Stillwater
Client Brewer
in
Grand Mound,
Washington,
United States 🇺🇸
Associated Venue: Of Love & Regret - Pub and Provisions
Established in 2010
Contact
Description
Founded in 2010, Stillwater is an original nomadic beer project that utilizes the traditional brewery as if it were a studio - a place where beer becomes a canvas for creation, collaboration, and experimentation. For it’s founder Brian Strumke, nomadic brewing isn’t simply a job title. It’s a way to tell stories, engage with the world at large, and move through it on his terms.
In 2011, Strumke woke one morning to find himself anointed as one of the top new brewers in the world by Ratebeer.com - a proclamation that would change the trajectory of his life forever. Over the last 10 years, he built and scaled Stillwater® into an international business, capturing broad attention with it’s multidisciplinary approach and award-winning products crafted worldwide.
Formerly known as Stillwater Artisanal. Brian is from Baltimore, MD but has relocated to Seattle. Stillwater was tied to the Brooklyn, NY scene and importer / brewery Twelve Percent. Beers have been brewed at various breweries, but with many coming out of Twelve Percent's North Haven, CT brewery. Now Brian has brought Stillwater to the state of Washington and set down roots. Stillwater beers are brewed at Talking Cedar as of late 2023/early 2024.
A dozen years after pioneering the “nomadic brewing” model, Stillwater® has planted roots in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time, all production of its inventive and style-bending beers is concentrated at one location under founder Brian Strumke’s oversight and control: Grand Mound, Washington’s Talking Cedar. Opened by the Chehalis Tribal Enterprises in 2020, Talking Cedar is a 35,000-square-foot complex that houses a state-of-the-art brewery with a 60-barrel brew house, rows of 120-barrel fermenters, and multiple oak foedres.
In 2011, Strumke woke one morning to find himself anointed as one of the top new brewers in the world by Ratebeer.com - a proclamation that would change the trajectory of his life forever. Over the last 10 years, he built and scaled Stillwater® into an international business, capturing broad attention with it’s multidisciplinary approach and award-winning products crafted worldwide.
Formerly known as Stillwater Artisanal. Brian is from Baltimore, MD but has relocated to Seattle. Stillwater was tied to the Brooklyn, NY scene and importer / brewery Twelve Percent. Beers have been brewed at various breweries, but with many coming out of Twelve Percent's North Haven, CT brewery. Now Brian has brought Stillwater to the state of Washington and set down roots. Stillwater beers are brewed at Talking Cedar as of late 2023/early 2024.
A dozen years after pioneering the “nomadic brewing” model, Stillwater® has planted roots in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time, all production of its inventive and style-bending beers is concentrated at one location under founder Brian Strumke’s oversight and control: Grand Mound, Washington’s Talking Cedar. Opened by the Chehalis Tribal Enterprises in 2020, Talking Cedar is a 35,000-square-foot complex that houses a state-of-the-art brewery with a 60-barrel brew house, rows of 120-barrel fermenters, and multiple oak foedres.
6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 5.5
Flavor 5.5
Texture 6
Overall 6
Can to becher glass.
Appearance: pale yellow color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: initially some lemon but that quickly faded to let in some grassy to semi-herbal sweetness
Flavor: copies the aromas in a sweet semi-herbal sort of quality; finishes grassy and herbal with a malty dryness
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; some smoothness with a stiff dryness; good carb level
Overall: not bad as a regular fairly easy drinking lager but with as many Italian styled pilsners I've had within the past year, I'm not exactly so sure this hangs with the better ones on the market.
Appearance: pale yellow color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: initially some lemon but that quickly faded to let in some grassy to semi-herbal sweetness
Flavor: copies the aromas in a sweet semi-herbal sort of quality; finishes grassy and herbal with a malty dryness
Texture: light to medium bodied; sessionable; some smoothness with a stiff dryness; good carb level
Overall: not bad as a regular fairly easy drinking lager but with as many Italian styled pilsners I've had within the past year, I'm not exactly so sure this hangs with the better ones on the market.
Tried
from Can
on 06 Jun 2026
at 20:48
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
The perfect drink to finish your day or starting your morning, a kind of breakfast and a solid imperial stout with an interesting with the licorice, roasted malt, coffee, dark chocolate, dry hop at the final, boozy and subtle, 19.10.20, at Epalinges.
Tried
from Can
from
Biervana
on 27 Apr 2026
at 13:43
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy yellow semi-haziness with a one finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: lemony, piney and citrusy hop notes; clean malts
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a bittersweet quality; finishes semi-piney & lemony
Texture: medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper; light smoothness, subtle bitterness
Overall: definitely a better batch, this one I could have again.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: glossy yellow semi-haziness with a one finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: lemony, piney and citrusy hop notes; clean malts
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a bittersweet quality; finishes semi-piney & lemony
Texture: medium bodied, leaning into being a sipper; light smoothness, subtle bitterness
Overall: definitely a better batch, this one I could have again.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Feb 2026
at 15:07
4.3/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 4
Flavor 3
Texture 4
Overall 5
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: dark copper close to amber color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: clean malts in the front with some muted melon to citrusy hops (doesn't seem like these hops reach their potential)
Flavor: combines the prior noted aromas to a bitter quality with a stiff sweetness underneath; finishes muted hoppy toned with the malts
Texture: medium to full bodied, not really sessionable or a sipper and I believe that's because of the ABV to hop astringency ratio
Overall: not exactly sure what happened here.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: dark copper close to amber color with a finger's worth of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: clean malts in the front with some muted melon to citrusy hops (doesn't seem like these hops reach their potential)
Flavor: combines the prior noted aromas to a bitter quality with a stiff sweetness underneath; finishes muted hoppy toned with the malts
Texture: medium to full bodied, not really sessionable or a sipper and I believe that's because of the ABV to hop astringency ratio
Overall: not exactly sure what happened here.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Feb 2026
at 14:59
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 7.5
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Reviewed from notes.
