Budweiser project 12

http://guyism.com/lifestyle/alcohol/meet-the-three-winners-of-budweiser-project-12.html

Bud asked all 12 of there brewmasters to make there own "batch"
3 are being put out to the public..One is actually barrel aged on vanilla and another even uses crystal malt?!?!

Do they think this is Buds "Craft" response??

Top of the cake is the goose island pint glasses they picture them in...

People who have visited Bud's factories have mentioned getting to try all sorts of beers not available to the public, experimental, craft beer offerings, even ales. It's nothing new. And to me it's a good thing. And I'm sure it is for the brewstaff as well, it probably get's tiring brewing under such exacting conditions to achieve perfection consistently in what they do. They need creative outlets too. That's why AHB supports an employee homebrewers club as well, they were given so much hops from the companyclub one year that they shared them with non member homebrewers as well, even some folks on here got them.

I see this as a good thing. I'd love to taste some of those.

And as to the goose island glasses....AHB owns Goose island. The employees probably get all sorts of cool beer swag from all the of the companies holdings.

The folks who work there, especially the brewers are no more or less passionate about beer than we are. Hence making a career out of it. Just because we're not big fans of the beer, doesn't mean they don't make an excellent and consistent product on a huge scales, and it doesn't mean that the staff is not anymore or less creative.

The interesting thing to me is why anyone would think this is a bad thing...

Why the insults and hate? I think it's a great idea, to try to encourage their professionals to branch out a little. They were limited by their yeast strain, of course, and had to appeal to the masses but they are excellent brewmasters and just about the best of the best.

And of course they'd be in Goose Island glasses. They do own Goose Island, after all.

Sounds pretty awesome to me.

If I could work for Budweiser I would in a second too.

Darn you, or maybe thank you, for reminding me...saw this at the liquor store last night and forgot to grab a box.

whoaru99 said:

Darn you, or maybe thank you, for reminding me...saw this at the liquor store last night and forgot to grab a box.

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So these are commercially available, NOW? I'd love to try them. They all sound great. An ACTUAL 1800's styled version of the beer, really? I would love to brew something like that for my vintage base ball team. Only since I'm not a fan of rice adjuncted lagers, I'd switch out to corn. But I want to try this set.

Posted it in a 100% positive way.
I am very happy that AHB is straying from there old perfected style and branching off into something new.

The glasses are great, for me it was the reason i thought about how they are moving towards the craft scene.

241 said:

Sounds pretty awesome to me.

If I could work for Budweiser I would in a second too.

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Agreed.

Personally I vowed a while ago never to support Budweiser with my money, and I'd only try something like this if someone else had purchased it. I applaud them for being able to make such a consistant product through the years, but I just can't come to terms with the way they run their business, like how they buy up breweries just for the name and abandon the original breweries and/or integrity. Case and point: Rolling Rock, Stella, now Goose Island.

Maybe one day they'll be back on my good side, but even then I'd still rather spend $16 on a 4-pack of amazing craft brew before I spend $16 on a 24-pack of their product. :/

Yeah, they are here in MN. Didn't examine the goods long enough to determine what all varieties there were...sort of assuming there is one of each in the 12-pack. Plan was to circle back around after hitting the cooler section but then I got distracted by the tequilas and never did circle back.

Good thing my GF works up the road where it was (hasn't quite made it to our small town store yet) so she'll grab me a box on the way home tonight.

whoaru99 said:

Yeah, they are here in MN. Didn't examine the goods long enough to determine what all varieties there were. Plan was to circle back around after hitting the cooler section but then I got distracted by the tequilas and never did circle back.

Good thing my GF works up the road where it was (hasn't quite made it to our small town store yet) so she'll grab me a box on the way home tonight.

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I guess I'm going to hunt them down tonight. Can't believe I'm buying them. The last time I bought anything of theirs was when Bud American Ale came out. I actually liked it enough to put away a couple cases of them. The bottles are pretty cool, or were back then at least.

I tried them out a few weeks ago. I didn't like any of the beers. They all tasted like budweiser mixed with vomit to me.

Living in Milwaukee, there are a few local beer festivals where I know I'm going to find Miller Valley Brewing, Miller's R&D group. I'm always excited to taste what they have and it's always unique and awesome.

It doesn't shock me at all that other large breweries employ passionate and creative brewers, and that they allow them to share their brews with the public.

