The Brewing Projekt WIsktoberfest 2022

 The Brewing Projekt WIsktoberfest 2022. 

5.9% ABV. The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, Wisconsin. 

And here we have one of the least expensive Oktoberfest 4-packs I’ve seen lately, a mere $9.99. I had to give it a try. I’ll go as high as $11.99, but when they’re asking $14.99 I’m gonna pass. If this brewery sells their Oktoberfest for ten bucks, I sure as hell ain’t paying $15 for anyone else’s. 

Clear, rich amber hued, small white head.

In the nose: deep, malty goodness, classic märzen nose. Slightly sweet, earthy, perfect. 

In the mouth: Caramel-y, rich, sweet, balanced, drinkable, delicious. Tastes just like a märzen should. Medium bodied, Moderate/ low bitterness. Nothing but yum a dum dum. So help me, I like it. Traditional German-style festbier. Toasty, bready, crisp and clean. Because it's fall in Wisconsin, duh

The Brewing Projekt Thing of the Hill West Coast IPA

 The Brewing Projekt Thing of the Hill West Coast IPA.

6.9% ABV, The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Clear, bright golden hue, large ivory head. 

In the nose: big citrus and a pinch of pine. Orange rind and grapefruit zest. 

In the mouth: bitter bite kicks it off. Just a little bit juicy, then it quickly turns dry. Medium bodied, with a long, hoppy finish. 

There’s a residual sweetness, though, that comes through in the end. This needs to be cleaner and drier. Very close, but missing it by a bit.

I bought this four-pack because it was a mere $12.49 and it claimed to be of my favorite style. Didn’t quite get there, but they’re trying. 

West coast IPA with centennial hops

The Brewing Projekt Wet Hopped Dare Mighty Things IPA

The Brewing Projekt Wet Hopped Dare Mighty Things IPA. India Pale Ale brewed with El Dorado, Sabro, Wed Citra and Wet Mosaic. 

7 % ABV, The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI. 

Wet-hopped/Fresh Hop ales have been in short supply these days. Surly didn't make theirs this year, nor did Indeed. People are asking me about them, and I don't know what to say. For whatever reasons, the breweries aren't making them like they used to, I guess. Not worth the effort? Couldn't tell you. Then, out of the blue, The Brewing Projekt released three of them together, and I did something I try not to do, and spent $18 on a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans. Well, I could've gone with the Gunpowder IPA wet hop for $16, but I want more of an IPA IPA, not a tea IPA. And now I will inspect the contents and decide whether it was worth $4.50 a can, before my employee discount. 

All hazed-up, of course, bright golden hue, large, fluffy white head. Looking good. 

In the nose: Ah! That is a fresh one! Bold citrus notes, spilling out grapefruit and lemon, 

In the mouth: Juicy on the palate at the start, with bold, citrusy hop expressions. Just enough bitterness to give it my seal of approval, but not too high to bring the hazy fiends down. Medium bodied, smooth-ish, and easy-type drinking. I am enjoying this one. I'm taking notes on can #3, so I have one more to drink without thinking about it. Delightful. 

Our classic IPA w/ El Dorado, Sabro, Wet Citra, and Wet Mosaic hops

Wait, why isn't it 100% wet hop? That's the good kind, don't you know? 

The Brewing Project Double Gunpowder Double India Pale Ale

The Brewing Project Double Gunpowder Double India Pale Ale. With Citra, Centennial, Green Tea, Orange Peel and Honey. 

10 % ABV. The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI. 

Hazy (of course, naturally), bright golden tone, nearing orange, slim white head. 

In the nose: Orange peel sticks out first, then the tea rushes on in. A taste of honey. Some citrusy hop notes lurk below.

In the mouth: Smooth and mellow. The opposite of what I want in a double IPA. Tea flavor pops on top. Citrus kicks in just after. Fairly fuzzy and murky. Alcohol begins its rise. Honey takes a bow. Some good things going on. 

I can't get over how unlike the double IPAs that I like this double IPA is. I am still holding out hope that TBP will make one that I like. Couple tries left before I shut the door forever. 

I'm moving on to a Sticker Fight next, to reunite me with the style of Double IPA I want to drink. 

Even bigger citrusy IPA brewed with green tea.

The Brewing Projekt Gunpowder IPA

The Brewing Projekt Gunpowder IPA.

6.8 % ABV, The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI. 

