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The Stout Hall of Fame

The Stout Hall of Fame

After careful consideration, the time has come to nominate and induct the inaugural class of the Stout Hall of Fame! The Stout landscape has certainly exploded over the past few years and there are many Stouts worthy of induction. For our inaugural class, I want to recognize the Stouts that started it all! Those who were around 10 years ago when Stouts were only a winter beverage. While a few…

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My Dry January.....

My Dry January…..

As we exited 2019, I saw the social media chatter about “Dry January”. As I better understood what it was, I thought it would be a good idea to participate. It’s been some time since I took a break from the Stout circuit and figured that some time away would reset my palate, give me some perspective and get me off to a healthy start in 2020. Now that we’re in February and I successfully achieved…

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The Stout of the Union!

The Stout of the Union!

With all of the recent hubub about the State of the Union address here in the US,  I thought I’d share a few hundred words about the STOUT of the Union!  I’m pleased to tell you that it has never been better!  The variety, the quality and the selection is the best in stout history!  Also, stouts are available more during the entire year than ever before!  Let me expound on a few things that have…

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Santa's Stash is coming to town!

Santa’s Stash is coming to town!

Until this year, whenever I hear Bruce Springsteen’s version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” on the radio, I officially declare it the holiday season.  This year, I may have found something else to signify that the holiday season is here:  the nail pull pour of Santa’s Stash from Compass Rose!

Compass Rose is a small brewery in Raleigh, North Carolina that resides in a nondescript…

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It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…..

Now for many of you, this is a seasonal holiday song made popular by both Andy Williams and Johnny Mathis  However, for the Stoutwhisperer and many other Stout lovers, the most wonderful time of the year is now.  It’s Stout season and we will raise our Stout glass this Thursday, November 1, by celebrating International Stout Day!.  The traditional beer calendar associates Fall with cooler…

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Surly's Darkness Weekend

Surly’s Darkness Weekend

This weekend was a big weekend in Minnesota….I mean Wisconsin.  The good people at Surly Brewing held their 11th annual celebration of Darkness, their renowned Russian Imperial Stout.   Because of the popularity of the event, they moved it from their brewery in Minneapolis to the Somerset Amphitheater in Somerset, Wisconsin.  Moving the celebration to a location more suitable for a festival like…

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Is there still a Stout Drought? In years past Stouts were considered cold weather beverages.  The summer months were reserved for the IPA crowd and the Stout lovers had to wait for the temperatures to cool before the tasty dark elixir made a triumphant return to the shelves and taps.

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I haven’t posted much lately so I’m going to combine a couple of ideas into one post!

April was North Carolina Beer month which celebrates the 200+ breweries from the mountains to the ocean. There were beerfests across the state, in Asheville, Charlotte, the Triad, and here in the Triangle, where Brewgaloo was held.  The Triangle Brewers Association also had  a weekend of fun and they recognized those local brewers in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.

I celebrated NC Beer month in a few ways:

I created “The Tollwhisperer” a wonderful cuvee blend of @Raleighbrewing BA The Toll and The Toll conditioned with cacao nibs. It was a wonderful nectar that the good people at Raleigh Brewing should take note of and consider for a future release!  The barrel aging and the chocolate notes combined well and made for a tasty Stout that was a one of a kind treat!

Mrs. Stoutwhisperer and I took a trip to Asheboro to visit Four Saints Brewing Co. It’s a wonderful brewery/taproom in downtown Asheboro that had the feel of a local neighborhood gathering spot. Locals were welcomed by first name and visitors were welcomed as if they were a local.  The two people tending the bar were very helpful and accommodating. If  I were an Asheboro resident, I could see how Four Saints would be a regular stop!

I also enjoyed the following NC Stouts:

The cocoa and vanilla variant of Heavyweight Champ from Trophy Brewing

A 2016 vintage of Drunken Vigils from Southern Pines Brewing

A 2016 vintage of Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate

  I extended NC Beer month by a few days and enjoyed MDXXI, an Imperial Mexican Chocolate Stout from Twin Leaf Brewery

Mrs. Stoutwhisperer and I also took another road trip to Waxhaw (south of Charlotte) to visit The Dreamchasers Brewery to pick up a couple of bottles of Wail of the Baen Sidhe, a really tasty Bourbon Barrel aged Stout with vanilla beans and chocolate.The Taproom in downtown Waxhaw is a renovated firestation!  The day we visited, all of the garage doors were wide open and everyone was enjoying the nice breeze and low humidity….a real neat place for families and locals to meet and relax!

North Carolina Beer Month is really a great chance to focus on the amazing Stouts that North Carolina has to offer.  It truly is a statewide celebration of the craft beer industry!

Following NC Beer Month, I took a look at the last couple months of my sampling and realized I hadn’t had any Stouts west of the Mississippi!  I took care of that my having a California weekend!  Here were my selections:

-Traeblod, an excellent Maple and Coffee stout from Mikkeller San Diego. This was really a tasty one!

