The Swill: Storm King Imperial Stout
The Still: Victory Brewing Company
Downingtown, Pennsylvania
http://www.victorybeer.com/
The Drill: American Imperial Stout, 12oz bottle, 9.1% ABV
The Spill: Truly one of the best Imperial Stouts you'll find in a 12oz bottle, Storm King takes the drinker to new levels of unimagined depth and bitterness. Espresso-like in its dark roasted character, the mouthfeel is light enough that the drinker can enjoy a good, massive swallow of this well-made brew. At over 9% alcohol, however, it's advisable you don't get too greedy, unless you plan on sleeping it off at the same place where you drink it.
Says Bill: I haven't had the best experiences drinking Pennsylvanian beer, however, my good friend Scott insisted I try this one on tap at Naja's Place, an exquisite watering hole for beer lovers in Redondo Beach that served as the backdrop for my bachelor party in October 2008. A native Pennsylvanian, he was proud to find this beer out on the West Coast, and with good reason: it's the most comparable drink to my all-time favorite brew, Great Lakes Brewing Company's Edmund Fitzgerald Porter. On the retail shelves it retails for $12 per 6-pack out here, which is steep, but frankly, worth the price. It left such an impression on me, in fact, that I just discovered that I saved two empty bottles for my collection.
Refill?: Scott, what can I say? You know what I like. Dooood: 5 taps out of 5.