Washington's Porter - Williamsburg AleWerks

droomyster

Virginia

3.85/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with one finger of a semi-frothy tan head. Aromas are predominately sweet, like milk chocolate, with a good amount of roastiness. Taste is consistent with the nose except that it's more complex, with a big smoky and woody element that is strong on the mid-palate and finish. The flavor intensity is bold to the point that it makes for nice sipping but not having more than one. Very enjoyable in small doses.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2010 05:24:13 | More by droomyster

afordney

Tennessee

3.45/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Black and completely opaque. No light passed through, there was absolutely no head very little bubbling on the edge of the glass.

smelled like a very appetizing porter. Malty sweet with some roasted barley and coffee aromas.

milky sweet and a caramel/coffee finish.

a little tingle from the carbonation but this one sits heavy and syrupy. Not much bitterness

a good rendition of a porter. I'd drink it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2010 22:31:55 | More by afordney

emmasdad

Colorado

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Received this one as an extra in a recent trade. Poured into the glass a rich, dark brown color, with a fairly decent light brown cap of foam on top. Pretty standard porter stuff here, both on the nose and on the palate. Roasted malt, rich dark chocolate and a little coffee. However, I also get a little molasses, some root beer and a little bit of hops. A very nice porter.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2010 04:26:01 | More by emmasdad

biglite351

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -20%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - good bit of red around the edges, but dark through the center. Medium bubbly off white head that leaves no lacing.

S - roasted malts with minor coffee and chocolate.

T - bitterness and acidic. Malts and mild chocolate.

M - decent coating with tingles on both sides of the tongue.

D - not too bad, I could have a couple.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2010 01:19:11 | More by biglite351

boatshoes

Colorado

3.23/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked this and a few others up at the Grape and Gourmet in VA Beach while doing an art show with my folks. Great shop too by the way!

Appearance- Pours an almost opaque black with a minimal sheet of tan head off an aggressive pour. Head dies back immediately to a ring.

Smell- Nose is much more muted than I would have liked but still managed to pick up notes of some mild roasted malt, a touch of coffee, and a touch of bitter chocolate. Could have stood to be more pronounced.

Taste- Palate is very mild, with just some mild roasted malt flavors and a little bit of bitter chocolate coming through. Somewhat of a disappointment here.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is rather thin and a touch watery for the style. Drinkability suffers somewhat from the thinness and lack of flavor.

Overall, not one of my favorite porters. This beer was alright but rather underwhelming in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 23:04:42 | More by boatshoes

CHADMC3

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep, rich black with ruby hues and a thin tan head that sits patiently atop the beer before dissolving to a thin lacing.

I am impressed; the smell is robust and packed with roasted malt. Other aromas include chocolate and biscuit and other sweet aromas I am having trouble identifying.

The flavor is much more roasted than the smell, packed with roasted coffee malt, bordering on burnt or smoky, with a faint hop bitterness kick toward the end and generous barley.

The mouthfeel is thinner than other porters, yet still adequate with medium carbonation.

This is a darn good beer with nice traditional flavor characteristics. The mouthfeel is just a touch light versus what I expect from the style, but everything else, and most importantly the flavor and aroma are on target.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 23:17:59 | More by CHADMC3

billab914

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into my Portsmouth snifter. Poured dark brown in color with a thin tan head mostly clinging to the sides of the glass. A thin ring around the glass remained as I drank it, but it didn't leave much lacing to speak of.

The aroma has some bitter chocolate and coffee coming through with some moderate sweetness to it. It doesn't have that strong of an aroma to it, but what it has is pretty nice. it almost has a little bit of an earthy aroma coming through as well.

The first thing I notice in the taste is the bitter and roasted malts coming through. Bittersweet chocolate, coffee, cocoa and some caramel are all present. Some sweetness comes through a little to help balance it out a bit. It finishes wit ha long lasting coffee burntness to it.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Drinkability is pretty good, I enjoyed the roasty flavors. I liked that it had a pretty strong roasted and burnt coffee and chocolate flavor to it, but at the same time had a sweetness coming through to help balance it out. That definitely made it a pretty nice drinking beer for me. A nice local brewed porter that I'm always happy to see around town, although that's unfortunately rarer then it should be.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2010 00:20:27 | More by billab914

JamesS

Indiana

3.8/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours an excellent dark brown with a bit of nice, initial head. Good deep scent, lots of roasted grains with a deep coffee aroma. Very deep roasty flavor, nice hop balance to the dark grain sweetness. Very dry mouthfeel, though, almost dry enough to make you thirsty for a different drink.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2010 17:07:13 | More by JamesS

bamadog

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review is from notes taken on 3/25/2010 and poured from the bottle to a tulip.

Appearance: Pours the darkest brown with deep mahagony/ruby highlights when held to the light; starts with a 1 and 1/2 finger milky/creamy head that's tan and fades to an uneven skim; spotty brown lacing here and there and the body is largely opaque.

Smell: Deep roasty malts, slightly burnt coffee; a near bitter and cola-like sweet presence as well.

