pieces of Hubba Bubba. But the gum-like taste brought with it some hoppy bitterness.

Cutting into the sweeter flavors was a sharp hoppy bite and a boozy sting, the alcohol rearing its head for a split second here. Luckily, neither of those strong flavors lasted too long and were quickly outdone by one last push of fruits – berries, melon, and grapefruit rind – that finished off the sip.

Primo Remix ended really cleanly with just a hint of dryness. And, because there was no harsh bitterness or lingering flavors, I continually went for another sip almost immediately after the previous had faded. Before I knew it, my glass was empty.

Outside of that hop bite and alcohol burn midway through, this was a very good and super sessionable double IPA. It starts and ends very nicely and, if you can find this version or their next release, it’s well worth the extra cost.

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Up next, a brew that scored 98 points on RateBeer and a 89 on BeerAdvocate - Fair State’s Pahlay’Alay.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative has made a splash since opening in 2014 - Ratebeer.com even listed them as one of the 10 best new breweries in the world in 2015.

They are Minnesota’s first Co-Op brewery, meaning that its members own part of the brewery rather than outside shareholders. And, as an added bonus, right now they’re accepting new members - for just $200 or $300, you can own part of the brewery! What a great opportunity for all Minnesotans!

They offer five canned beers that you can find around Minnesota and in a few spots in Wisconsin. But, if you visit their taproom in Minneapolis, they have quite a few more for sale, both in bottles and on draft.

Today I have a can of their year-round beer, Pahlay’Ahlay. Pahlay is a hazy pale ale brewed with Citra, Denali, and Simcoe hops, wheat and flaked oats, and has a moderate 5% ABV and 45 IBU. Each 16-ounce cans set me back $4.50.

This pale ale poured a super cloudy golden orange color with about two fingers of pure white foam topping the beer. The head slowly faded down into a ring around the edge of the glass, leaving a few clouds floating around the middle and some nice lacing on its way down.

Pahlay had an incredibly juicy aroma flowing from it. It featured loads of pineapple and softer notes of lemon, orange, grapefruit, and melon. Underneath all the fruit, the oats and wheat added some biscuity sweetness.

My first sip began with a dash of carbonation that continued to hum at a low-level underneath all the emerging flavors. It had a somewhat thicker, pillowy mouthfeel and was a little bit heavier than most pales, drinking more like a stronger IPA.

Initially, it was the pineapple that stole the show, with the distinct tart and acidic flavor taking over my taste buds.

Other fruits popped underneath, as short bursts of mango, lemon, grapefruit, and honeydew each attempted to overpower the pineapple. None were able to and, instead, they just ended up complimented the tropical plant nicely.

After a few moments, the malt profile added a flaked oat sweetness and the pineapple began to finally fade. It was replaced by the taste of grapefruit peel and slight hoppy bitterness.

From there Pahlay begins its decent and, within a few seconds, almost everything is gone. It ends mostly clean, with some moderate dryness stuck on my tongue, requiring a sip of water to fully clear.

Overall, this was a very tasty brew. Pahlay did sit surprisingly heavy and felt like I was drinking a regular IPA rather than a pale ale but it had a bunch of great tropical fruit flavors and was still really crushable.

Good stuff here.