Due to the intrinsically limited placements, getting any beer into the New World Beer & Cider Top 30 is a huge achievement, but what Lakeman Brewing have achieved here is so much more. It took some effort to halt my curiosity, but I’ve saved my review of the Supreme Beer winner for last.
Primate is definitely a pilsner in the modern, hop-forward mode. That’s no longer a new approach to the style by any means, but the absolute precision with which this beer hits that mark is nothing short of amazing.
The aroma carries fresh hay bales, gentle lime, green grape and fragile, fragrant honeysuckle. The palate is effortlessly fresh, with the fruity hop character rushing over a clean and crunchy malt base. Everything from the palate weight, to the bitterness, to the curiously intense carbonation falls into place and lands just right, forming a pilsner that’s one for the ages.
