Fresh Is Best
Crux Fermentation Project
- From:
- Crux Fermentation Project
- Oregon, United States
- Style:
- American IPA
Ranked #2,931 - ABV:
- 6.9%
- Score:
- 87
Ranked #23,988 - Avg:
- 3.84 | pDev: 13.02%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 10
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Oct 25, 2025
- Added:
- Sep 15, 2024
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 0
SCORE
87
Very Good
87
Very Good
Every August, our brewers make the trip over the mountains to Goschie Farm to pick up the season’s first fresh hops – Centennial! Citrus and pine notes make this the perfect hop to transition from summer to fall. And as we all know, Fresh is Best!
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by jzeilinger from Pennsylvania
3.89/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.89/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Canned on: 9-8-25
Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can!
A - Nice medium gold colored pour with medium carbonation and a thin layer of foam resting on top.
S - Biscuity caramel malt with some light juicy citrus over top.
T - Big juicy floral and citrus dominate (especially the floral aspect) while ending with some piney bitterness overtop of biscuity caramel malt. Floral lingers on the palate long after the sip.
M - Medium body with prickly carbonation.
O - The floral aspect is almost borderline "perfumey".
Oct 25, 2025Many thx to muchloveforhops3 for this can!
A - Nice medium gold colored pour with medium carbonation and a thin layer of foam resting on top.
S - Biscuity caramel malt with some light juicy citrus over top.
T - Big juicy floral and citrus dominate (especially the floral aspect) while ending with some piney bitterness overtop of biscuity caramel malt. Floral lingers on the palate long after the sip.
M - Medium body with prickly carbonation.
O - The floral aspect is almost borderline "perfumey".
Reviewed by IPAChugger from Oregon
4.26/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
4.26/5 rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75
I found this at COSTCO tonight and threw it in the freezer. I opened it an hour later after putting it in my insulated sleeve. I didn’t pour it. Right from the can it was a great way to wash down a salty rotisserie chicken.
I loved it and will buy again.
Oct 09, 2025I loved it and will buy again.
Reviewed by AudiMike from Idaho
2.79/5 rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
2.79/5 rDev -27.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
Possibly the worst “fresh hop” IPA I have ever had.
Can was only 3 weeks old.
Tried to drink as much as possible to get an idea what to write.
Poured it out.
Not a Crux fan but it’s hard to mess up a fresh hop.
Oct 02, 2025Can was only 3 weeks old.
Tried to drink as much as possible to get an idea what to write.
Poured it out.
Not a Crux fan but it’s hard to mess up a fresh hop.
Reviewed by CoasterRider from Washington
5/5 rDev +30.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
5/5 rDev +30.2%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5
This beer pours an almost clear orange/golden color with a thin foamy white head. The aroma is sweet malt and strong tropical fruit. The taste is tropical fruit and malt grains. One of my favorite breweries for fresh hopped beers. Almost no bitterness, more noticeable in the carbonation. BOD 9-5-2024 from Safeway. Rated 10 -11-2024.
50 INUs
Jan 30, 202550 INUs
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas
4.08/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +6.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Pours an effervescent gold/honey with a little chill haze & & 2 fingers of pearl colored head. Very nice head retention & lacing
S: Floral & grassy notes, a touch of breadyness, citrus, green melon notes once warm. Wanted more from the nose, but time may not be on its side
T: A little sweet breadyness, lemon, grassy notes, some pine needle notes up front. A little dryness, Lemon drop notes, pine & lime as this beer warms up. A touch of honey sneaks in on the finish along with lemongrass, lime, cantaloupe & subtle pine
MF: Medium body, lively carbonation
Easy drinker, not a hit you in the mouth take on the style, but lovely none the less
Nov 02, 2024S: Floral & grassy notes, a touch of breadyness, citrus, green melon notes once warm. Wanted more from the nose, but time may not be on its side
T: A little sweet breadyness, lemon, grassy notes, some pine needle notes up front. A little dryness, Lemon drop notes, pine & lime as this beer warms up. A touch of honey sneaks in on the finish along with lemongrass, lime, cantaloupe & subtle pine
MF: Medium body, lively carbonation
Easy drinker, not a hit you in the mouth take on the style, but lovely none the less
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho
3.52/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.52/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
16oz can from Boise Co-op. Deep golden pour, abundant foamy white head. Aroma is earthy, grassy. Taste is subtle, caramel, woody, with some faint hoppy notes at the back. Very subdued for a fresh hop beer. Very drinkable.