Taste: Solid and pretty much just like the smell; dark roasty coffee bitterness and a slightly earthy/dirty aspect; slightly bittersweet chocolate and a cola-like sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Slightly creamy; solid carbonation that matches the style as it keeps the moderately thicker body lively; a nice stickiness is left all over the mouth; finishes a little dry and cottony.

Drinkability: Overall, it's a really solid porter and if I get the opportunity to pick it up again, I will gladly do so. The flavors are great and I think this would be a nice beer for the late fall or throughout the winter. Pretty manageable at 6.35% so I would feel OK about working through a couple.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 00:31:14 | More by bamadog

TMoney2591

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Pours a brown as dark as the pre-dawn at Valley Forge. Clearly, the smallish tan head is the harbinger of the coming dawn: Yes, it shall be day, but what will the sun bring? What fortunes, good or ill? A sniff of the air brings molasses, chocolate, coffee, and a faint hint of maple. These are the smells of hope, supplanting the dinge of sorrow and bland dank of hardship. These are the smells of home, of the local tavern. Ah, to see it once again: a reason to fight! Bring the men a taste: the heavy dose of coffee, the backbone of brown sugar, bitter dark chocolate, and molasses, the crisp, lingering aftertaste. They know what they're fighting for, and they know that they must press on. Inspiration arises from the strong body, austere effervescence, and mostly smooth feel. This day will bring the turn: We disencamp and march toward victory! Huzzah! Drink hardy, men!

..."Disencamp" IS a word, right?...

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2010 01:07:10 | More by TMoney2591

likethetaste

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured an almost black color with a good head that was not long lasting. Had good lacing.

Had rich smell of chocolate and coffee.

Wooa, this is pretty rich and sweeter then I expected. Good but leaves a sweet taste that lingers too long in the mouth. Too sweet and rich for me.

Mouthfeel is pretty heavy.

This is a very rich beer that is almost too much. But it is good. I prefer the local St George's English Porter that is nearby in Hampton, Va.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2010 21:32:42 | More by likethetaste

Seanibus

California

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A tasty and smooth porter, if not entirely unique.

Pours deep brown, almost black, with a dense off color head that falls to a curtain of lace and big blowzy bubbles. The aroma is strong - roasted grain, wood, chocolate, a little cream. The flavor is wonderfully roasty, with bitter chocolate and plum. There is a deep, woody bitterness on the back of the tongue, with a lingering essence of cocoa. The mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, but it winds up finishing very dry, which highlights the bitter chocolate character.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 21:40:30 | More by Seanibus

ianjsullivan

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

S: 12 oz poured into a Guinness glass

A: Not much of a head, it lingers at the sides of the glass leaving mere mist on the top. Black in color with a slight red hue at the bottom of the glass. When held to the light the red hue takes over more of the beer.

S: Smoke, roasted malt, coffee. It does not have a strong smell.

T: Strong roasted malt, smoke, and coffee. The taste mirrors the smell. It has a nice finish, the taste lingers, though it is not to strong.

M: Heavy-bodied, creamy with a lighter finish.

D: Heavier beer, however, it does not have as strong a finish as many porters I have had which allow the tongue a break.

Overall: One of the better porters I have had mostly due to the finish. It gives smoke, roast, and coffee, but, it does not overdue it.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2010 02:28:25 | More by ianjsullivan

glid02

Georgia

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from the Brickskeller in Washington DC.

Pours one shade from black with a two-finger tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving solid lacing.

Smells of strong roasted malts with hints of dark chocolate and lighter hints of charred black malts.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Robust roasted malt flavors up front are joined by semi-sweet chocolate flavors midway through the sip. The ending makes room for a bit of ashy malt flavors before a solidly bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It has a nice thickness with solid carbonation.

Drinkability is very good. I didn't have a problem finishing the bottle and could have a few more.

Overall this was a porter that had a lot of roasted malt character without coming off as astringent. At the (relatively) low ABV I was a fan and would like to revisit this in the future. Worth a shot.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2009 01:41:04 | More by glid02

Tiderion

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark brown, opaque even held up to light. Thin head, might have been the pour but very little foam in general.

S: Deep smell customary of porters, hint of chocolate perhaps.

T: Dry flavor, little bit of cocoa coming out here, hard to distinguish some of the subtleties. Overall, a great flavor though mysterious.

M: Little grainy but to be expected. Low carbonation.

D: Porters are hard to have a lot of but this one is a good one. I bet it'd go great with chocolate ice cream.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2009 03:28:54 | More by Tiderion

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3.65/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle

Dark brown/chocolate body with a large fluffy tan that has great retention and leaves a mess of sticky webs of lacing. Mild aroma of roasted malt, milk chocolate, mild smokiness. Body is very creamy and smooth, minimal carbonation or bitterness. Starts off with a milk chocolate flavor with roasted malt and mild smokiness in the background. Finish is slightly fruity and watery, very clean with little aftertaste. No hop presence. Nice flavor, but not an exceptional porter.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2009 01:05:39 | More by yourefragile

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I got this brew in a trade with adamharbaugh, Thanks Adam!

