Paper City Brewing Company - Riley's Stout

Riley’s Stout is a classic Irish style dry stout named after the first settling family in Holyoke, MA.. The label features a cool looking coat of arms that has two lions holding a red bleeding hand. Rick Quackenbush, Paper City’s head brewer, used North American 2-row, British Roasted, and North American Flake malts along with Magnum and East Kent Goldings hops to produce this excellent Irish Stout. You won’t find a darker beer than this one. This is jet black in color and pours with a thick brown head. Pour this stout into a tall pilsner glass or large pint glass to see the cascading effect. The aroma is of sweet and roasted malts that are followed by a silky smooth mouthfeel. There are hints of coffee, chocolate, and a faint smoke flavor. This is probably one of the best Irish Stouts that we have ever had the pleasure of reviewing.

The Paper City Brewing Company was founded back in 1995 by Jay Hebert. It is located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Jay began brewing beer for his personal consumption back in 1980, when home brewing was a very unique hobby. He knew that someday he would like to own a brewery and bring the beer industry back to his hometown of Holyoke. In 1995, he converted the old manufacturing warehouse he owned, on Cabot Street, into what is now known as the Paper City Brewing Company. Jay spent most of his time converting this old warehouse into a functional, state and federally approved, microbrewery.

The Paper City Brewing Company’s head brewer, Rick Quackenbush, put out their first brew back in November of 1996. It was the Holyoke Dam Ale. They have since added several beers, with the help of assistant brewer, Jason Todd. These brews include their flagship beer, Ireland Parish Golden Ale, Cabot Street Summer Ale, India’s Pale Ale, Fire House Smoked Ale, and the two we are featuring as this month’s selections – Riley’s Stout and the Winter Palace Wee Heavy Scotch Ale.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (413) 535-1588 or check out their web site at www.papercity.com.