North East Beer Review

For this edition of Sustainable Sunday I am covering a brewery I have covered before on Sustainable Sunday. Of course, it is Beyond Belief Brewing and their Pasta Pilsner called Perigee. All of Beyond Belief Brewing brews utilise left over ingredients whether it is pasta or fondant fancies. So this is the first pasta based pilsner I have tried. So what did I think? During the course of this review I will cover the history of this beer and brewery, the pour, the taste and finally my verdict.

Inspired by a family run Italian restaurant

Beyond Belief Brewing Co (BBB) was founded by Freddie Ugo who is the great-grandson of Luigi Ugo whose family ran a London based pasta deli in the 1920’s. Freddie aimed to repurpose surplus pasta ,which ranges from misshapen spaghetti to offcuts, into beer.

After starting with homebrew experiments and overcoming technical challenges such as like pasta coagulating and clogging equipment, the brewery received an Innovate UK grant (~£350,000), enabling them to develop a facility in Hertfordshire and patent their method, which replaces up to 50% of base malt with surplus pasta/dough. Their process also saves up to 1.35 litres of water for every litre of beer brewed. Their brews are often found in the likes of Zizzi, Sainsburys and Waitrose with Zenith appearing to be their most popular.

Perigee is the sustainable take on a German-style pilsner which like many of their brews, is brewed with 50% surplus pasta and 50% malted barley. Named after the closest point of the Moon to Earth it is marketed as a ‘easy-drinking, refreshing that’s always within reach’ . Sporting a 4.6% ABV, Perigee is hopped with Saaz, Hallertau Blanc and Magnum to give this brew a malty and floral pilsner.

A golden pilsner pour

Beyond Belief Brewing Perigee pours a golden to amber colour which is clear in clarity. A thick foamy white head forms which is about two fingers thick, this settles into a consistent cap. A fine ring of lacing is left around the glass. The carbonation is lively with a consistent stream of bubbles rising up the glass. Overall, it’s a fresh-looking, well-presented pilsner that promises a clean and refreshing drinking experience.

Fresh and clean flavour

Aroma

The aroma of Perigee is clean and fresh which opens with a floral and herbal hop notes. A light hint of bread and crackers provide a degree of balance. There is a subtle citrus edge which is accompanied by a clean finish. Overall, the aroma gives every indication of a well made pilsner.

Taste

Perigee delivers a crisp flavour which commences with a light bready malt backbone that is followed by floral and herbal character. Notes of cracker and light bread are accompanied by a light citrus edge which leads into a dry finish which has a subtle lingering bitterness. The mouthfeel is light but still smooth. Overall, a well made and balanced pilsner.

Time for my verdict

To conclude, this Sustainable Sunday offers a great opportunity to sample a decent brewed UK pilsner as well as stopping food going to waste. It is always a cool prospect to think you are drinking something made of pasta and whats crazy is you can’t tell. In terms of taste, this is on the better side of UK brewed pilsners and it felt it had good depth of flavour and good degree of balance. Overall, I rate this a good 3.75 out of 5. Cheers

Where did I purchase this beer?

I bought this beer from Beyond Belief Brewing’s website. Good brews, I highly recommend.

Thanks for reading this review. If you enjoyed this review you will love my review of Beyond Belief Brewing x Green Gold Brewing Space Hops.