The Big Payback
Interboro Spirits and Ales

This was yet another beer from Interboro that I picked up there and sat on for just a bit too long. Finally got around to it tonight and even though it wasn't new, it held up well as it the fruity slickness was still present in full force. The floral feel from the English Pale Ale Malt balanced that out nicely with the end result being a beer that seemed familiar up front while being different underneath the surface...

Not a bad pour to this as the liquid was golden, opaque, and somewhat cloudy. Lots of head topped this off and there were tons of soapy rings of lacing left behind once I started to work my way through this. A good amount of melon, kiwi, and floral notes on the nose with all of those coming through in the taste. Mild tropical fruit, blueberry slickness, English malt, and wheat came through in the taste as this had wonderful balance to it while not feeling like a true American Double / Imperial IPA.

There was enough alcohol in this that it could be felt though it never was a detraction, and the amount of carbonation was lively but not to the point where the flavors were quickly scrubbed away. This had quite a British feel to it without resembling an English Pale Ale or even an ESB. For something so floral and earthy, this went down nicely and was further proof that Interboro was, and still is, able to handle anything that they tackle. Glad I was able to give this one a go!

 

Served in a tulip glass right from the can.

Appearance: darker gold with a full haze to the body, Medium to heavy bubbles creating a super thick white head rising just about two finger's length.

Smell: Lemon and grapefruit skin, very light though. Wish didn't lack potency.

Taste: Not bad, though granted nothing new in the realm of IIPA. Floral and lightly piney with a smooth bitterness and lighter malts. Has a sweetness to it which makes it very refreshing.

Mouth: Semi-sticky with a medium carbonation but very full bodied.

Overall: Nice pick-up but little hefty on the price but granted I bought this from a scalper. Maybe I should go straight to the brewery. Always in a glass and still worth grabbing. Salud!

 

 

 

 

Pours a slightly hazy orange/copper color. The big white head leaves a lot of patchy lacing. Nose opens up with blueberry and follows with cut grass, grapefruit rind, and LOTS of lime.
The taste hits hard with lots of citrus, but not in a super-juicy manner. Another boatload of lime, some lemon, tangerine, and a touch of grapefruit is countered rather nicely by a mildly earthy bitterness. Pretty complex for a beer featuring the ever unsexy hop profile of Centennial and Cascade.
ABV is hidden pretty well on this one. Carbonation is medium. Mouthfeel is about medium, maybe a bit on the thin side for a NYC IPA.
This beer isn't going to blow anyone away, but it's leaps and bounds better than Overtime, Halftime, A NY Thing, Bring the Noise, and Crush Kill Destroy. A good, not great, beer worth a try if you run into it.

04/29/2017 @ Anchorage Brewing Co fundraiser/tasting.

Poured from a can dated 4/4/17. The beer pours a light yellow with a light, fluffy white head that leaves nice lacing.

The smell is like a pine forest with a little citrus in the branches. There's also a sweetness on there I'm assuming is from some malt presence.

The taste is pine forward with a small amount of malt balance but very little citrus. It has a nice floral aftertaste and a little alcohol burn on the end that's slighty unpleasant.

The mouthfeel is a little oily with medium carbonation.

Overall a decent IPA, but nothing spectacular.

 

 

 

 

Canned two weeks old, nice juicy tropical nose, hints of kiwi and mango. More of the same on the tongue, but not that overly sweet juiciness (not oj juicy), more of a pungent juiciness reminiscent of sharp fruits such as grapefruit and passion fruit. Very well done!