Coffeehouse Stout - Williamsburg AleWerks

boatshoes

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 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 tinged with brown around the edges. Aggressive pour yields about a quarter inch of tan head, which dies back to a ring fairly quickly. Very small amount of lacing left.

Smell- Nose is primarily composed of rich medium roast coffee grounds, roasted malts, and perhaps just a tiny whiff of dark chocolate.

Taste- Similar to the nose, this beer starts off with a solid amount of medium roast coffee that is very well represented and not overly burnt tasting. Lots of roasted malt flavors in the body of the beer and finishes on a very mild note of lingering dark chocolate. Not an overpowering flavor but excellently blended I thought.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is surprisingly creamy for the style and just substantial enough. The combination of rich but not overpowering flavors and a creamy but not too thick body made this beer extremely drinkable, especially for a coffee/milk stout. Finished the bottle I had quite quickly and wished I had more.

Overall, a very good stout if you're looking for a flavorsome, drinkable, and refreshing beer. I enjoyed this.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2010 22:49:37 | More by boatshoes

DoctorB2B

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Served at near room temperature because that's just what I prefer with most of these coffee stouts.

A: A black hole of sorts ... no light coming through whatsoever. Very light brown head about 1/2 a finger high and quickly went away not leaving any lacing.

S: It's a coffeehouse for sure. In the glass, you can really get the fresh roasted coffee smell with just a hint of cocoa.

T: Again, it's all in the name. Coffee dominates with a little chocolate for balance and pleasure for the taste buds.

M: I expected thick and it's not what I got. Leaves the palate rather abruptly.

D: I enjoy this beer. It's great for breakfast or after dinner.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2010 02:15:00 | More by DoctorB2B

brentk56

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours an espresso brown color with a rocky tan cap that hangs around for a while and leaves a bit of splashy foam and viscosity around the sides of the pint glass

Smell: Rich mocha, with coffee, lactose and chocolate elements

Taste: Mocha flavor dominates, up front, with coffee and milk chocolate galore; by mid-palate, there is some welcome bitterness but, after the swallow, the sweeter aspect of this beer returns to the fore

Mouthfeel: A little flabby on the tongue as it is moderately heavy with relatively little carbonation

Drinkability: Straightforward coffee; I rather like that in this beer

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2010 01:51:32 | More by brentk56

portia99

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a Portsmouth goblet.

A - Pours a pitch black liquid - totally opaque...no light gets thru this. A thin collar of off-white bubbles guards the edge of the glass, but leaves no lacing behind.

S - Coffee, sweet cream, a bit of licorice, light alcohol, burnt malt. Nicely balanced all around.

T - Flavor closely resembles the aroma. Coffee and burnt malts right up front. Just a hint of licorice and a very light astringency enter the flavor too. Burnt and dark roasted flavors dominate. A very nice coffee beer.

M - Medium to full bodied, like prickles on the tongue from the fine carbonation, but overall the feel is quite creamy. Probably the best aspect of this beer.

D - I could easily settle in for a night and have a good number of these. The coffee is the highlight and definitely is what carries this beer...big surprise, given the name.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2010 00:48:17 | More by portia99

Pinto21

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

very little head that dissipated very quickly. Very dark brown.

Heavy malts, but sweet with definite coffee smell

taste is heavy coffee with sweet malts and a bit of roasty to a bitter hop finish. Very nice. it's balanced and still complex. It's got some bitterness from the malts too.

mouth and drink are both really good. I could drink a few. there is some bitter astringent in the finish, but not much.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2010 21:31:06 | More by Pinto21

JamesS

Indiana

3.4/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a very nice deep brown with some nice head and a bit of lacing. Nice deep scent with roastd grains and a noticable coffee aroma. Good taste, a nice stout with roasted grain flavors; a bit too much coffee for me and it did have some astringency. Went down fine, if slightly dry.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 17:26:28 | More by JamesS

twiggamortis420

Texas

4/5  rDev +1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle courtesy of bboyshatter in a recent BIF, gracias! Pours black with virtually no light around the edges. Towering cap of light brown foam that grew on the pour like one of those ash-growing snake things from a fireworks stand. Retention is great, as is the lacing.

Nose is heavy on the coffee, smells like a fresh bin of roasted coffee beans. A touch of sweet malts in the background along with some rye bread, but the coffee is downright dominant here.

Tastes strikes a much different balance, however. Sweet, lactose maltiness screams milk stout and combines with the roasty coffee to provide a Frappaccino-esque tasting beverage. Very rich, very creamy and nearly decadent. Chocolate, both dark and milk are there aplenty. Packs a helluva lot of flavor for a 5.4%'er. Interesting and tasty beer, but probably could only tank one in any given sitting.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2010 20:12:16 | More by twiggamortis420

jgasparine

Maryland

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- Poured from the bottle with a thin brown head which quickly evaporated to nothing... no haze layer, no collar, no lacing. The body was a filtered opaque super-dark brown color, which exhibited no visible carbonation.

