Café Royale - Williamsburg AleWerks

Displayed for educational use only; do not reuse.

BA SCORE
94
outstanding
-
295 Ratings

rAvg: 4.26
pDev: 10.09%
Reviews: 123
Hads: 172

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Williamsburg AleWerks

Virginia, United States

Style | ABV
Milk / Sweet Stout | 8.00% ABV

Availability: Rotating. bottle (120), on-tap (2), growler (1).

Notes:
Barrel Aged

View: Beers (20) | Reviews (4) | Events (0)

Reviews

Sort by: Latest | High | Low | Top Reviewers | Show Hads:

« first ‹ prev | 1-25 | 26-50 | 51-75 | next › last »

Reviews by BeerFMAndy:

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.35/5 rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter.
8% ABV, bottle signed by brewmaster; thanks Chaney!!

A - Pitch black to the core, even a tall pour doesn't quite coax a formitable head from this beer. A dusting of mocha foam rests briefly on the beer before disappearing into the blackness with little lace left behind.

S - Charred oak stave and notes of peat smoke waft through the cold-brewed coffee and bitter chocolate nose. Dusty, dry cocoa and heavily roasted malt follow with subtle vanilla tannins, hazelnut, and warm bourbon notes. The aroma is good but quite aggressive and rough around the edges.

T - Nutty hazelnut and vanilla bean emerge from behind the cold coffee and semi-sweet chocolate for an opening flavor that's considerably smoother than the aroma. Black French-pressed coffee grounds and mocha follow suit with a lingering finish of warming bourbon.

M - It's easy to forget through the course of this beer that it's a milk stout with all of it's roasted characteristics and charred, biting notes, but the lactose shines in feel really smoothing this beer out with a mild sweetness. Medium-full bodied, this beauty of a beer has a supple feel, especially as it warms, with oak and vanilla tannins and a dry feel that blends exceptionally well with the warming bourbon finish.

O - Café Royale was a total sleeper hit the first time I had it. I knew what to expect the second time around and this complex beer still surprised me with loads of nuances and depth. Masterfully blended, the barrel aging adds quite a bit to the beer. A dessert treat to be sure, this is one beer you don't want to miss.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 16:51:34 | More by BeerFMAndy

More User Reviews:

Casey3236

Pennsylvania

4.5/5 rDev +5.6%

06-18-2013 22:36:32 | More by Casey3236

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

4.5/5 rDev +5.6%

06-18-2013 03:22:10 | More by tommyguz

uncccegr

North Carolina

3.25/5 rDev -23.7%

06-16-2013 23:59:50 | More by uncccegr

Lucho

Florida

4.5/5 rDev +5.6%

06-15-2013 16:49:07 | More by Lucho

ChugginOil

Illinois

4/5 rDev -6.1%

06-15-2013 07:00:26 | More by ChugginOil

Ak555667

Illinois

3.5/5 rDev -17.8%

06-15-2013 00:20:45 | More by Ak555667

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.48/5 rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

$9.75 bomber from Abe's.

Pure black body, no highlights, topped by a thin dark tan head.

Aroma begins with deep roast coffee, followed by a big smack of bourbon and vanilla. Strong supporting roles for chocolate and dark fruits.

Taste follows a similar path. Deep roast coffee. Bourbon with vanilla. A big hoppy bite. Warming alcohol in the belly. Doesn't have quite the depth of KBS or Bourbon County.

Smooth and slick, would like it a hair richer.

Highly enjoyable and highly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2013 03:21:10 | More by RonfromJersey

shangwang

Pennsylvania

4.25/5 rDev -0.2%

06-13-2013 00:55:58 | More by shangwang

JMUbrewz

Virginia

4/5 rDev -6.1%

06-12-2013 16:16:33 | More by JMUbrewz

inlimbo77

Delaware

4.16/5 rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle
Plastic 16oz cup, Winter 2013 vintage

A: Pours dark black in color. Thin layer tan head sits on top for a little while. Some lacing is left, but mainly only a little due to plastic cup.

S: Vanilla. Dark chocolate. Fudge. Booze. Hints of dark fruit. Molasses.

T: Dark chocolate bitterness up front. Booze leading to vanilla flavors. Pulling some delicious coffee and fudgy flavors.

M: Full bodied. Creamy mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 17:28:20 | More by inlimbo77

skaboom420

Pennsylvania

4.25/5 rDev -0.2%

06-04-2013 00:47:57 | More by skaboom420

Chrixsus

Illinois

4/5 rDev -6.1%

06-02-2013 23:59:01 | More by Chrixsus

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.95/5 rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a deep black with loose lacing and a thin tan halo of head. The nose is a potent caramel sweetness upfront with a hint of vanilla, but little coffee or booze. The taste is obviously great caramel sweetness upfront, with a hint of bitter, roasty coffee, and very little bourbon. Rounded-out chocolatey, full-bodied, smooth sweetness without bitterness or booze defines this potent coffee BA milk stout. I'd love to drink this beer again, but think it lacks the bourbon and coffee I've come to expect with its world-class drinking status.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 01:58:13 | More by ThePorterSorter

beerinNV

Nevada

4/5 rDev -6.1%

06-01-2013 20:05:14 | More by beerinNV

rab53

Massachusetts

4.25/5 rDev -0.2%

06-01-2013 01:37:46 | More by rab53

darkstar12

Maryland

4.5/5 rDev +5.6%

06-01-2013 01:20:03 | More by darkstar12

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

4.3/5 rDev +0.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance
Inky black with a short, dark brown head that dissipates quickly.

Nose
Coffee & cream, molasses, espresso, dark chocolate and fudge. Hints of bourbon and vanilla.

Taste
Light roasted coffee with cream, molasses and caramelized sugar. Hints of espresso, dark chocolate and fudge. Milky and sugary sweet. Touches of sweet bourbon and vanilla.

Mouthfeel
Medium-full bodied, smooth, silky and sweet.

Overall
Sweet, smooth and decadent. This raises the bar for Sweet Stouts.

Serving type: bottle

05-31-2013 15:53:08 | More by justintcoons