Finally, after many moons of searching, I found and was able to try one of the great domestic stouts, Victory Brewing Company's Storm King Stout. This beer consistently sits in the top 10 or so at Beer Advocate's Best Beers list, and it's notably one of the only non-Belgians to do so.

Now, for me, stouts are kind of a dangerous proposition, because I've had some wonderful stuff, and I've had stuff that tasted like it was made from recycled tire rubber. But either way, you end up full, which means that you don't have nearly as much room for sampling other brewed tasties. So I'm a bit on the skittish side. I know several stouts I'd recommend: Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and even Guinness. Beyond that, though, I'm not likely to wander too far. I usually prefer hopped-up I.P.A.s when available.

So imagine my surprise when the first flavor that hit me from the Storm King was hops, and by the bucketful. Turns out this brew brings together big malt and big hops in a smooth, complex way. Wow! It's definitely at the top of the stout list for me, and ahead of almost all of my other favorites (and yes, that includes Chimay). Trouble is, the Victory Brewing Company is based in Downingtown, PA, and they don't export this far south. I can get it in Chicagoland, though -- saw it in a grocery store there recently. Woo hoo!