Dave Link and Matt Huntley are the masterminds behind this year’s Joe’s Storyteller Stout. Photo credit - Mind’s Eye VT
It was 2020 and the first version of Joe’s Storyteller Stout was released in March as the pandemic hit. Pint Nine Brewing and I had high hopes for a fun release event that unfortunately couldn’t happen. The turnout for those to grab a bomber from the brewery was unbelievable though! I remember the comments and pictures on social media by people that went and got theirs. I will never forget Pint Nine Brewing for providing me with one of those life experiences you never thought you would have!
James Watson, brewer and co-owner from Pint Nine Brewing, told me that he thought it would be a great idea to create a new rendition of the Joe’s Storyteller Stout each year at another brewery. I couldn’t agree more! The only question I had was who might be willing to do this?
A local collaboration with exquisite coffee vendors in Omaha! Photo credit - Site-1 Brewing
I remember attending the soft opening for Site-1 Brewing in December of 2020. I had a great time visiting with Dave Link talking about the brewery. I was excited for Dave and Matt since this was an excellent location, and they had an incredible vision for what they wanted to do.
After a few visits to the brewery, I remember conversing with Dave about doing a collaboration beer. It wouldn’t be until later in the summer that the plan would come together!
It is fun but yet a daunting task to think about what to do with the second version. I was trying to think about the various styles of Stouts that I have had, including ones with coffee in them. The one that came to mind right away was a Milk Stout. I couldn’t recall having a Coffee Milk Stout. Could this be a good choice?
Check out all of the various malts and grains going into this Stout!
Matt and Dave thought it would be a fun style of beer to do, considering they hadn’t done a Milk Stout yet at the brewery. There was planning to do on the recipe and what coffees to have in the beer.
I wanted to keep part of the coffee profile from the first version, and I am a huge fan of Clout Coffee! This bourbon barrel-aged coffee is so smooth and flavorful that I couldn’t leave it out.
Right in the neighborhood of Site-1 Brewing was another coffee shop that was roasting some of the world’s finest single-origin coffees. Bad Seed Coffee & Supply at 24th and Harney had a fantastic variety of coffee. Matthew Olsen, one of the owners and roaster extraordinaire, picked out a wide variety of coffees to try for the beer!
Dave, Matt, and I met with Matthew on a Monday lunch hour to sample some potential candidates of coffee from around the globe. Every sample had such unique qualities and flavor, which made it a difficult choice! In the end, there was a Sumatra coffee that had these incredible dark chocolate notes that seemed perfect with a Milk Stout body!
I left super energized about the coffee, or was it that I was highly caffeinated? Either way, things were coming together!
Matthew from Bad Seed Coffee pouring in some of the Chocolate Malt
I always enjoy learning more about the brewing process, so the brew day was unforgettable! Matt and Dave allowed Matthew and I to take part in dumping some of the grain into the Mash Tun. Not only were there so many varieties of malted barley and oats going into this beer, but the over 300 lbs. of grain was also impressive!
So what makes a Stout a Milk Stout? It is the lactose, aka milk sugar, that adds to the creamy body of the Stout. It also provides just a touch of sweetness which will remind you of an espresso latte after adding the coffee.
Look at the beautiful stout coming to life!
There are bursts of activity during a brew day that have you reaching for the camera! The fun part is seeing the brewers methodically going through the process such as checking for gravity to make sure the beer ends up in the attended ABV range.
Matt and Dave graciously answered every question and provided tremendous insight on how they came up with the recipe. I have to tell you, brewing is part artistry and chemistry. All of the ingredients and other factors that go into making a beer are astonishing!
Beer releases are great to catch up with your great friends! Photo Credit: Minds Eve VT
Well, it was time for this Stout to ferment! I think it is always so hard to wait to see how the final product turns out. I got the message from Dave, and he asked me if I wanted to come to the brewery and see how it turned out!
The anticipation was overwhelming. The Stout got poured into the glass, and immediately I got the rush of coffee aroma. The head was thick and creamy looking, so that I couldn’t wait for the first taste!
The chocolate notes wrapped into the coffee with a touch of sweetness. The secondary notes are brown spices, bourbon, and vanilla. An incredibly flavorful Stout that came in at 5.8% ABV!
I love how the design of the label came together!
The draught release night occurred on Thursday, November 4th. This just happened to be International Stout Day which made the release even more special! It had been such a long time since I had been at an event with friends and craft beer enthusiasts.
Matt greeted us with a smile, and there were so many people at the taproom already having Joe’s Storyteller Stout when I arrived. It was fun to see coworkers and friends from the local area coming out to try the beer. This truly is a night I will never forget!
Site-1 Brewing, thank you so much for this collaboration! This has been a wonderful experience you have given me. I am counting down the days for the release of the 4-packs from your brewery.
Cheers!