And here we have a unique offering from The Brewing Projekt of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the brewery voted least likely to win a spelling bee. The last time I had a Brewing Projekt beer, I was disappointed and declared that I would take a break from them. This one was bought before I said that. It was a mere $9.99 for a 4-pack, almost unheard of in these days of the non-stop $18.99 DDH DIPA with marshmallow fluff, lactose and jellybeans. I had to reward them with a purchase. On the other hand, it is a Tea IPA (not a TIPA)....and on the other other hand, every time I try a tea beer I usually end up liking it. 

So how is it? 

Lightly hazed, bright golden color, large and lasting ivory head, leaving lace. 

In the nose: Expressive citrus/fruity notes, with a side of pine. Tea notes slowly but assuredly peek on through. Lovely. 

In the mouth: Starts out bright and juicy, nicely hopped, mild bitterness. Delicate tea flavors start to unfold from below it all. Medium body, easily drinkable. Citra and Centennial are really bringing it in full effect, all the bright citrus and pine, gunpowder filling in on the side. Tasty. I can dig it. 

Citrusy IPA brewed with gunpowder green tea.

The Brewing Projekt Citra Patrol Double IPA

The Brewing Projekt Citra Patrol Double IPA.

I thought that I'd take a chance on this beer. After all, it was "merely" $14.99 for the 4-pack for a double IPA. Normally, a DIPA from these guys would be $17-22. What was different about this one?

I didn't find out until after I bought it that this DIPA is only 6.7% ABV. This was missing from the label. I discovered it after the fact. Seems like a lie. But, I didn't know that then. And I liked the art and the name that referred to a video game I played in my youth. 

I wrote these notes on drinking the final can of the four: 

Clouded-up, bright golden, slim white head. 

In the nose: Big citrus, powerful lemon/lime, with a squeeze of orange, all the time, with a slice of tropical on the side. 

In the mouth: Sweetness plus citrus. Utterly lacking in bitterness. Barely negligible in hop flavors on the palate. Lots od Citra flavors & plenty of fuzz. 

Too much sweetness for me. Don't call it an IPA, especially not a double! It's pleasant enough, innocuous, but lacking in every attribute of an IPA. Far too sugary, and once again, how the hell do you call something a double IPA when it's not even 7 % ABV, and it has virtually no hop bitterness!

I feel very ripped off, and will be taking a hiatus from The Brewing Projekt for a while. 

Oliphant / The Brewing Projekt Collaberal Damage West Coast IPA

Oliphant / The Brewing Projekt Collaberal Damage West Coast IPA.

7.5 % ABV. Oliphant Brewing, Somerset, WI, in collaboration with The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI. 

Clear, bright golden color, large, creamy white head. Looking great. 

In the nose: Bold citrus notes, with hints of tropical and a pinch of pine. Vibrant and lively. 

In the mouth: Juicy at first, then turning ultimately dry on the palate. Hops aplenty in this, with grapefruit, tangerine, papaya, and a side order of dried apricot and peach. Long-lasting hop bitterness lays hard on the palate. This hits me right where I live. 

Quite delightful, this. I may have to go back for more. 

West Coast IPA brewed w/ Cascade, Amarillio, Talus & Simcoe Hops!

the BREWING PROJEKT x OLIPHANT BREWING Collab brew!

The Brewing Project Major Vida Mexican Lager with Orange Blossom Honey

The Brewing Project Major Vida Mexican Lager with Orange Blossom Honey.

6.5 % ABV. The Brewing Project, Eau Claire, WI. 

And here we have a beer that is not usually likely to find itself in my fridge. When I read "Mexican lager" on the label, it's just not going to go into the shopping cart. But, I got it for free, on Cinco de Mayo. So, naturally, I waited six days to drink it. And here we go...

Clear, bright golden hue, short-lived white head. 

In the nose: Some citrus and sweetness, light floral hops, some malt. 

In the mouth: Light. Easy. Boring. Bland. Faint glimmer of orange. Small amount of hops, whisper of malt. Clean. Well-balanced. Achingly free from flavor. That is, until the honey pipes up, just a little bit. Okay, I get it now. It is what it is. And that's fine. 

But, it's not for me, that's for sure. 

Mexican lager brewed with orange blossom, honey and Motueka hops.

The Brewing Projekt Skullduggery West Coast IPA

The Brewing Projekt Skullduggery West Coast IPA. Double India Pale Ale with Simcoe, Centennial, and Amarillo. 

7.2 % ABV. The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI. 