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

Black brew with a beige/khaki head that remained a layer and left some pretty heavy lacing.
The smell is sweet and roasty, nice!
The taste is good for the style (my favorite style). Blend and balance of sweet roasted malt, molases and a good shot of bitter espresso coffee near the finish.
Medium/full bodied, very creamy feel.
This brew is quite tasty and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2009 01:42:58 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

rye726

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a chocolate brown with a thick tan head. Good lacing and retention. Nose has a big roasted malt character along with cocoa, coffee, molasses, vanilla and dark fruits. Taste is also quite roasty along with fudge, burnt espresso beans and some bitter hops in the finish. Crisp body is well carbonated.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2009 03:02:19 | More by rye726

Proteus93

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Intense, chocolatey brown with a nice tan head. Quite a sticky lacing, leaving that khaki colour all over the glass. Nice stuff.

S: Rather soft aroma for the style - some of the usual suspects are noted: roasted and caramel malts, some coffee aromas.

T + M: Taste is not what I'd call soft! It's more robust with a lingering malt roast flavour that hangs out on the back of the tongue for quite some time. The body is rather full and helps that out by leaving behind a bit of a film over the palate. A good level of carbonation - not aggressive, not too light... and consistent through the mouth.

D: Certainly no problems with the taste. With the bigger body to it, it's one to be taken with a bit of time and savoured, but it's one I wish I had another of!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 05:14:16 | More by Proteus93

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks again to chaz from realbeer for this bottle. Poured into a nonic pint glass, this porter appears a clear deep chestnut color with about two fingers of fluffy ecru foam. Rather sweet smelling and tasting, but not at all overpowering. Notes of caramel, a hint of vanilla, milk chocolate, slightly bitter, medium roasted grains. Pretty tasty. Satisfying mouthfeel and adequately carbonated. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2009 16:30:16 | More by ClockworkOrange

clayrock81

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured a blackish body with offwhite head that died slowly and left lace patches. A heavy malt smell with roasted, coffee and chocolate notes along with hints of caramel. A medium-bodied porter that is a little more dry than sweet but still somewhat creamy and smooth. The roasted and coffee notes do make for an interesting blend/taste, and there is still some minor sweetness. Finishes dry and clean w/o overpowering the tastebuds. A good porter that is worth a shot to any porter fans out there.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2009 17:25:18 | More by clayrock81

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a: slight mocha head over a deep, brown-black colored beer, average retention

s: simple roasted malt nose backed with a little dark cocoa, shifts between dry roast and a light sweetness, moderate earthy hop presence

m: carbonation on the lighter side of medium, medium body

t: full roasted barley throughout, just a touch of sweetness and maybe a dusting of cocoa power leaving the roast dominant, earthy hop balance, dry finish with powerful lingering notes of charred wood and burnt barley husk

d: highly drinkable and a quality porter overall that's dead-on for the style, will purchase again

single bottle from Total Wine, Newport News, VA

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 05:38:01 | More by blackie

wingman14

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours black with a frothy tan head. The smell is somewhat odd, a sweet roasted malt smell with some odd acidic notes. Taste starts sweet with the burnt flavor and a strong malt presence. Then the odd sweet weird tones finish, then a somewhat strong burnt flavor comes through in an aftertaste. The mouthfeel is nice, decent carbonation, smooth, the balance is a bit off. This one is an ok drinker, once you get past the different flavors this is decent brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 02:16:27 | More by wingman14

Traquairlover

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

12-oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

A = Very dark almost black and impenetrable except for a slight amount of ruby red tint at the edges. Form almost no head, has light bubbles around rim of surface.

S = Very pleasing smell. Lots of sweetness of syrup, light vanilla, caramel, toasted wheat bread, but still well balanced, with definite hints of cocoa nibs or tree bark.

T = Tastes closely align with the smells, decently balanced malt flavors of toasted bread with honey, light vanilla and caramel are offset by a medium but continuous bitterness and taste of lightly burnt toast that lasts well into a decently long finish.

M & D = Carbonation stings a little more than I would like, has good medium body but mouthcoating, while medium, is a little less than I would have preferred. Overall a drinkable beer, probably not one I would want several of at a siting, but definitely one to keep on the list of preferred porters.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2009 14:38:05 | More by Traquairlover

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: Nearly black - deep brown and not quite opaque. A moderately large, densely creamy brown head with solid retention and some nice lacing.

S: Dark, roasted malts. Definite dark chocolate along with some creamed coffee in the background. Some toffee and licorice, along with earthy hops. Faintly fruity alcoholic hints as well.

T: Roasted/burnt malts up front. Dark chocolate, coffee, and lactic sweetness are all present. Some charcoal, licorice, and black currant hints. A healthy dose of earthy hops provide quite a kick for the style - interesting. This, coupled with some more burnt malt flavor, really takes off into the finish.

M: Rather thick and chewy mouthfeel. Lightish carbonation. A dry, almost puckering finish and aftertaste due to the robust hopping.

D: This is my first beer from Williamsburg, but I'm impressed. Quite robust and aggressive. Granted, it's a little rough at times and a sipper, but they didn't hold anything back on this one and I can appreciate that.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2009 22:35:51 | More by Clydesdale