Williamsburg AleWerks Coffeehouse Stout

Every once in a while you just get a craving for a particular style of beer. This longing hit me today in the form of a coffee stout. To tell the truth, what I really wanted was Spring House Planet Bean, but since I had to work earlier today I didn't have the time or inclination to take an hour and a half drive into PA for a single beer. So instead I decided to satiate my desire with a more easily attainable beer that I haven't tried before. My trip over to State Line Liquors yielded the Williamsburg AleWerks Cofeehouse Stout.

To my knowledge I have not tried anything from Williamsburg previously. They're somewhat local I suppose, being from Virginia. However, they don't have a very wide range of offerings. I imagine they are Virginia's equivalent of Twin Lakes brewing for those of us from Delaware - a relatively small brewery with a focus more on the history of beer than the current trends in the craft beer industry.

The beer pours about as dark as one could imagine. It's straight black, with no trace of light coming through even on the sides. A vigorous pour left about a 1 finger head with somewhat poor retention. I felt like I really had to try to get any head to develop on this one.

The aroma at first has a sort of tart roast to it, a decidedly coffee bean oriented smell. It's a bit faint, but it evokes the feeling one would get walking into a coffee shop. Underneath is a hint of smoke, and a touch of caramel sweetness. I do wish the aroma was a bit stronger, as you really have to stick your nose in the glass to get a whiff of this beer. However, everything that does come through is quite pleasant.

At first sip it seems a bit light but pleasant, with a mild vanilla flavor complementing the weak roast. As it's swallowed, it seems to be missing any hint of bitterness though. While it isn't cloying at all, it tastes more like coffee would if you somehow extracted any hint of bitterness, dumped a bunch of cream in, and didn't have much roast at all. Their website has this beer listed as a milk/sweet stout, which seems more appropriate, but that is not how this beer seems to be marketed at all. I went into it expecting a whole different set of flavors. As it warms up a bit I get a little bit more of a coffee roast flavor, but it's still strongly lacking in bitterness.

In the mouth this beer is moderate-light bodied, and has a low but present level of carbonation. The lactose in it leaves a thick coating in the mouth and a slick feeling. Other than that, there's not a lot to the mouthfeel... no warmth, not a ton of substance.

I have to say that I am a little disappointed in this beer. It's not bad, it's not cloying or overly sweet, it's just not what I expected given how it was labeled. If you're being introduced to coffee stouts for the first time or find them to be too bitter or over the top usually, this is probably right up your alley. However, if you're like me and want a coffee stout that's big, bold, and has a little bit of a kick to it, pass this one by.

- Adam