Can to becher glass.
Appearance: copper/orange color with a finger and a half of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: fresh clean laundry, lemon scent, freshly cut grass, light notes of other citrusy hops, subtle wheat malt base
Flavor: combines the prior noted aromas to sweet quality with a light bitterness underneath; finishes somewhat lemony and grassy with a touch of wheat
Texture: light bodied, sessionable, some smoothness but also some hop bitterness
Overall: yup, it's a session IPA and a pretty good one.
Can to becher glass.
Appearance: copper/orange color with a finger and a half of white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: fresh clean laundry, lemon scent, freshly cut grass, light notes of other citrusy hops, subtle wheat malt base
Flavor: combines the prior noted aromas to sweet quality with a light bitterness underneath; finishes somewhat lemony and grassy with a touch of wheat
Texture: light bodied, sessionable, some smoothness but also some hop bitterness
Overall: yup, it's a session IPA and a pretty good one.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Feb 2026
at 14:50
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: yellow semi-haziness with a two finger white foamy head which trailed off nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: citrusy, floral, funky and some rice; really light tropical fruity tone underneath
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a slightly sweet to funky quality; finishes semi-rice-like with floral and citrusy tones
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, light smoothness, subtle dryness
Overall: what an odd beer. What style was this supposed to be again? Oh yeah, a saison. I think I could do this again.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: yellow semi-haziness with a two finger white foamy head which trailed off nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: citrusy, floral, funky and some rice; really light tropical fruity tone underneath
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas to a slightly sweet to funky quality; finishes semi-rice-like with floral and citrusy tones
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, light smoothness, subtle dryness
Overall: what an odd beer. What style was this supposed to be again? Oh yeah, a saison. I think I could do this again.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Feb 2026
at 14:37
7.1/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7.5
Texture 7
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Can to becher glass.
Appearance: semi-cloudy yellow color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: floral, grassy and lemony hops with a nice clean maltiness
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together in a sweet to bitter sort of way; finishes floral and malty
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, good smoothness
Overall: nice enough lager worthy of coming back to and probably would be nice with it's respected food.
Can to becher glass.
Appearance: semi-cloudy yellow color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: floral, grassy and lemony hops with a nice clean maltiness
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together in a sweet to bitter sort of way; finishes floral and malty
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, good smoothness
Overall: nice enough lager worthy of coming back to and probably would be nice with it's respected food.
Tried
from Can
on 23 Feb 2026
at 14:28
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Reviewed from notes.
Bottle to becher glass.
Appearance: orange in color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: citrusy, piney and earthy hops; light clean malts
Flavor: copies the aromas to blend leaning into the bitter side of bittersweet; finishes semi-citrusy and earthy
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, light smoothness, bitterness is invasive to the tongue
Overall: nice enough AIPA I might have again.
Bottle to becher glass.
Appearance: orange in color with a two finger white foamy head which dissipated nicely to leave some light lace
Aroma: citrusy, piney and earthy hops; light clean malts
Flavor: copies the aromas to blend leaning into the bitter side of bittersweet; finishes semi-citrusy and earthy
Texture: light to medium bodied, sessionable, light smoothness, bitterness is invasive to the tongue
Overall: nice enough AIPA I might have again.
Tried
from Bottle
on 23 Feb 2026
at 14:18
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8.5
Texture 8
Overall 8
a: dark brown coloured body | rich tan head
a: tobacco | rich earth | dark cacao
f: pitted fruits | roasted grains | nutty finish
t: caramelised sugars | lactose | creamy end
o: polished malts | rich sugars throughout | enjoyable & aged well!
16 ounce can | Beer Table Pantry: New York (Grand Central, 42nd Street), New York | 30-November-2018 | US$8,99 | no can date | sampled: 12-February-2026
a: tobacco | rich earth | dark cacao
f: pitted fruits | roasted grains | nutty finish
t: caramelised sugars | lactose | creamy end
o: polished malts | rich sugars throughout | enjoyable & aged well!
16 ounce can | Beer Table Pantry: New York (Grand Central, 42nd Street), New York | 30-November-2018 | US$8,99 | no can date | sampled: 12-February-2026
Tried
from Can
from
Beer Table Pantry
on 12 Feb 2026
at 23:07
7.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7.5
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
Reviewed from notes; consumed 02/07/2019.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: burnt orange cardboard haziness with a finger and a half's worth of white foamy head which took it's time to dissipate then allow some messy spotty lace
Aroma: some orange to melon to peachy and pear-like hop aromas playing with a light biscuity maltiness
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together in a fairly bittersweet juicy sort of way; mild finish of oranges and melon-like hops
Texture: medium bodied, leaning towards being a sipper; nice low carb, pretty smooth along the tongue
Overall: I'd say a pretty nicely done NEIPA I would return to.
Can to tulip.
Appearance: burnt orange cardboard haziness with a finger and a half's worth of white foamy head which took it's time to dissipate then allow some messy spotty lace
Aroma: some orange to melon to peachy and pear-like hop aromas playing with a light biscuity maltiness
Flavor: blends the prior noted aromas together in a fairly bittersweet juicy sort of way; mild finish of oranges and melon-like hops
Texture: medium bodied, leaning towards being a sipper; nice low carb, pretty smooth along the tongue
Overall: I'd say a pretty nicely done NEIPA I would return to.
Tried
from Can
on 12 Feb 2026
at 20:57