Williamsburg Alewerks Brewmaster's Reserve Grand Illumination

My buddy Matt brought over a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Brewmaster’s Reserve Grand Illumination Ale. The beer pours a caramel color with a thin bubbly off-white colored head. The aroma consists raisin, malts, caramel, grass, pepper, and toffee. The taste is smooth and very sweet with a large caramel and toffee flavor. A light spicy and peppery bite kicks in with a raisin finish. The alcohol content is 10.0% ABV. This was a wonderfully complex, well balanced, and quite flavorful barley wine. Earthy tones provide a nice balance to the bold and sweet flavors that come along with the barley wine.

Williamsburg Alewerks Cafe Royale

I received a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Cafe Royale from the Beer Club 4 Men in a trade. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head. The aroma consists of strong chocolate, bourbon, oak, vanilla, toasted malts, and malts. The taste is bold and full of dark chocolate. There is oak, vanilla, and toasted malts before a bourbon smoothness rounds out the flavor. A milky creaminess sweetens up the after taste. The alcohol content is 8.0% ABV. The smoothness of this beer was impeccable and the infusion of bourbon was just enough to cut through the sweet chocolate flavors in the beer.

Williamsburg Alewerks Caledonia

I received a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Caledonia in a beer trade with Beer Club 4 Men and shared it at our weekly bottle share. The beer pours a golden color with a thin bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of toffee, caramel, lemon, and pepper. The taste is light on the tongue with toasted toffee before a lemon and grassy flavors take over the mouth. The finish is dry and leaves grass flavors lingering. The alcohol content is not available online, but I would estimate it to be about 6.0%. This was a nice IPA with a very different approach to it. I liked how dry the hops made the beer, and it had a nice lemon flavor.

Williamsburg Alewerks Bitter Valentine

I received a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Bitter Valentine, a Double India Pale Ale. The beer pours an amber color with a bubbly white head. The aroma consists of grapefruit, tangerine, candi sugar, lemon, orange, pepper, and spruce. The taste is dry and bitter with a cornucopia of citrus flavors on the front end. Tangerine, orange, lemon, and grapefruit all take over the tongue before pepper, spruce, and hop oils take over on the finish. The alcohol content is 9.0% ABV. This was a more than impressive Double IPA with citrusy hops aplenty on the front end, and a nice bitter finish. I will absolutely seek this beer out again, and it paired very well with the summer weather.

Williamsburg Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout

My coworker Jack picked me up a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout while on vacation in Virginia. The beer pours a rich black color with a frothy tan head. The aroma consists of of chocolate, coffee, roasted malts, alcohol. The taste is big of chocolate with a good cream accent. The beer finishes with a dry coffee accent that also has a bite of espresso. The alcohol content is 5.4% ABV. This beer was not overly packed with coffee, which was surprising but pleasant. Rather than hitting with coffee, there is a good chocolate flavor that finishes with coffee and cream as an accent, not a feature.

Williamsburg Alewerks Brewmaster's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Porter

My coworker Jack brought me back a bottle of Williamsburg Alewerks Brewmaster's Reserve Bourbon Barrel Porter, an imperial porter, from his vacation in Virginia Beach. The beer pours a black color with a foamy tan head. The aroma consists heavily of chocolate, toasted malts, licorice, and caramel with hints of oak and bourbon. The taste is smooth and creamy with lots of chocolate, coffee, toasted malts, and caramel. The finish hits a bit on the oak on bourbon. The alcohol content is not posted online, but I would estimate it to be around 9.0% ABV. This is a really smooth drinking beer, with only the bourbon accents kicking the back sides of the mouth. It was really enjoyable and I recommend this to anyone that can get their hands on it.