Budweiser Project 12 - 2013 Edition

Was in the Wine & Spirits section of the local grocery store yesterday, and saw the new "Project 12" 12-pack sitting at the end of one of the aisles. Tried them last year, and contrary to the opinion of many here, they weren't bad. Sure, they weren't the greatest beers I'd ever had, but they weren't bad.

Doing a little online looking at them, and Budweiser's website says they're supposed to hit shelves the 28th...looks like I get a preview. Will probably be the weekend before I get them in the fridge and have a chance to try them, but they're soon to be out there again.

From Budweiser's website:

Batch 94534 (Fairfield, Calif.): Brewed with a unique blend of North Pacific hop varieties, including Cascade and Palisade, this bold, hoppy lager is 5.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV) and offers a distinct taste of the American Northwest.

Batch 23185 (Williamsburg, Va.): Aged on a bed of bourbon barrel staves and vanilla beans, this light amber lager indulges the sweet side and features a 5.5 percent ABV.

Batch 43229 (Columbus, Ohio): Brewed with chocolate and caramel malts for a rich auburn appearance and finished on Beechwood chips for a crisp, clean taste, this deep amber lager is 6 percent ABV.



(And for all the "Budweiser is diabetic horse urine" people... Yeah, we get it. You don't like BMC. Good for you. Go get yourself a cookie.)

Good info, I'll be on the lookout. I tried them last year and had the same opinion, not bad at all. Looks like an interesting lineup this year.

Could be good beer, but from a bad company IMO. I'll pass.

I don't have high expectations, but hey, might give them a taste. They sound interesting. If they were labeled by almost any other company I wouldn't hesitate...so I figure I can't knock it until I try it.

I read that all of the Project 12 beers, while they contain varying grain and hop additions, all still use Bud's proprietary yeast (meaning they're also all lagers, similar ABV range, same basic flavor profiles). I guess that's fine if you want to explore variations on the same theme, but it's really not a very adventurous product for them to make.

It would be more interesting if they had tried some different styles like ales, stouts, etc.

I'd be interested in trying the Batch 43229.
I'm not a fan of what Budweiser puts out. It's not snoobery or anything, I just don't care for what they brew.

Yum. If the price is right, I'd love to try them.

Regardless of the company...I basically try any new beer I can find. Even some breweries that have terrible beers again and again...you never know how it will taste until you try.

If you ever tour a Budweiser brewery, they always have some really good "craft" style beers in their tasting room. They typically would never in a million years think about releases them for sale for the reason expressed above, the Budweiser name is cursed by most craft beer drinkers.

Of course, that's why they release them under brands like Goose Island, Bass, Becks, Boddingtons, Hoegaarden, Leffe, Spaten, and Stella Artois

angrysparrow said:

I read that all of the Project 12 beers, while they contain varying grain and hop additions, all still use Bud's proprietary yeast (meaning they're also all lagers, similar ABV range, same basic flavor profiles). I guess that's fine if you want to explore variations on the same theme, but it's really not a very adventurous product for them to make.

Click to expand...

There's a craft brewing in my town that sells a wheat ale, a stout, an amber ale, a pale ale, and an IPA.

They use the same yeast (US-05) for all of them. Would you call them all "variations on a theme?" I assure you - they all taste dramatically different.

angrysparrow said:

I read that all of the Project 12 beers, while they contain varying grain and hop additions, all still use Bud's proprietary yeast (meaning they're also all lagers, similar ABV range, same basic flavor profiles). I guess that's fine if you want to explore variations on the same theme, but it's really not a very adventurous product for them to make.

It would be more interesting if they had tried some different styles like ales, stouts, etc.

Click to expand...

It's pretty common for breweries to only use one yeast strain. Founders uses the same yeast for all of their beers, except one (I forget which). Bells does too, IIRC. I wouldn't say they are unadventurous. I know there are a ton of other single yeast breweries that I can't remember now.

kombat said:

There's a craft brewing in my town that sells a wheat ale, a stout, an amber ale, a pale ale, and an IPA.

They use the same yeast (US-05) for all of them. Would you call them all "variations on a theme?"

Click to expand...

No, because they are indeed producing different styles. Unless I'm missing something, all of the Project 12 brews are lagers.

I don't have a bias against what they're trying, I'd just like to see them attempt more different styles.

I've only tried one of the Project 12 options, and it was okay. I've certainly had craft brews that I've enjoyed far less.

I enjoyed the Project 12 amber, especially at $6.99 a six pack.

If the exact same beer was released by Russian River with some hipster label/name and cost $12.99 a six pack, everyone would be raving about it

angrysparrow said:

No, because they are indeed producing different styles. Unless I'm missing something, all of the Project 12 brews are lagers.

Click to expand...

Right. And all of the brews made by the brewery I mentioned are ales.

angrysparrow said:

I don't have a bias against what they're trying, I'd just like to see them attempt more different styles.

Click to expand...

You understand "lager" is not a "style," right?

You understand there are many different kinds of "lagers," right?

"Light American Lager" is just one style of lager. Granted, it's the most popular, but it's still just one. No one would claim that German Pilsner, Doppelbock, and Rauchbier were "variations on a theme." But they're all lagers, along with at least a dozen or so more. Not to mention the unique spin that could be put on any of the dozens of ale styles by fermenting them with a lager yeast. What would a Milk Stout taste like if fermented with a German Bock lager yeast? I have no idea, but I bet it would be worlds away from "Bud Lite!"

I bought the Project 12 beers last year and thoroughly enjoyed them and will do so again this year.

I'd buy it if I saw it, didnt see it around here last year and I wasn't gonna go out of my way. I had a regular Budweiser for the 1st time this summer, it was decent. I've only had BL before.

Around here regular Bud longnecks cost only .50-$1 less per 6 pack than the micros...that makes skipping them real easy.