Late last week I received a selection of the latest beers out from Crux Fermentation Project, including the latest fresh hop ale and the return of Crux Stout to package. Here are some quick notes on each of the beers.

Strange Behavior Hazy IPA

Over the centuries, the craft brewer’s pursuit of perfection has yielded countless cases of unexpected awesomeness, and this Hazy IPA is no different – we added the ancient Norwegian Kveik yeast with its one-of-a-kind high temperature fermentation to this modern, hop-forward ale. The result is a truly unique IPA defined by distinctive flavors of grapefruit & apricot. Skål! (Limited Release: Available Sept – Dec)

It’s 6% ABV with 40 IBUs.

Pert Near Fresh Hop IPA

We love brewing with fresh hops and this year we’re excited to be brewing this early harvest IPA using the brand new McKenzie hop developed by West Coast Hop Breeding. Exclusive to the Willamette Valley, this dank varietal brings jammy berry notes to the party alongside big tropical flavors and floral aromas. It’s pert near the first fresh hop beer you’ll enjoy this season while waiting for us to brew up a few more. Cheers!

I’ve already had this, and it’s good (I’ve got reviews and print on it coming out soon). The McKenzie hop is interesting and unique from the other fresh hop varieties I’ve had this year. 6.9% ABV with 50 IBUs.

Full Gold Fresh Hop Hazy IPA

For this year’s hazy fresh hop expression, we picked our batch of BRU-1 hops at the height of ripeness to capture every ounce of their unique and explosive pineapple flavor. The result is a beer so tropically juicy it deserves an umbrella. You might even feel an island breeze with every citrusy, stone fruit accented sip. Don’t delay, drink it today and be swept away to your own personal island oasis, wherever you are. Stay golden!

Yes, apparently “BRU-1” is a hop variety name, not just (as I initially thought) indicative of hops grown at the tasting room brewery (“brew one”). This one just came out Friday the 24th, so it’s very fresh. 6.5% ABV with 45 IBUs.

Crux Stout

Stouts have a rich, deep and dark history— dating back over 400 years in Europe as a strong porter. Well, forget all that. Yes— this stout is classically dark, but close your eyes and take a sip. You’ll likely be surprised by how easy it is on the palate with notes of caramel, chocolate and roasted coffee driven by a wonderfully nuanced blend of dark crystal, black, roasted and chocolate malt. You won’t have the patience to save this one for a rainy day.

This is Crux’s original (“classic”) stout, which used to be in bottles, and now returns in new cans. 7.7% ABV with 60 IBUs.

Ribbon of Darkness Barrel-Aged Imperial Porter (2021)

Embrace the darkness with this Imperial Porter aged in Heaven Hills Bourbon barrels for six months. Brewed with Chocolate and Midnight Wheat malts for unparalleled smoothness, this pitch-black porter offers robust notes of chocolate, molasses, brown sugar, and hints of vanilla. (Released September 2021)

The 2019 version of this was excellent, so I expect this one will be, too. 11% ABV with 70 IBUs.