I think Bud's craft response is buying Goose Island. We'll see what this does to the quality as the CEO has already left and Goose Island's core beers are now being brewed in AB facilities

m_stodd said:

I think Bud's craft response is buying Goose Island. We'll see what this does to the quality as the CEO has already left and Goose Island's core beers are now being brewed in AB facilities

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Two years in since the purchase their Bourbon Barrel Stouts are just as phenomenal as ever. And they have all those interesting Matilda and Sophia and whatever beers now too. Plus Nightstalker is pretty good too. So I think they're going to be fine.

metanoia said:

Personally I vowed a while ago never to support Budweiser with my money, and I'd only try something like this if someone else had purchased it. I applaud them for being able to make such a consistant product through the years, but I just can't come to terms with the way they run their business, like how they buy up breweries just for the name and abandon the original breweries and/or integrity. Case and point: Rolling Rock, Stella, now Goose Island.

Maybe one day they'll be back on my good side, but even then I'd still rather spend $16 on a 4-pack of amazing craft brew before I spend $16 on a 24-pack of their product. :/

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Oh, I didn't say that my respect for their quality means I'm buying it! I just don't like when people rag on them with "piss water" jokes and such. But the OP didn't mean it that way, and that's cool.

I will never buy an InBev product (I'm boycotting them, not that they miss me and my $10 ). But I can respect their brewmasters greatly as talented, their quality control, and their product all the same.

The dark side I see is that the combination of craft styles with AB's domination of the beer distribution system could mean less choice, not more.

I guess a potential upside might be die hard AB consumers picking up something a bit more adventurous and moving away from the if-it-was-good-enough-for-Dad-it's-good-enough-for-me mentality.

Very Interesting. I may have to pickup some at some point. IDK how good it will be but I wont knock it til I try it.

I am reminded by Sam Calagione's theory that the big brewers want to produce a bad version of a "craft beer" that is cheaper than a real craft beer. Then a lot of people will buy the cheap version and decide they don't like that kind of beer.

I tried the "Project 12" beer. Not anything great or terrible. Basically the beers have a different flavor than a standard Bud. They are still pretty light.

I don't get the hate either. They make piss-colored "swill", people complain. They hear the complaints and try to branch out more to the craft beer crowd, as good marketing would have any company do, and the same people complain.

As Revvy said, I always enjoyed their brewery tours. Got to try some really cool stuff that wasn't available in stores... and this was even 5 years ago. Craft beer is booming now so I'd imagine they've upped the ante a bit more as well.

The_Professor said:

I am reminded by Sam Calagione's theory that the big brewers want to produce a bad version of a "craft beer" that is cheaper than a real craft beer. Then a lot of people will buy the cheap version and decide they don't like that kind of beer.

I tried the "Project 12" beer. Not anything great or terrible. Basically the beers have a different flavor than a standard Bud. They are still pretty light.

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This happens in every industry though. It's business. Why spend $100 making a $500 handbag here, when I can pay someone in China to make the same $500 handbag for $10. Not saying I agree with it, but it's to be expected. InBev sells on a scale unmatched by most craft breweries. Quantity over quality. Most craft breweries are opposite... they sell far less, but you'll get a "better" product, and you'll pay more for it.

Even with beer, there will always for the cheap knock-offs because there will always be people willing to buy them. And there will always be the more expensive real thing because there will always be people to buy them.

xjmox14x said:

I don't get the hate either. They make piss-colored "swill", people complain. They hear the complaints and try to branch out more to the craft beer crowd, as good marketing would have any company do, and the same people complain.

As Revvy said, I always enjoyed their brewery tours. Got to try some really cool stuff that wasn't available in stores... and this was even 5 years ago. Craft beer is booming now so I'd imagine they've upped the ante a bit more as well.

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When they sued dogfish head just to eff with them and make them spend money???? They earned my hate.

Screw Inbev and Budweiser too. They admitted to taking beers like fransiskaner and becks, and brewing them with cheaper recipes and ingredients and selling it as the same thing.

Hope they die a horrible death.

I agree with the AbInbev hate. They create a poor product consistently, how does that make great brewers? The scale they are working at, with the same recipe over and over, there isn't even human interaction at that point, its completely automated. They use ingredients konwn to produce lower quality product to save money, as Demon stated, they buy a brewery and then sell the product with cheaper ingredients as the same thing.

