Crux in WA

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by WhiteJordan, Dec 11, 2013.

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  1. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess that's a bit more justified. Still seems pretty expensive, but I'll probably try it on draft when (if) I see it.

    So far, the only beer from Crux I find myself buying repeatedly is the Mosaic DIPA.
     
    #21 John_M, Dec 17, 2013
  2. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I agree on the pricing, that's too high.
     
    #22 distantmantra, Dec 17, 2013
  3. SeaAle

    SeaAle Maven (1,381) Jun 24, 2012 Oregon

    Craft beer is getting way too pricey. :slight_frown:
     
    #23 SeaAle, Dec 17, 2013
  4. GiveMeNoBeer

    GiveMeNoBeer Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Washington

    Sounds like 2 different beers. Not good
     
    #24 GiveMeNoBeer, Dec 17, 2013
  5. GiveMeNoBeer

    GiveMeNoBeer Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Washington

    Their bottles must have a huge variation from the draft versions because I was really underwhelmed by the Mosaic IIPA too.
     
    #25 GiveMeNoBeer, Dec 17, 2013
  6. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    So far I've only had it on tap, and on draft it's pretty yummy stuff. I'll definitely give the bottled version a whirl when I see it (as we don't see a whole lot of kegs down here in Eugene, and when we do, it usually sells out fast), but based on your post, I can't say I'm hugely optimistic.
     
    #26 John_M, Dec 18, 2013
  7. GiveMeNoBeer

    GiveMeNoBeer Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Washington

    At least that one's only about 6 bucks
     
    #27 GiveMeNoBeer, Dec 18, 2013
  8. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Freakcake and BA Doublecross are a higher price per ounce than Cascade. Ouch.

    I love Crux and the people behind it, but those prices are nuts.
     
    #28 distantmantra, Dec 18, 2013
  9. LiquidAmber

    LiquidAmber Grand Pooh-Bah (5,734) Feb 20, 2009 Washington
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    I really, really liked the Mosaic IPA. I just had one of the new bottles; perhaps a matter of taste preference but I enjoyed the balance on this one. Not a hop bomb, but nice fresh hop taste.
     
    #29 LiquidAmber, Dec 18, 2013
  10. GiveMeNoBeer

    GiveMeNoBeer Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Washington

    Just popped the $12 Tough Love and here are my impressions:

    Opened at cellar temp: ~ 60F. Nose is not strong. Light char mixed with a little licorice. Tasting a little fruitiness and some underlying vanilla. Certainly not like most Bourbon barrel aged imperial stouts. No roast. No bourbon. Again, nothing to say this is anything but a below average beer. I'm done with Crux. Perhaps I'll ask for a taster of something if I see it on draft, but for shelling out over $50 for 4 12 oz bottles, I'm really disappointed in this stuff.

    I will say Tough Love is the closest of the 3 I opened to being interesting enough to garner some value but it still falls short of a premium beer, which $12 a 12 oz bottle suggests.
     
    #30 GiveMeNoBeer, Dec 18, 2013
  11. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,116) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    Are you describing Tough Love or "Banished" Tough Love? Picked up the barrel aged variant yesterday and heard good things, reason for the question.
     
    #31 Lansman, Dec 18, 2013
  12. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    There is only one version of Tough Love. It's part of their "Banished" line of barrel-aged beers.
     
    #32 distantmantra, Dec 18, 2013
  13. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    Yeah, I really don't understand the pricing on a lot of their stuff. I personally thought Tough Love was pretty good, and as already mentioned, I'm a fan of the Mosaic DIPA. However, the price for TL at the brewpub was $8 for an 8 ounce pour, and then a 10 ounce glass of the Mosaic was $7. That's considerably higher than any comparable DIPA or BA RIS I know of made in the NW, and I'll be damned if I understand how it's justified.

    A new brewery like Crux, just getting started, you would kind of think that they might start off with moderate pricing and gradually raise those prices depending on demand. Like you, I find their pricing a turn off, and given all the other options available in Oregon and Washington, I've pretty much stopped buying their beer (other than the Mosaic, when I see it on draft her in Eugene. Prices for the Mosaic in town are considerably cheaper than what the brewpub charges for the beer, which helps.)
     
    #33 John_M, Dec 18, 2013
  14. Lansman

    Lansman Savant (1,116) Mar 19, 2011 Missouri
    Trader

    Gotcha. I suppose I was confused due to there being listings for Banished beers on BA and I saw Tough Love without this moniker.
     
    #34 Lansman, Dec 18, 2013
  15. LiquidAmber

    LiquidAmber Grand Pooh-Bah (5,734) Feb 20, 2009 Washington
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah

    It threw me off too and unfortunately, I added a listing for Tough Love [Banished] before I realized the beer was apparently identical to the current Tough Love entry; I asked for removal of my [Banished] entry (which has 0 reviews) and addition of "[Banished]" to the current listing name so it is consistent with the other barrel entries. It'
    s still there and I think there is a backlog for product updates and I just hope it gets fixed before someone reviews under my duplicate entry (the current labels say Banished, so it will be tempting.
     
    #35 LiquidAmber, Dec 18, 2013
  16. Smurf2055

    Smurf2055 Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Washington

    Sounds like Crux Sux
     
    #36 Smurf2055, Dec 19, 2013
  17. 66jzmstr

    66jzmstr Pundit (960) Jul 17, 2005 Washington

    ISO: Bottles of Crux Sux! Is it as hoppy as last year's? This really is just Banished Series Substitute, amirite??!?
     
    #37 66jzmstr, Dec 19, 2013
  18. GiveMeNoBeer

    GiveMeNoBeer Initiate (0) Oct 14, 2013 Washington

    Batch 1 was better
     
    #38 GiveMeNoBeer, Dec 19, 2013
  19. fsck

    fsck Initiate (0) Apr 13, 2013 Washington

    I got a Tough Love bottle one trip to Portland and really hated it. Thought one review nailed it: "Very tannic, vinous, and raw".
     
    #39 fsck, Dec 20, 2013
  20. Chelsea1905

    Chelsea1905 Initiate (0) Sep 3, 2008 Washington


    It's Europe. Her right tit is pointing in the vicinity of Paris
     
    #40 Chelsea1905, Dec 20, 2013
    chinochino likes this.
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