This is the 5th appearance of The Brewing Projekt in the Nib over the past three years, including that collaboration with Oliphant. This is curious, since their last appearance was in July, and yet I haven't bought any of their beers since, though new ones appear almost weekly at the retail store where I currently work. People say that they're creative, but I think they're promoting illiteracy. They can't spell "jungle juice" right, or "smoothie", or even "project", for goodness sake. All the labels look like outtakes from Adventure Time. Everything's a variation on a smoothie sour, or is called "Puff" or something. And anytime they make a regular ol' IPA that's not a milkshake or a some shit, it's always $17-$20 a 4-pack. Who needs it!

And then I saw this one. $14.99. West Coast style. Double IPA. Okay, let's try it out, and hope they don't pull a switcheroo and make it a hazy without saying anything, as is the custom these days. 

Holy Crap! It's clear! What the---?!? Bright golden, too, with an ample stash of ivory head on top. I never would have believed it. 

In the nose: citrus and pine with a special added pungency, all very lively, bold, and almost aggressive. Highly likable, this. 

In the mouth: Exactly what I'm looking for in this style. Big hops, big bitterness, 100% piney and citric. Medium bodied, slight sweetness, all the classic West Coast hop bitterness ringing in full effect. And the alcohol content isn't quite high enough to really call it a double IPA, I am feeling something and the hop presence on the palate feels double enough. Tasty hoppy treat. Even, if I may, yum a dum dum. 

I give this one my firm stamp of approval. Although, I can get Ninja vs. Unicorn for $4 less, so I may not pick it up too often. Still, nice surprise from these guys. 

The Brewing Projekt Things Of That Nature: Could Care Less Double IPA

When I saw that the Brewing Projekt had a series of Double IPAs named after common grammatical/spelling errors, my interest was naturally peaked. I was peaked because I saw the price tag. $22.49 for a 4-pack!? There was no way I would of paid that much! Unless, it's dry-hopped with Citra, Houtere and Simcoe! Now, we're talking!

Okay, cracking open a $5+ can of beer, keeping my fingers crossed...

The Brewing Projekt Could Care Less (Things of That Nature Series)
Double NE IPA with Citra, Simcoe and Moutere. 8 % ABV.
The Brewing Projekt, Eau Claire, WI.

Man, is it hazy! Bright golden-is, large white head...it's the paragon of hazies, here, folks.  So hazy!

In the nose: Soft and lovely. A big spread of citrus. Trickles of pine, perhaps. Ultimately pleasant.

In the mouth: Short spank of bitterness on the palate, then just a little juicy, turning dry at the end. Soft and "pillowy" on the mouthfeel. Light bodied, and easily dranked. Citrusy, slightly piney flavors persist throughout. Alcohol slowly creeps in, until...there it is...right on time.

This is tasty. Delicious, even. I approve. But, not $5.62 a can approve. I'm going back to IPAs that aren't crazy expensive.

The Brewing Projekt’s mission is to create damn good beer. Not beer that EVERYONE will like; rather beer that many will love. Boring just isn’t our style. If that’s what you want… Go somewhere else.

The Brewing Projekt Oh Snap! Hazy IPA

The Brewing Projekt Oh Snap! Hazy IPA. With Citra, Simcoe, and Sabro.
6.7 % ABV. The Brewing Project, Eau Claire, WI.

It's a strange time, as we all know. Lately, it's been hard to find a beer around here. (Though it's getting better.) On a particular Wednesday of last week, I set out for some beer, and found the liquor store closest to me, a mere 3 block walk, still boarded up after riots and looting. (Still, today, too.)
I thought about all the stores down the street, most, if not all, named after the street, Lake Wine and Spirits, Chicago-Lake, Hiawatha-Lake, etc, and how they were all looted. And Minnehaha-Lake was burned down. Zipp's, too, closed to looting. My bike had a flat (my tire pump went missing, the bike shop nearby was still closed due to COVID, and the gas stations I would go to to use their pump...burned or closed due to looting), I still don't drive, and I was picking my options due to walking distance, before picking the bus.

These are not complaints. I am not complaining. These are first world problems, white privilege problems. I'm not dead. I'm never been harassed by police due to my race. (Due to other things, but that's another story.) I'm just saying how it is.

So, I head to another store that I thought would be fine, being far from the looting zone. It was all boarded up. There's the looting zone, and the fear of the looting zone. I walk a few more blocks, and head up to a store I thought would be safe and they were putting the final nails in the boards. Okay. Keep on walking, and the next place is open, but the windows are boarded. A manager is guarding the door, keeping the customers inside to a minimum. Masks are mandatory. Everyone is keeping social distance. And I'm impressed at the selection. This place, Franklin-Nicollet Liquors, used to be the closest store to me years ago, and I rarely went there. I'd go out of my way to Zipp's for the better selection. This time, the craft section had widened significantly. Most of my choices for purchase were beers I can get most anywhere, but love to drink. Having so much time off during quarantine means more time to drink. I can only have so much Snapple before I've got to crack open a beer. Got to have the good old good ones. Steel Toe Size 7, Surly Furious, Three Floyds Alpha King, and one more.

