Tough Love 2020, for all my purposes, is Perfect. It leaves NOTHING to be desired. It’s malty, rich, deep, complex, chewy, BALANCED, food-friendly, complete, and immensely thoughtful; one of the brainiest jobs EVER of crafting a great beer.
If you are going to push hard on the stylistic envelope and try to marry Lagers with Java, Luna Jo is what you pray you come out with.
Crux Fermentation Project is one of the five most significant new breweries to open in the US in the past ten years. Period.
This somewhat cloistered little city, out in the middle of the Central Oregon High Desert, is to brewing what Rome is to religion, Detroit is to cars, and Seattle is to dateless techies.
These two ales are all the evidence that any sensible person needs to conclude that Crux Fermentation Project is well and truly into its maturity as what they gave every indication of being from their outset: one of America’s great breweries.
Deschutes Jubelale is one of the best beers in the world. It has been for thirty-one years. It doubtless will be for the next thirty-one.
Here in the cradle of the world’s hops production, the use of and experimentation with hops borders on a religion. And Larry Sidor is arguably the High Priest.
As with everything else from Crux, Job One is drinkability and in that both Lawn Party and Cruising Altitude prove out among the best beers from the Northwest, in 2019.