S- A tremendously rich nose... particularly given it's 5.4% ABV... deep, dark, roasty, coffeelike... There's an undercurrent there of semi-sweet malt and mild hop aromas there as well.

T- Rich, semi-sweet candy and roasted malts dominate the palate, and the coffee flavor, while prominent, does not dominate... rather plays a supporting role, wonderfully complimenting the malts. A mild hop bitterness emerges in the finish to accompany the echo of semi-sweet malts and coffee. Again, a VERY impressive richness of flavor, given the 5.4% ABV.

M- A medium body, textured with unattenuated sugar and a moderately soft carbonation... almost a *slight* chewiness to it as well... again, very impressive given its low alcohol content.

D- Smells and tastes like an 8% imperial stout, but drinks like a common English Sweet Stout. This one is very, very quaffable... and deserves a place in the mainstream market.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2010 15:15:04 | More by jgasparine

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes. Had on 3/12/10 at Galaxy Hut.

a - Pours black with 2 inches of brown head. No retention.

s - Smells mostly of coffee, although it is not as strong as I would have thought. Also has a certain sweet smell to it.

t - Tastes of coffee, roasted malts, vanilla, and cream. A little bit of sweetness to it; pretty enjoyable.

m - Smooth and creamy. Medium body.

d - A pretty good stout. Had a nice sweet vanilla taste that mixed well with the coffee. Would try it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2010 17:53:14 | More by mdfb79

Seanibus

California

4.33/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Delicious and authentically coffee-like.

Pours a deep brown with a slight tan head. The aroma rings like a bell - clear and crisp and coffee-like. It smells exactly like a well-roasted dark bean cracked with a hammer. The flavor is sweet and strongly, authentically coffeeish, with a creamy mouthfeel, like an extreme dark roasted cafe au lait. The alcohol and bitterness are in excellent balance, the coffee flavor perfectly counterpoised with the roasted malt. This is an excellent coffee-based beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 03:01:25 | More by Seanibus

Minkybut

Virginia

3.13/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Wow!! I poured this black beer into my tumbler at 45 degrees. The beer was opaque and poured a really dark head. The smell was like pecan pith. The beer tasted like COFFEE. It had great lacing but tasted like COFFEE. Very dry mouthfeel. If you like cold coffee you will like this. I did not.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2010 19:29:59 | More by Minkybut

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Coffehouse Stout pours an almost opaque black-brown body beneath a short head of creamy dark tan - almost brown, nope, let's call it light brown... it's the color of creamy coffee. The head drops shortly to an average collar and whispy surface covering; and only minor spots and splashes of lace are left behind.

The nose is rich and full, delivering a massive display of freshly roasted and oily coffee beans and dark chocolate. It's roasty, but not char-like, and also a bit sweetish; and there's also a hint of berry-like yeasty fruitiness to it as well.

The same is true for the flavor. It's coffee-like, but sweetish. I get the oiliness of fresh-roasted beans, and lots of semi-sweet dark chocolate. It's smooth and creamy in the mouth, and that helps to bring out the flavors: fudge, milk chocolate, and golden caramel. It's not particularly bitter, but it doesn't need to be - the dark malt acidity and roasty flavors balance it. And amidst all of this, at the center, is a delicate note of yeasty berry-like fruitiness that takes on an almost floral character due to its surroundings. Hops follow, delicately along the edges of the malt, and it finishes surprisingly dry given the richness of the malt. It lingers gently, with notes of raspy, gently grassy hops and flowers.

Overall, I think I'd enjoy one of these as a regular beer out at the pub with the lads, but more than that would be way too much - and I also think its complexity and nuances would be lost and wasted. This is a beer to sit with. A sipper. A nightcap. A dessert beer. It should be enjoyed slowly. Well worth trying!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2009 14:05:43 | More by NeroFiddled

Lordsloth

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Received in a LIF from blackie. 12oz. bottle.

Dark pour with minimal head. Smells strongly of dark roasted malts and a good amount of coffee aroma. Taste is good- very good. Smooth coffee flavor- just a bit of bitterness, but softer than most coffee beers. Not too much. Mouthfeel is medium-thick- a decent stout feel to it. Drinkability is high. Not an overwhelming coffee flavor- very smooth, not too strong of an ABV. A session-coffee-stout.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2009 21:55:32 | More by Lordsloth

TheMistler

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours opaque, so dark a ruby brown as to be black. Dark tan head, not too much of it, delayed appearance. Slight lacing.

