*I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Millennial Central for Budweiser.  I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for participating.
Last year I got my husband an at-home beer brewing kit for his birthday.  It was really fun to see him creating the beer from scratch and then get to try it once it was ready.  The process is rather long and oh, did I mention he chose my living room to set his beer barrel in?  Not ideal.  The final product turned out pretty great and he is gearing up to make another batch (Yeah! She said sarcastically…).  When he isn’t brewing his own beer (its a rather new hobby) he is a total Budweiser man.  I’m sure he likes the taste, but I know he is also into the business side of things, like the longevity, the original family run business and the marketing.  There is always Budweiser at our house.  So when I got the email about these Project 12 beers from Budweiser I just knew I had to get them for us to try.

So what the heck is Project 12?  I think it is kind of awesome.  The brewmasters at Budweiser created these three beers starting with the signature yeast used by Adolphus Busch in 1876.  This keeps the clean, crisp taste of the original but then chose ingredients found around the United States to create 3 unique flavor profiles.  North Pacific Lager (Batch 94534, Fairfield, CA) is brewed with a blend of hops found in the Pacific Northwest.  This lager has a deep gold color that is quite pretty.  Am I allowed to call beer pretty?  The Vanilla Bourbon Cask (Batch 23185, Williamsburg, VA) is aged on a bed of wood from bourbon barrel and vanilla beans.  You KNOW this is the one I went after first!  And the Beechwood Boch (Batch 43229, Columbus, Ohio) is brewed with chocolate and caramel malts…Oh yeah!  These limited-edition sampler packs will be available nationwide through the end of the year.  So go find them!

I had set up a poker night in honor of my husband’s birthday before I even knew I would be getting to try the beers.  I invited a few of his closest friends and family over and while I was going to go hide in the bedroom and let them have their guy time, I was certainly going to try out the beers too.

I’m totally in love with the packaging.  It looks totally different from the original and is very graphic yet simple.  My husband went straight for the North Pacific Lager.  Hearty, hoppy and aromatic is how my husband described it to me.  I don’t know enough about beer to be that descriptive.  I did find it tasty though.

My father in law was the first to arrive for poker.  He went right to the Vanilla Bourbon Cask.  This one had a smooth flavor and rich aromas.  It was his favorite of all of them for sure.  I am hoping to find some more of this for him.  I will totally win daughter-in-law points for that for sure.  This was my favorite too.  It had a touch of sweetness that was really nice.

Along with the beer, Budweiser sent these little beer tasting glasses.  They were perfect.  I wanted to make sure the boys had enough beer, but of course I needed to try them all too.  These will also come in handy for the next time my husband brews his own.  We’ll have to hold a tasting for that as well.  But I am guessing there will be no vanilla or chocolate notes in his.  Boo.

The batches are named after the zip codes where the beers were brewed.  And while the beers taste amazing on their own, they also lend themselves quite well to recipes.  The Beechwood Bock works perfectly in a Spiced Pecan Cheese Ball.  And how amazing do Pumpkin Bites with Vanilla Bourbon Cask Cream sound?!  Prepare puff pastry cups and let cool.  Add prepared pumpkin pie filling to each.  To create the cream, mix 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 oz. Vanilla Bourbon Cask with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Spoon over the pumpkin and eat the heck out of them.

The big winner of the night was the Vanilla Bourbon Cask.  Overall, everyone at the poker party really enjoyed this one.  Keep your eyes out for it.  You will not be disappointed!

Of course I provided food for the guys.  I didn’t try to pair it with the beers but kept it very poker-y, you know basically snacks and meats.  But it worked out perfectly.  The North Pacific Lager goes really well with cheddar, found on chips and popcorn I served and the Vanilla Bourbon Cask goes great with the bacon from the dip I served.  But don’t take my word for it.  You should hold your own Project 12 tasting.  Keep your eyes out for these beers.  In fact, if you see them, leave me a comment and let me know where!