I was surprised that they had The Brewing Projekt, which has really been hyped up these days, though I've been skipping them. I look on ye olde Nib, and I've only reviewed two of theirs, one was the Hero Project collaboration with Oliphant, and the other the Cryo Citra Dare Mighty Things IPA. In the review, I said "I hope there are more to come." And this was nearly two years ago.

So why did I pass them over again and again? Price. I just hate the $20 4-pack. I hate it to Hell. And this one was a mere $16 4-pack. Or $15.50 or something. And I bet those $20 4-pack beers are good, and I just might go back to pick some up, if they still have them, because I don't know, maybe the hype is worth it...I still hate that price. This is one reason I will buy Steel Toe Sticker Fight every time I see it, the $11 6-pack price. And it's awesome.

Enough of that jibber jabber, let's talk about this beer:

No slouch in the haze department. Dull orange color. Huge white head, leaving lace, looking good.

In the nose: Pow! Bam! Whoa! Hop resins wafting out with wild abandon, citrus explosion. Nice! Fruity, but dry.

In the mouth: Yow! Powerful meets delightful. Bursting with citrus, profoundly juicy, smooth and delicious. Slight sweetness steps ahead of mild bitterness, swims about til it turns dry on the palate. Easy drinking. Quite consumable. This one goes down well and good.

Again, I went through the first three quickly and with great aplomb, leaving this last one for the review. And I wish I had more. It's very good.


OH SNAP! ⁣
Is that a UFO? Starlink? Space Force? A hazy IPA bulked up with Citra, Simcoe & Sabro hops?!⁣
⁣
Probably the last one. ?⁣
⁣
Oh Snap is prepped for launch and set to blow your mind.?

The Brewing Projekt Dare Mighty Things IPA-Cryo- Single Hop-Citra

Here we have the first beer from this brewery to appear in the Nib, aside from the collaboration with Oliphant that came out last year. I hope there are more to come.

The Brewing Project Dare Mighty Things IPA-Cryo- Single Hop-Citra (Is that what it's called?). New England IPA. 6.4% ABV. The Brewing Project, Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

Highly hazed, bright orange, thick perfect ivory head.

In the nose: Big blast of bitterness, at first, then along comes the citrus. Brash and bold orange, grapefruit, lemon, a little bit floral, too. Traces of tropical towards the end.

In the mouth: Hop bitterness jump in and mellows out. So smooth. Smooth, fruity, while strong and fierce. Quite a juicy one, too. Medium bodied, fully flavored. Tasty and delicious and all that. A nice iteration of this style, even if I remain nonplussed by the trend.

I can't find anything further on this one, anywhere, and I've looked. There's a quote from Teddy Roosevelt on the can, but it tells us nothing about the beer. Oh, well, 'tis what 'tis.

Oliphant / Brewing Projekt Hero Squad

Oliphant Brewing and The Brewing Projekt present…

Hero Squad Collaboration Team Up. A Bright Red Belgian-style Ale with Currants and Mosaic Hops. 6% ABV.
In brewing, it’s called a collaboration. In comics, it’s a team-up. Here he have them both. The Brewing Projekt, established in 2015, is a concern I've never heard of until now, located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. These cans are not available in Minnesota, unlike the crowlers from Oliphant themselves, but my friends over there slipped some cans across the border for me, those sweethearts.

Solid redness, very hazy, slim white head.

In the nose: lightly fruity and floral. Some citrus notes. Sweet and lovely. Very nice.

In the mouth: Plump and bulbous. A sweet thing in the mouth, but balanced and ending on a dry note. Medium bitterness, lush malt, very clean and a pleasure to drink. Sweet malt kept in check and provides delights.

Good beer and you can sure as heck drink it.

On the label: “The acid storm was fierce….Unrelentless. Mr. Glass was transported through the rain portal. Gem boy meditates. In his quartzite heart drums the book’s rhythms. The book of forgotten power….the book of fire. Together they are quasi-dimensional time heroes. Together they are….”

It’s strange for me to say such a thing, but maybe they’ve read one too many comic books over there at Oliphant. I’m kidding, of course. I want to see them go even further with the weird stuff.