-Goshawk’s Grasp from Horus Aged Ales out of Oceanside, CA.  A thick, chewy Stout with notes of Hazelnuts and Coffee. Loved the aroma and the taste!

-Darkstar November from Bottle Logic Brewing in Anaheim, CA.  Another incredible Stout from Bottle Logic – a bourbon barrel imperial stout brewed with molasses and rye.  I really loved what the molasses added to this one – it really softened the bourbon notes and made it a smooth Stout!

I really enjoyed my California weekend….and I’m looking forward to traveling west again soon!  Hope you will come along for the ride!

What are you favorite North Carolina or California Stouts!  Let me know!

Heads Carolina, Tails California! I haven’t posted much lately so I’m going to combine a couple of ideas into one post!

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Funky Carolina? North Buddha?

Funky Carolina? North Buddha?

North Carolina has been the fortunate recipient recently of a number of breweries who have expanded their distribution footprint into the Southeast.  Cigar City and Firestone Walker have started sharing their lineup and the next one sharing their bottles, cans, and taps is none other than Funky Buddha Brewery from Oakland Park Florida, just north of Fort Lauderdale.  In the Stout world I live in,…

[stoutwhisperer]

Nothing but Infinite Wishes at Smog City!

My weekend with two Stoutstanding Smog City Stouts - Infinite Wishes and The Nothing!

There are many positives associated with east coast living but one of the negatives is not getting exposure to many of the west coast Stouts.   There are only a few Stouts that regularly make the cross-country distribution journey – Speedway Stout from Alesmith Brewing comes to mind – while many other Stouts make it past the Mississippi River via UPS and FedEx via the lively trading community.…

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Love that Maple!

I’m a big fan of maple syrup….the smell, the taste, the romanticism about tapping a tree and letting the sap drain into a bucket.  All in all, it’s quite a wonderful nectar of nature. Not surprisingly, maple has become the adjunct du jour in the Stout world, and frankly, I’m thrilled.  The addition of maple syrup to an Imperial Stout adds taste, complexity,  a bit of sweetness and an amazing…

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Visiting Richmond, VA

Every once in a while, I get to leave the confines of my office and hit the road.  I had to head up to Richmond, VA last week for a couple of days of meetings.  Once I locked in my travel plans, I took a look at the numerous Richmond breweries and bottleshops.   Richmond is quite a hotbed of craft beer these days, so there were many more places than I could visit during the little free time I…

[stoutwhisperer]

A ToTOLLy great time!

If anyone follows my Instagram or Twitter feeds, you’ll know that The Toll from Raleigh Brewing is one of my favorite local Stouts.  To celebrate all things Toll, the good people at Raleigh Brewing decided to hold a “Fireside Chat”.  For a nominal admission price, you could enjoy unlimited pours (within reason of course) of 7 different Tolls – 2014 through 2017 The Toll as well as Rum, Bourbon…

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I scored an Epic Triple Double this weekend!

If you are into basketball at all, you know what a Triple Double is.  For those who are not basketball fans, a Triple Double is when a player achieves double digits (i.e. 10 or more) in three of the major statistical categories – points, rebounds, assists, steals or blocks.  Achieving a Triple Double is a difficult feat for most and is usually reserved for the more skilled players. I’m excited to…

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The Stout Hall of Fame - Nominees?

The Stout Hall of Fame – Nominees?

Saluting the wonderful Stout with an International Stout Day on November 2 made me start to think about a Stout Hall of Fame.  If we were to start a Stout Hall of Fame, what Stouts would be part of the initial class?  What do you think?  If I think about the rules for induction, this is what I come up with: The Stout has to be available for at least 5 years It has to be available at least…

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All about the Stout!

All about the Stout!

So the annual celebration of Stout has come and gone….Thursday, November 2 was International Stout Day…..and as Mrs. Stoutwhisperer so appropriately asked, “Why is it on a Thursday?”  Good question….wouldn’t a celebration of Stout be more appropriate on a Friday or Saturday?  As I write this, I’m enjoying a 2016 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout…..which is a 14.3% ABV Stout.  That’s best…

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Working in my backyard keeps me in my “backyard”. Enjoying a 2016 vintage of @raleighbrewing. Barrel Aged The Toll! So smooth and so tasty! Perfect to wind down a Saturday! Note to @raleighbrewing - I have a BA and DBA MILLERS Toll sleeping in my cellar! Waiting for just a the right moment to open them....can’t wait! . . . #stout #stoutwhisperer #properglassware #weekend #saturday #saturdaynight #raleigh #nc #northcarolina #rdu #ral #beer #craftbeer #instabeer #beerstagram #beertography #stoutography #beerpics #drinks #beverage #beergeek #picoftheday #photooftheday #stoutbeer #stoutseason #beeroclock #food #drinklocal http://ift.tt/2zNGkWD