Crux Fermentation Project has released the first of three planned fresh hop beers this year, as well as a seasonal nordic Hazy IPA. The Bend, Oregon based Crux, currently runs both 12oz and 16oz can series of limited and seasonal releases, and never misses an opportunity to capture the season, current trends, or revisit past ones through major and sometimes tiny releases.

Pert Near - Fresh Hop IPA

You may think you know Crux’s first fresh hop beer of the season, afterall they have been releasing it for 3+ years, but this year it’s different.

Last year, this northwest IPA was made with classic Oregon early harvest varietal Centennial Hops, but for 2021 Crux is trying out one of the newest and pretty unknown new varieties McKenzie Hops.

Developed by West Coast Hop Breeding, the McKenzie Hop is a dank varietal exclusive to the Willamette Valley that shows off dank, and jammy berry notes alongside big tropical flavors and floral aromas.

Crux is one of the few Oregon breweries that still uses their fresh hops on the hot side, ie before the beer is chilled down for fermentation. Brewers will argue about whether hot or cold side is best, but Crux brewmaster Cam O’ Connor is using the classic method by adding 10 pounds of fresh McKenzie Hops per barrel of beer into the hopback, running the boiling hot wort through the hops before it hits the chiller for fermentation.

O’ Connor does believe in kilned bittering hop additions, dropping in one at 60 minutes boil time at .084 pounds per barrel. No dry-hops were added, instead all of the luscious flavor and aroma of hops comes from the whole fresh hops in the hop back.

Pert Near is now available in 16oz four-packs and draft
6.9% ABV, 50 IBU

Strange Behavior - Hazy IPA

The first ever Northeastern / New England-style Hazy IPA’s originated on the east coast with English yeast strains that promoted the hop and yeast matter haze in the beer as a signature characteristic. As of late more brewers have been experimenting with Norwegian Kveik yeasts instead. These ancient yeast strains are new to most of the craft brewing community, and are able to ferment at high temperatures and produce many fun and strange flavors. At first brewers were experimenting with these strains in farmhouse ales, before discovering how well they worked in Hazy’s.

“To me the Kveik yeast seems to create this bright tropical aroma when compared to more traditional yeast strains. I would say it is a combo of pineapple and with a hint of mango,” says Crux brewmaster Cam O’ Connor.

The result is a truly unique IPA defined by distinctive flavors of grapefruit & apricot coming from Citra, Centennial, and Amarillo hops layered on top of the more tropical yeast driven notes from the Kveik strain. Crux has found an optimal temperature range between 91 and 95 degrees, which is atleast 20 degrees hotter than you would ferment a beer with a typical American or European yeast strain.

Strange Behavior is available now tomorrow thru December in 12oz six-packs; replacing Lawn Party on the shelf. 6% ABV, 40 IBUs