The Brux Project

A series of cellar projects by Christopher Barnes and I Think About Beer
A model similar to mine.

The Brux Project was initially inspired by the Russian River Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing collaboration beer: Brux Domesticated Wild Ale. I obtained a case and decided to taste one every 6 months to track its development. So far, I'm 10 bottles into the initial project with 2 more to go.

While this was the first beer in the project, I've since added several beers into my cellar to be tracked over time. Most of these beers would qualify as wild or sour ales featuring the Brettanomyces yeast strain, the most famous of which is Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. While the Brett yeast strain is present in most of the beers I like to cellar, it's not required. Some of the beers I'll be cellaring will just use standard yeast. Even with standard yeast, many beers are very age-worthy and will develop interesting characteristics over time.

All the beers being cellared in a temperature controlled Vinotemp wine cooler. The temperature is kept around 55 degrees Fahrenheit with the appropriate humidity level.

Orval Trappist Ale

Orval is the granddaddy of them all when it comes to modern Brett beers. First brewed in the early 1930's, Orval sought to brew something completely different than the other Trappist abbeys were at the time. Through a happy accident of a Brett infection, they succeeded!

Follow the Progress

No. 4

Bottle no. 4 Review Appearing Soon

No. 12

C'est fin!

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale

The original project! This is a Belgian-style Golden Ale brewed with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis created by Russian River Brewing and Sierra Nevada Brewing. It was only released one time in 2012.

Follow the Progress

Boon Vat 44 Oude Geuze

Created to celebrate the brewery's upgrade/expansion, Boon Vat 44 is a special release Geuze aged in a single Foeder then bottle conditioned for a longer than normal period.

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No. 3
No. 7

Bottle no. 6 review will be up soon!

Pfriem Family Brewers Brett Brux Pale Ale

Orval's famed beer has inspired many brewers to make a beer in homage to the Belgian Trappist's classic beer. This is Pfriem Family Brewers' attempt at creating an Orval like beer. So far, this version was only brewed once in 2015.

Follow the Progress

Pfriem Family Brewers Brett Trois Pale

This is the newest version of Pfriem's homage to Orval. It's using a slightly different strain of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. It's one that they've isolated as their house strain because of it's flavor and production profile.

Follow the Progress

No. 3

Bottle no. 2 review appearing soon!

No. 4

Stay tuned for the review of bottle no. 4!

Pfriem Family Brewers Brett Wit

Pfriem's Brett Wit is a throwback to an older style of Belgian Wit/Blanche prior to their yeast being cleaned up. This beer is a bottle conditioned version of their house Wit with a nice kick of the house brett.

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Westvleteren XII

Westvleteren XII is one of the most sought after beers in the world and one of the hardest to obtain. You can only get it legally at the abbey's shop in West Flanders, although there is a thriving "gray market." This beer is, by many, considered to be a quintessential Belgian Quadrupel. Dark, rich, and yeasty; Westvleteren XII is often a favorite of beer agers.

Follow the Progress

No. 5

Bottle no. 4 review will appear soon!

The Brux Project Reviews - Timeline

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 1 9/2/2012

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 1 9/2/2012

Christopher Barnes   September 2, 2012
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 2 3/7/2013

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 2 3/7/2013

Christopher Barnes   March 14, 2013
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Boon Oude Geuze Vat 44 – Bottle no. 1 – 6/6/2013

Boon Oude Geuze Vat 44 – Bottle no. 1 – 6/6/2013

Christopher Barnes   June 6, 2013
On the 19th of April, 2013, Frank Boon and Brouwerij Boon celebrated their grand re-opening with a special party and...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 3 9/2/2013

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) – Bottle No. 3 9/2/2013

Christopher Barnes   September 5, 2013
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 4 – 3/5/2014

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 4 – 3/5/2014

Christopher Barnes   March 6, 2014
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 5 – 9/5/2014

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 5 – 9/5/2014

Christopher Barnes   September 8, 2014
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 6 – 3/1/2015

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Collaboration) Bottle No. 6 – 3/1/2015

Christopher Barnes   March 5, 2015
This review is part of the ongoing "The Brux Project" at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 7 – 8/30/2015

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 7 – 8/30/2015

Christopher Barnes   September 2, 2015
This review is part of the ongoing “The Brux Project” at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 1 – 12/14/2015

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 1 – 12/14/2015

Christopher Barnes   December 22, 2015
It was only a matter of time before a brewery as adept at brewing Belgian-style beers as Pfriem Family Brewers...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 8 – 3/5/2016