Why do craft beer fans hate them? Why do small towns hate Walmart? The big giant moves in and does everything possible to eliminate all competition to sell more at a cheaper price point.

I volunteer for multiple breweries and they all want the other craft breweries to survive and make it. The more good product out there the more people will want craft beer.

Having 12 brewmasters take a bottle of bud light and add craft ingredients doesn't make for a good beer, I've still yet to see anyone say this is a good product.

Mitch Steele was a brewer at Budweiser for years. He makes pretty good craft beer last time I checked.

I don't respect ABinBev as a company, but I don't have any hate for their brewers. They are better brewers than just about (if not) all of us.

instead of trying to make craft beer, they should try to make a real pilsner.

I agree with Cheesy, Indy, and scottland. If AB-InBev doesn't respect small breweries, why should we respect AB-InBev?

metanoia said:

I agree with Cheesy, Indy, and scottland. If AB-InBev doesn't respect small breweries, why should we respect AB-InBev?

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That's a grand notion of business, but generally not how it works.

I misunderstood "Project 12".

Yes, there were 12 breweries or brewmasters involved, 6 beers made the semifinals, then based on consumer reviews, that was whittled down to 3 beers.

A 12-pack of Project 12 contains 4 bottles of each of those three types of beer (mine is chilling now...):

Golden Pilsner
Amber Lager
Bourbon Cask Lager

Just another reason for them to take more shelf space at the store.

So far I've tried the Pilsner...eh...never really liked the style anyway.

On the Amber Lager now. I prefer it to the Pilsner but it still has, IMO, the basic Bud undertone.

To the Cask next...

I actually tried two of these over turkey day the pils is meh but the one with the burbon and vanilla wasent bad

Yooper said:

I will never buy an InBev product (I'm boycotting them, not that they miss me and my $10 ). But I can respect their brewmasters greatly as talented, their quality control, and their product all the same.

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I agree with both sentiments. I do not intend to ever buy another InBev product, but I will not deny their brewmasters are some of the most talented out there.

paithian said:

I actually tried two of these over turkey day the pils is meh but the one with the burbon and vanilla wasent bad

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I think the Cask lager was the best of the three, but I won't be going out of my way to get any more of any of it. Not that it's bad, but "meh" pretty much sums it up compared to what's out there. Clarity, color, carbonation, all that's great but it's just "meh" with regard to flavor.

If they are good, i'll drink them. I like a Bud every now and again. Especially at a ballgame.

My wife picked up some of this a few weeks ago. The batch aged on bourbon staves and vanilla beans (23185) wasn't too bad. I could drink a few of those on a hot summer day for sure. I didn't care much for the other two. In fact, I couldn't really taste much difference between them.

I think it would be great if AB could produce some "craft" type beers that aren't targeted towards the average beer drinker. I think these were geared towards the average Budweiser drinker who thinks craft beers are too "hoppy" or too <fill in blank>.

Growing up and living in STL I have always like AB, even when I started to appreciate craft beers. My wife and I take our kids to Grant's Farm here in town and at the end of the day we like to stop in the beer garden and get our free beer. I know a Shock Top isn't a real witbier, but it really hits the spot on a hot day. Greatest part of them buying Goose Island is I can get that on tap at Busch Stadium now when I catch a game!

I think AB respects craft breweries... So much that they are beginning to apply the "craft images" and concepts to their business. If AB didn't respect the craft industry they would have never attempted to implement craft beer into their line up. I look at it from the angle that AB respects, and in a weird way, is scarred of them so much that they are trying to dive into the craft business themselves. Same with miller-coors. And why does AB get so much attention on here where is the miller-coors bashing- some of their stuff is just as bad if not worse- take batch 19 for example or even leinenkugel...

I think that AB and Miller- Coors mess up when they jump into the craft industry and make "clean beers. WE WANT DIRTY FULL FLAVORED BEER! I think if that means prices get raised so be it people pay... At least you'll really be competing in the craft market then.

I saw these at Sam's Club last weekend and was intrigued but I NEED bottles so are they twist or pry caps? I am not a huge fan of AB but they make one of my favorite big 3 "craft" summer brews in Shock Top so they get a chance when they market something new.

Twist off, as much as I tried to fool myself using the opener.

whoaru99 said:

Twist off, as much as I tried to fool myself using the opener.

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That is what I figured and why I passed on them. Maybe I will give them a shot sometime in the new year.