Oct 15, 2024
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington
3.83/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
3.83/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25
Pours a clear golden amber with long-lasting foam in the Hopleaf goblet. Weird but interesting strong aroma of bubblegum that I have not encountered before. Lush sudsy mouthfeel is certainly nice. Taste is quite lemony but sweet rather than acidic. Rich mix of melon and a distinct bubblegum taste with some hard candy and lemon drop finish. This is maybe too much of a good thing, the flavor is so unrelenting. From the 16 oz can purchased at Bridge and Tunnel Bottleshop in Astoria. Dated 09/04/24.
Oct 04, 2024
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington
4/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
2024-09-22
16oz can served in a tulip. Canned on 09/05/24. Bought it yesterday at Beer Authority.
Pours clear light amber / dark yellow, about a centimeter of head that settles into a remarkably uniform one millimeter skin, maintaining most of its centimeter of altitude in the form of similarly thick lacing. Smell is pears, peaches, a little bubblegum. Some grain tea sweetness.
Taste is grassier, greener than the aroma suggested. Still get pears, though they're a bit on the unripe side, don't get any peaches, maybe the bubblegum has transmuted into an underripe melon. Yeah, there's definitely some relationship between the two vibes.
Mouthfeel is medium and smooth. Overall, pretty solid fresh hop. Good IPA.
Sep 22, 202416oz can served in a tulip. Canned on 09/05/24. Bought it yesterday at Beer Authority.
Pours clear light amber / dark yellow, about a centimeter of head that settles into a remarkably uniform one millimeter skin, maintaining most of its centimeter of altitude in the form of similarly thick lacing. Smell is pears, peaches, a little bubblegum. Some grain tea sweetness.
Taste is grassier, greener than the aroma suggested. Still get pears, though they're a bit on the unripe side, don't get any peaches, maybe the bubblegum has transmuted into an underripe melon. Yeah, there's definitely some relationship between the two vibes.
Mouthfeel is medium and smooth. Overall, pretty solid fresh hop. Good IPA.
Reviewed by UWDAWG from Washington
3.47/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.47/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Poured from a 16 ounce can dated 9-5-24 into a Teku glass at 49 degrees.
Look- Pale amber, moderately hazy, white creamy head, above average head retention, average lacing.
Smell- Bready, pine, between weak and medium strength of scent.
Taste- Sweet biscuit, pine, weak strength of flavor.
Feel- Medium body, slightly above average carbonation, highly creamy, highly bitter, prickly, mildly dry finish.
Overall- The pale amber color immediately alerted me that this IPA may be too malty for my palate. The bouquet was malt forward covering a majority of the fresh hop aromas that I was here for. The flavor again was masked by the overwhelming malt character hiding the flavor from the fresh Centennial hops. The feel was closer to expectation with a nice prickliness and ample bitterness, but a lingering astringency detracted from the feel. Overall this beer did not deliver on the fresh hop experience that I was looking for.
Sep 20, 2024Look- Pale amber, moderately hazy, white creamy head, above average head retention, average lacing.
Smell- Bready, pine, between weak and medium strength of scent.
Taste- Sweet biscuit, pine, weak strength of flavor.
Feel- Medium body, slightly above average carbonation, highly creamy, highly bitter, prickly, mildly dry finish.
Overall- The pale amber color immediately alerted me that this IPA may be too malty for my palate. The bouquet was malt forward covering a majority of the fresh hop aromas that I was here for. The flavor again was masked by the overwhelming malt character hiding the flavor from the fresh Centennial hops. The feel was closer to expectation with a nice prickliness and ample bitterness, but a lingering astringency detracted from the feel. Overall this beer did not deliver on the fresh hop experience that I was looking for.
Rated by DinWa from Washington
3.56/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
It's not terrible. I wouldn't buy it again. If you bought it for me, I would drink it.
Sep 20, 2024
Reviewed by NickSMpls from Washington
4.09/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.09/5 rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Canned on 9/5, just 9 days ago. Pour is a great- looking golden amber with a tight foam head. Plentiful aromas of tropical fruit, followed with a whiff of dankness. Taste is definitely FH, with a soft, full taste and low bitterness underlying a bit of sweetness from the malt. The FH shows itself with the first sip, producing an open blast of flavor.
A worthy effort for this year's FH madness.
Sep 15, 2024A worthy effort for this year's FH madness.
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