Williamsburg AleWerks Brewmasters Reserve Bourbon Barrel Porter

Brewed by Williamsburg AleWerks
Style: Imperial/Strong Porter
Williamsburg, Virginia USA

Serve in Shaker, Snifter

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22 oz bomber. #1404 out of 2009. This beer was pretty good. Poured a pitch black, with a dark brown medium head. Aroma is bourbon, sweet, roasted, with hints of chocolate and both regular and brown sugar. The flavor is pretty heavy on the bourbon alcohol, with creamy, chocolates, with roasted malts, and a strong caramel taste.

Big thanks to Ben for bringing this bottle down from VA, labeled #1361, poured into a snifter. Pours almost completely black in the glass with light showing through just slightly around the edges underneath a one-inch creamy tan head that recedes slowly to a soapy cover. The aroma is very sweet with lots of sweet dark chocolate, brown sugar and vanilla. There are plenty of dark roasted malts which are well balanced with a very subtle bourbon aroma, not overpowering thankfully. Excellent aroma actually. The taste is sweet as well with an initial brown sugar and chocolate presence. The bourbon is much more present in the taste, especially in the finish. The chocolate in the taste is a little more bitter, more like a bakers chocolate and there’s a bit more oak as well. The mouthfeel is smooth and slick on the palate with plenty of carbonation. It’s pretty full bodied. I’ve had very little experience with Williamsburg, but this is a great beer. I personally like the less obtrusive bourbon presence and it lends to a higher drinkability. For those who like a sweeter stout/porter, this one is highly recommended.

Bottle #1492 of 2009. Cost was $7.29 at Wine Warehouse, Charlottesville. Pours black with a soft inch of brown head. Milk chocolate, chocolate milk, and dark chocolates in the nose. Sweet chocotae at tip of tongue followed by an alcoholic bitterness.

Bottle 650 ml no 1257/2009
Appearance: dark brown with touch of black , tanned light top.3+
Nose: dark malts , malty with barrel nose. Fairly clean smooth top. 7+
Flavor/Palate : Full bodied. Very smooth , clean bit oily. Top of dry alcohol. It felt stronger than listed 9%. Malts with light feel of barrel treatment. Bitter at finish. Smooth warming sipper.f-7+

Radek’s bottle shared. A good porter, 2009 edition. A tad of smoke, clear bourbon, some coconut, some cocoa. Middling mouthfeel, a llittle creamy. Bubbly head on dark body, spidery lace.

22 oz. bottle # 1312 of 2009 purchased at Grape and Gourmet. As soon as the top is opened I notice aromas of alcohol and vanilla. Some notes of oak and dark chocolate are also detected. Pour is black with a tan head. Strong bourbon flavor that mixes well with this strong porter. Only a moderate alcohol burn. Even though I let this sit out of the fridge for 15 minutes before opening this gets a little better once it has been poured and warms a little more. This is a very good beer.

Bottle 1418 picked up by a buddy of mine. Pours a cola-like dark brown/black with a light brown head. Nice aroma of wood, vanilla, mocha , earth and a tinge of alcohol. Flavor has notes of dark roasted malt, sweet caramel, dark chocolate, a pleasant level of bourbon (vanilla, oak) and earthy hop character. Slightly burnt aftertaste. Medium bodied with subtle carbonation. Quite enjoyable.

22 ounce bottle from Greenwood Gourmet Grocery near Crozet, VA. Bottle number 1182 of 2009. Medium large brown head with good head retention and lacing. Aroma of toffee, brown sugar, maple and light bourbon notes. Taste is roasted malts, coffee, buttered popcorn, toffee, brown sugar. Slightly bitter finish. Medium-full bodied. Nice beer, but not great.

22oz bottle, 0551 of 2009. Pours dark brown in color with thin brown head. Aroma brown sugar, dark chocolate, roasted malt and bourban. Taste roasted coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and bourban with bitter finish.

UPDATED: NOV 5, 2010 first rating! bottle #21/2009 from grape & gourmet. pours a beautiful, slightly oily, very dark brown, with a thin, light khaki head and great lacing. aroma is excellent with huge notes of praline, vanilla extract, burnt caramel, and sweet brown sugar with hints of dark chocolate, toasted coconut, maple, and roast coffee with the slightest touch of oaked bourbon. flavor is absolutely decadent and honestly tastes like german chocolate cake dipped in bourbon. big, sweet notes of chocolate, vanilla cream frosting, coconut, brown sugar, and toffee up front followed by bitter, roast coffee, nutty malts, and a hint of dark fruit with smooth, slightly smokey, oaked bourbon notes elegantly coming through in the long, lingering, roasty finish. palate is silky smooth yet full bodied and mildly carbonated. the flavors in this brew peak after about 15 minutes in the glass and that’s when it become spectacular. call me a homer, but this is a perfect example of barrel aging done right and one hell of a great brew. *UPDATE* fresh, 2010 edition, bottle #2008/2010. wow, hard to believe that this one is better the second time around. tasted on tap @ greenleaf and out of the bottle the aroma and the flavor have a massive kick of roasted coffee, burnt caramel, and wood (those new barrels are the real deal!) with a more elegantly integrated bourbon and vanilla presence with huge dark chocolate on the finish. palate is more substantial than last years version as well. wow, this is truly an unbelieveable beer. i am now forced to do an ’09-’10 side-by-side!