I'm a bit surprised - not upset - to detect dark fruit on the nose before the coffee aroma. Sweet but also slightly tangy berries comprise the fruit. Dark chocolate. Nice roasted coffee. A full nose, nicely and thankfully not limited to coffee.

Roasted coffee taste builds upon a milk chocolate base. Dark toast. Hint of cream. Finish is slightly dry, with a roasted quality.

Fairly thick, and yet simultaneously light bodied. Something like a soda that gone the teensiest bit flat - which sounds unpleasant but felt appropriate. Pretty easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 00:32:54 | More by TheMistler

Proteus93

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: This is the last of four bottles, and I've seen different results on pours. This one didn't yield much of a head, but it's creamy and sticking around. Some of the others had a little more foam to them.

S: The aroma is a highlight of this brew. A sweet coffee scent, paired with chocolate aromas - but not so much in a sense of being a mocha. They manage to be two distinct scents, if that even makes sense.

T: Much like the aroma, with a little more subdued chocolate - though they blend a little more on the palate than I found they did in the nose. Iced coffee with a liberal cream and sugar added, chocolate, and some roasted malts that are buried away a little.

M + D: I was pleasantly surprised by this beer. It's a tasty example of a coffee stout, and loaded with flavour. Yet it still manages to be a fairly light bodied, smooth and a little slick with a sparkling carbonation. Quite good... I just wish their seasonals were available in individual six-packs, as it's one I'd like to pick up alone from time to time!

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 03:55:35 | More by Proteus93

dirtylou

Washington

4.15/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz, thanks barrrrt

appearance: pours a very dark mahogany body into a tyranena pint, looks like motor oil, very little head and some light chocolate lacing

smell: nice roasted coffee aromas, milky sweetness, a touch of chocolate, very nice

taste: high-quality milk stout, milk chocolate and roasted coffee, a touch of smoke. roasted malts, mild bitterness

mouthfeel: something seems off here - hard to articulate but just not very smooth

drinkability: good

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 02:47:56 | More by dirtylou

blackie

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a: minimal head over a very deep brown ale the color of cola concentrate

s: smooth, creamy roast body with a highly caramelized malt center, residual sugar sweetness, melted dark chocolate and toffee, the coffee influence is mild - iced coffee style, delicately hopped

m: low carbonation and full, smooth body...the thickness is nice but a touch more carbonation would really help to carry it

t: smooth roasts dominate, supported by a caramel malt backbone and full dextrinous sugars, creamy chocolate presence, lingers with a mild bitterness and astringent roasts

d: a great little (heavy) stout from Williamsburg, an enjoyable drink all around

single bottle from Grape & Gourmet, Virginia Beach, VA

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2009 02:39:25 | More by blackie

Jimbo87

Virginia

4.45/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

In a US pint glass.

Completely opaque black brew with reddish highlights when held up right in front of a lightbulb. Smallish brown head.

Smells great. Huge coffee, slight roasted grain, but it's very hard to distinguish the two.

Taste: Some barley, but mostly delicious smooth coffee. Some milky, creamy sweetness. Balanced with some bitterness at the end. So delicious and roasty. Slight dark chocolate.

MF: medium body, smooth, lower-than average carbonation, but I like the feel.

Drinkability is extremely high. Such huge taste but pretty low abv. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who likes stouts brewed with coffee. The best thing from Williamsburg AleWerks that I've tasted. I wonder if it's because of the new head brewer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 01:22:20 | More by Jimbo87

Riverwarrior

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been waiting on this particular beer for some time and it was finally bottled recently (and this one will be my 100th review).

S = A very sweet smell upfront of caramel with roasted malts in the background.

T = Very sweet upfront like an iced caramel coffee. The sweetness hangs around for a little bit until the coffee bitterness arrives to bring a wonderful balance of flavor. The finish was fantastic with a mixture of quality coffee bean roastiness and caramel sweetness. This flavor lingered for a long time...which was great!

As the beer warmed, the sweetness became more pronounced and delicious without being cloying or syrupy.

MF = The body was on the thin side and carbonation was very low. However, it was buttery smooth and incredibly easy to drink.

On a side note, this beer was brewed with fresh Guatemala Antigua coffee.

Overall, this is quite tasty and very sessionable. In fact, I can envision my historic relative, Patrick Henry, sitting in a Virginia tavern truly enjoying this beer while talking about events of the day...LOL

As far as "coffee stouts" go, it's not the most coffee dominating stout...but, it's well balanced and tasty!

I highly recommend this one.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2009 12:23:37 | More by Riverwarrior