Alewerks Coffeehouse Stout (Williamsburg, Virginia)
www.alewerks.com
Style: Milk Stout with Coffee
ABV: 5.4%
Aroma: Roasty, with wonderful coffee and chocolate notes. I am unable to pick up any hop aroma
Appearance: No light can penetrate this beer, its as black as they come. Pours a nice, creamy, 1.5" tan head that slowly retreats to the edges of the beer.
Flavor: Pleasant, somewhat subdued roasty character. Really nice, smooth coffee flavor, not at all astringent or harsh. Hop bitterness is just enough to lend balance. The lactose helps give the beer a pronounced sweetness
Mouthfeel: Full bodied and very rich.
Coffeehouse Stout is a winter seasonal for Alewerks. I have spoken with Alewerks head brewer Geoff Logan in the past about using coffee, and he says the trick to avoiding that harsh, astringent, and overly bitter coffee flavors is to cold brew the coffee. Its bigger, bourbon barrel aged brother, Cafe Royale, is much ballyhooed. And rightly so. But don't sleep on this one. Its a wonderful sipper in it's own right. 
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