Budweiser's Project 12 (A Beer Tasting Event Among Friends) #BrewForYou #mc #sponsored

“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Budweiser. I received a product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.”

Don't get me wrong - I love being pregnant and it goes over very well for me, but one of the things I do miss is tasting beer and wine. Sadly, my wino days have been on hold for over 30 months between two pregnancies and breastfeeding. Apart from an occasional sip, I've missed out. But this didn't stop me from hosting a beer tasting event for my dudes!


One of my little blogger perks is getting special access to fun events, and I was excited to sign up for a sampling to Budweiser's 2nd annual Project 12 event. Using the signature yeast first used by Adolphus Busch in 1876, Budweiser’s team of brewmasters develop new beer recipes that feature the clean and crisp taste we're all familiar with while expanding the brand’s offerings.

This year's Project 12 features three distinct flavors:

Beechwood Bock

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

North Pacific Style Lager

Batch 94534 (Fairfield, California): Brewed with a unique blend of North Pacific hop varieties; this bold and hoppy lager has the distinct taste of the American Northwest.

Vanilla Bourbon Cask 

Batch 23185 (Williamsburg, Virginia): Aged on a bed of bourbon barrel staves and vanilla beans, this light lager indulges the sweet side.

The dudes, as I affectionately call them, are varied in their experience in beer connoisseurism. Is that a word? I've got the hubs and his twin brother, who are wheat beer lovers. Then you've got two other dudes, who pretty much showed up because I said "free beer!" Just kidding. These two dudes are good friends of ours and those are the best to share a brew with. The dude-friends coincidentally were both dark beer lovers and one (Stu) is a closet beer reviewer. He used real tasting terms like "consistent flavors" and "smooth finish." I may have tried to convince him to start his own beer blog so that I could be his fairy blogmother. We had a good mix of tastes and experience, which are the main ingredients to a fun tasting.

So my sister-in-law and I presented the dudes with their beers and some snacks; she poured herself a glass of wine while I jealously resigned myself to a glass of water with a slice of lemon. ;)

So besides that specific style of banter that goes back and forth between guys, I was able to filter out their taste notes as they tasted each beer. 

---Vanilla Bourbon Cask---

An initial fizz that mellows out to the vanilla as the beer rolls over your tongue and tapers to a dry finish. Almost as sweet as a dessert wine.Notable quote by a dude:  "This is a great beer for someone who doesn't particularly know beer that well and would like to get into it. It's a gateway beer." 

---Beechwood Bock---
A honey sweet flavor that stays consistent throughout the tasting experience.

Notable quote by a dude: "My lymph nodes are reacting to this beer. Is that normal?"

---North Pacific Style Lager---
Amberish hues, clear, with perhaps a finish of grapefruit
Notable quote by a dude: "This beer has more hops than a family of bunnies"

Everyone really enjoyed the Vanilla Bourbon Cask, and the dark beer guys tipped their hats for Beechwood Bock. The North Pacific Style Lager didn't really go over well with any of the tasters, which was a little disappointing since we're all Seattleites. 

Learn more about the Budweiser 2013 Project 12 event. Have you seen these at your local grocery?

As always, please drink responsibly and only if you are over the age of 21.