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.
Pour is a pale blonde with a huge white head. Aroma is white pepper and floral hop. Flavor is some more of the floral hop with some green onion and some fruity ester. Finish is super dry. Part IPA and part saison. All good.
Can from Livonia Liquor. Pours a clearish, glowing straw gold with a full two fingers of fluffy white head. Passion fruit and pineapple aromas on the nose, some apricot as it warms up. More of the same on the palate with some mint and citrus flavors. Bone dry finish with slightly creamy texture, but also great carbonation. Great stuff from Brian!
Backlog June 2017. Pale golden body under a dense off-white head. Nice and complex aroma, fruity with herbs and spices. Taste is sweet malt, generic fruity, various spices and a floral touch. Both nice and exiting.
Backlog June 2018. Black body under a big beige head. Aroma has light smoked dark malt, chocolate and hint of coffee. Taste is medium sweet, dark, smooth roasted malt, milk chocolate, fruity hops and hint of caffe latte. Fine body and same aftertaste. Nice one.
Bottle split at the 'fuck me it's Kenny; tasting, thanks to Lieghton - Watford, 25/06/21. Clear golden with an off white cap that dissipates edgeward. Nose is tarte frit, light varnish, funk, damp oak twang, stoned fruits. Taste comprises funk, wood must, green berry must, light brett, soured green berries. Medium bodied, fine carbonation, semi drying close with a balanced acidic kiss. Decent.