Old Fort

I rise around 8 again. And have a quick shower and shave. I want to look my best for my first event this evening.

While sipping coffee, I browse through Modern Lager Beer. Which seems to be pretty well-researched. And I'm one of their references, which is always a good sign.

We head east to Whaley Farm Brewery at about 4 PM. It's only 30 minutes away, but I start nodding off. Despite it being quite scenic. Especially the second half, where the motorway clings to the side of a steep, tree-drenched slope, twisting in its descent to Old Fort. Occasionally slicing through the naked rock.

Old Fort is a tiny, dry town, where many of the homes are trailers. Not the most obvious place for a craft brewery. Yet Whaley Farm isn’t the only one.

It's much hotter here than in Asheville. Which makes sense, as we’re much lower.  Luckily, we aren't outside for long. Inside it's nice and cool.

We're welcomed by the always friendly Chris Whaley. His resting face is a massive grin. He immediately gets me a beer. An 1805 Barclay Perkins Brown Stout. Very nice it is, too. Not as pale as I had imagined, knowing it’s 40% brown, 60% pale malt.

Chris has brewed six beers for the event. All old Stout recipes, obviously. Two are being served on beer engines, the other four by gravity. It's an impressive lineup.

Chris Lackner, who has driven down from New York, arrives to do some videoing. He’s going to be at several of my events over the next few days.

There's quite a bit of fiddling to get the projector rigged up. As Gabe's laptop doesn't have an HDMI connection. We have to get a computer from Chris.

All forty tickets have been sold, leaving no spare seats once the crowd has trundled in. It's quite an old bunch, for the most part. With a majority not far off my age.

Jess scampers around making sure everyone is served with the first beer: 1805 Barclay Perkins Pale Stout. Which I'm delighted to sample, never having tried it before. It's pretty tasty, too. If not at all like what you’d expect a Stout to be.

The full lineup is:

1805 Barclay Perkins Pale Stout, 7.3% ABV. 6 SRM
1805 Barclay Perkins Brown Stout, 6.2% ABV, 28 SRM
1840 Keeping Porter, 8% ABV, 30 SRM
1899 Barclay Perkins Brown Stout, 7.3% ABV, 43 SRM
1925 Barclay Perkins Oatmeal Stout, 6.2% ABV, 32 SRM
1947 Barclay Perkins Imperial Brown Stout, 3.2% ABV, 38 SRM

The last one is fun. A session Imperial Stout. I just love the concept. (All except the 1840 feature in my book "Stout!".)

The talk goes pretty well. Apart from a group who keep chatting amongst themselves. A lot of questions mean that it takes a bit longer than usual: over an hour rather than 45 minutes. Not that it matters. It's not like I have to rush off somewhere else.

When the talking is done, I sell a few books. Though, weirdly, only two copies of "Stout!" The book that goes with the lecture. Experience has taught me that books sales are totally unpredictable. Which books – and how many of them people want – I find impossible to work out. I’m just happy when I get rid of a decent number.

I go and sit at the bar when everyone interested has bought books. And I get to eat some of the oysters that went with the talk. Yum! Oysters and Stout. A classic 19th-century combination.

Chris gives me some of his other beers to try. First is a powerful Barley Wine. It has the oomph I need to liven me up. The talk having really knackered me.

I have a chat with the bloke videoing me. Who drove all the way from New York. That sounds like fun.

The crowd gradually drifts away and soon it's just the staff, me, Mike and Gabe. It's a bit after nine when we finish our beer and head off into the night.

Back at Mike's, he pours me and him a pint of his Pilsner. Mike thinks it's too hoppy. It tastes fine to me.

We don't stay up too late. It's a little before midnight when we wend our weary way to bed. With no whisky helper.




Whaley Farm Brewery
178 Catawba Ave,
Old Fort,
NC 28762.
http://whaleyfarmbrewery.com/