I haven’t been in to Crux Fermentation Project nearly enough since they opened, when I was able to sample their very first beer (Just in Time Northwest Pale Ale), and in that time they’ve brewed some five or six beers—including the most recent, a Bavarian Hefeweissen that was the first brew to come out of their open fermenters. On Friday I was able to rectify this, as my wife and I stopped by in the evening for the sampler with all five of their beers on tap.

The sampler itself consists of six five-ounce tasters for $10; since they only have five of their own on tap right now, I opted for a second pour of the Hefeweissen for the sixth beer.

The beers, in order that I drank them, along with a few notes I jotted down, are:

Bavarian Hefeweissen: Very traditional, lots of clove and banana esters; very good and refreshing, nicely yeasty and bready. Perfect for a hot day.

Off Leash Northwest Session Ale: Fantastic nose, lots of floral and sweet citrus aromas. Woody-hoppy flavors without being too bitter; herbal with sage. Big dandelion bitterness at the back.

On the Fence Northwest Pale Ale: Sourish-floral nose, not as pungent as Off Leash. Nice roasty malt body combines with the hops to give it a bit of a steely character.

Sugar Daddy “Sweet” Pale Ale: Fruity ale nose (that’s very generic but exactly how I thought of it), hints of Citra hops (tropical fruit, sweetish). Sweetly malty (like light honey) over a standard pale ale.

Outcast IPA: Nice floral nose, barest hint of Nelson Sauvin hoppiness (catty/sweaty). Really clean drinking, lighter body with a deceptively mellow bitterness. Very nice, a great summer drinker for 8% abv! (Of course you need to watch out because of that!)

Overall I was very impressed. They’ve also added tables to increase their seating capacity and have outside seating as well; and business was booming on a Friday night. They’re hitting all the right marks right now, so get thee down to Crux.