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 8 – 3/5/2016

Christopher Barnes   March 8, 2016
This review is part of the ongoing “The Brux Project” at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
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Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 2 – 7/4/2016

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 2 – 7/4/2016

Christopher Barnes   July 14, 2016
Well, six months have come and gone and it's time to review the 2nd bottle from my case of Pfriem...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle no. 9 – 9/3/2016

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle no. 9 – 9/3/2016

Christopher Barnes   September 6, 2016
This review is part of the ongoing “The Brux Project” at I think about beer.  To read the details, follow...
Read More
Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 3 – 12/13/2016

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle No. 3 – 12/13/2016

Christopher Barnes   December 19, 2016
It's been one year since Pfriem Family Brewers released their  Brett Brux Pale Ale. One year ago, I did my...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 10 – 3/12/2017

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 10 – 3/12/2017

Christopher Barnes   March 15, 2017
Here we are! We're in double digits with the 10th bottle of The Brux Project (You can read about the project and...
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Pfriem Brett Trois Pale – Bottle No. 1 – 3/16/17

Pfriem Brett Trois Pale – Bottle No. 1 – 3/16/17

Christopher Barnes   March 23, 2017
This year's edition of pFriem Family Brewers' Orval inspired brettanomyces pale ale features a slightly different strain of brett. Last...
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Pfriem Brett Brux Pale Ale – Bottle No. 4 6/6/2017

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale Ale – Bottle No. 4 6/6/2017

Christopher Barnes   June 7, 2017
4 bottles in and Pfriem Family Brewers Brett Brux Pale Ale is developing quite nicely! It 's been a little...
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Pfriem Brett Wit – Bottle no. 2 11/2/2017

Pfriem Brett Wit – Bottle no. 2 11/2/2017

Christopher Barnes   November 3, 2017
Unfortunately, this review is about 4 weeks behind schedule thanks to a couple different reasons. When I returned home from...
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Orval – Bottle no. 2 28/03/2017

Orval – Bottle no. 2 28/03/2017

Editor   December 8, 2017
And now, bottle number two in The Brux Project Orval edition! Years in the making, I'm finally getting to properly...
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Pfriem Brett Brux Pale Ale – Bottle no. 5 12/12/2017

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale Ale – Bottle no. 5 12/12/2017

Editor   December 16, 2017
Two years ago, Pfriem Family Brewers released their Brett Brux Pale Ale. Their homage to Orval, the classic Brettanomyces bruxellensis spiked Belgian...
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Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 12 – 4/26/2018

Brux Domesticated Wild Ale (A Russian River & Sierra Nevada Brewing Collaboration) Bottle No. 12 – 4/26/2018

Christopher Barnes   May 9, 2018
Twelve bottles and five and a half years went into this project, the first of my cellar series and the...
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Pfriem Brett Trois Pale – Bottle No. 2 – 4/29/2018

Pfriem Brett Trois Pale – Bottle No. 2 – 4/29/2018

Christopher Barnes   July 9, 2018
Pfriem's Brett Trois Pale Ale was the 2017 release of the brewery's Orval inspired Belgian-style Brett Pale Ale. This edition...
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Pfriem Brett Wit – Bottle no. 3 4/15/2018

Pfriem Brett Wit – Bottle no. 3 4/15/2018

Christopher Barnes   July 13, 2018
This beer wasn't a guaranteed choice for aging in The Brux Project. A wit isn't a particularly age-worthy beer in...
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Orval – Bottle no. 3 14/07/2018

Orval – Bottle no. 3 14/07/2018

Christopher Barnes   August 29, 2018
A little over a year since its bottling/packaged on date and it's time for bottle number three in The Brux...
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Boon Oude Geuze Vat 44 – Bottle no. 2 08/31/2018

Boon Oude Geuze Vat 44 – Bottle no. 2 08/31/2018

Christopher Barnes   September 26, 2018
It's been five years since I opened, drank, and reviewed the first bottle of this beer. Boon Vat 44 was...
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Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle no. 6 4/15/2018

Pfriem Brett Brux Pale – Bottle no. 6 4/15/2018

Christopher Barnes   November 10, 2018
Unfortunately, I pulled this bottle a couple months too early mistaking it for another bottle I needed to review. It...
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Westvleteren 12 (8/31/16) – Bottle no. 4 11/11/2018

Westvleteren 12 (8/31/16) – Bottle no. 4 11/11/2018

Christopher Barnes   November 14, 2018
From the fall of 1914 through the end of the war in 1918, thousands of troops were stationed at the...
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