Pony Espresso Stout
Willimantic Brewing Co.

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From:
Willimantic Brewing Co.
 
Connecticut, United States
Style:
American Stout
ABV:
5.8%
Score:
93
Avg:
4.3 | pDev: 10.7%
Reviews:
12
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jul 19, 2019
Added:
May 12, 2003
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by albern:
Photo of albern
Reviewed by albern from Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
This is quite good, and it isn't overly coffee'd up for my tastes. I bought a growler from WBC. The beer didn't take long to settle in and the head was nice and creamy and foamy, with some lace and retention. The nose is good, roasted malts, milk chocolate, a touch of bark, it's all good.

The taste was a bit drying, you could tell there is some coffee grind present, but not too much. I'm not a coffee drinker and I liked this beer because it had a nice complement of dark roasted malts, chocolate, mocha, crystal malts, just a touch of hop, and a very creamy underneath. This is a very fine stout and I would go back to this again for sure.
Apr 15, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of PicoPapa
Reviewed by PicoPapa from Connecticut

4.2/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
On tap at Willibrew. Pours a pitch black color with no head and minimal lacing. Lots of coffee in the aroma as well as dark chocolate, earth and a hint of vanilla. The taste is espresso, roasted malts, earth, smoke and some charcoal. Nice amount of roasty flavor to go with the espresso. Bitter dark chocolate, roasted malts and espresso at the end. Lightly carbonated with a medium body. This ones packs a lot of coffee/espresso flavor. Drinks like a cold brew coffee with very little alcohol presence.
Jul 19, 2019
 
Rated: 4.5 by 1971bernat from Virginia

Aug 14, 2018
 
Rated: 4.4 by PatGreer from Massachusetts

Apr 24, 2015
Photo of VelvetExtract
Reviewed by VelvetExtract from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Cask. Pours a dark brown. Aroma is a dose of all things Stout. Coffee, roast, dry chocolate. A bit of char or smoke. Flavor is enhanced by its pouring median. Softness battles bitterness and the completeness of that dark malt. Dark chocolate, roast, coffee, burnt malt, dark fruit. Feel is of the cask. Medium bodied but definitely has a weight to it. My first Willi-brew...damn I once lived in Connecticut and always wanted to check them out. Not a bad intro!
Apr 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.71 by parris from Massachusetts

Mar 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Sep 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by shigg85 from Japan

Apr 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by GeorgiaBeerGuy from Georgia

Jan 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by jaxon53 from Connecticut

Jun 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by djre4orm from Virginia

Jun 13, 2013
 
Rated: 2.5 by Theniz from Indiana

Nov 13, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Pencible from Virginia

Jun 16, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by DanE from Connecticut

May 27, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by jfcaa193 from Canada (QC)

Jan 30, 2012
Photo of woosterbill
Reviewed by woosterbill from Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
On cask at the brewpub into a shaker pint.

A: Fully black body under a finger of super creamy light-brown foam. Fantastic retention (especially for cask) and some sticky lace. Quite attractive.

S: Smooth, rich, sweet coffee dominates, with some milk chocolate + smoky roastiness backing it up. Lovely.

T: Coffee, caramel, milk + dark chocolate, and generic maltiness. Quite sweet for a non-imperial coffee stout, but I like it.

M: Smooth, sticky, and as thin as I expect for such a low-test stout. Ok, but not great.

O: This is a great beer; Willibrew is probably best known for their IPAs, but I've been hugely impressed with their malty and sour styles as well (Roadenzok is amazing, btw). This review is based on a glass of the cask version at the brewpub, but I also drank half a growler of the tap variant shortly thereafter, and, if anything, it was even better. I'm tempted to give this one a 5 overall, actually, since it's just such a damn good brew. I'll be ordering it every time I see it, that's for sure.

Cheers!
Apr 13, 2011
Photo of mattjv
Reviewed by mattjv from Connecticut

4.42/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Poured black with some light sneaking through around the corners. Tan colored head typical to the style.

Lots going on with the aroma. Light roasted malts and a hint of sweetness, followed by a chocolate presence and roasted coffee. Coffee aroma is rich and brings my mind straight to the coffee aisle in a grocery store.

Roasted malts start off the taste, light sweetness from the malt but it doesn't jump out. Smoky burnt flavor comes through strong from the malts, followed by prominent coffee presence. Earthy hops and a mild bitterness round off the finish, nutty flavors complement the aftertaste. Light bodied with medium carbonation.

Overall: A great, easy drinking coffee stout. Drinkability is off the charts with this one, could definitely carry me through the night. A fairly approachable coffee stout for those who like darker flavors but aren't looking for a blast of espresso bitterness.

Final note: let this one warm up a bit. Chilled straight from the tap it was a little too cold for the more subtle flavors to come through.
Apr 06, 2011
Photo of Damian
Reviewed by Damian from Massachusetts

4.89/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Drank on-tap at Willimantic Brewing Co., Willimantic, CT
Served in a pint glass

Inky, oily and near pitch black in appearance. A thin film of saddle brown froth capped the liquid.

Pure, freshly brewed espresso dominated the aroma. Semi-sweet and a touch smoky. I usually look for complexity in beers but, in this case, simplicity worked best. The nose seemed to get sweeter, richer and smoother as the beer warmed.

The flavor profile was outstanding as well. Similar to the aroma in many regards. Tons of espresso and vanilla. Dark chocolate was also detectible. Ultra smooth and balanced. Some lactose-like notes appeared as well. The finish was a bit roasty and provided the perfect compliment to the overall sweetness of this beer.

The mouthfeel was exceptionally creamy. Velvety smooth and supple on the palate with a fine, medium, tongue blanketing effervescence.

Drinkability was off the charts. This stout is so flavorful and so well balanced. Considering the ABV, I simply cannot think of a better coffee-flavored beer.

If you are a fan of coffee and coffee-flavored beers, you need to get yourself over to Willimantic Brewing Co. to try this one. All in all, a phenomenal offering from a fantastic brewpub.
Jun 17, 2010
Photo of LilBeerDoctor
Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York

3.55/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On cask at the brewery. Pours black with no head. Aroma of vanilla and espresso. Flavor of charred malt, sweet vanilla, roasted nuts, and tons of espresso. I really enjoyed the flavor of the beer, but the light carbonation didn't sit right with me for this beer.
Jul 09, 2009
Photo of Kegatron
Reviewed by Kegatron from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
On tap @ the brewpub on 5/24/09. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a jet black, being topped with a tight 3/4 finger of creamy dark (reddish and burnt) mocha colored head. This retains very nicely, staying rich and frothy around the edges, and leaving a big cascade of lace and brown oils back. The aroma starts with huge roasted chocolate notes and additonal toffeed sweetness. Then the espresso rises, stinging the nose with a sharp slap, before segueing into some light floral hop activity that floats along the back, along with some even lighter and gentle warmth.

The taste is deep with dark roasted malts and a good bit of coffee bitterness. Beefier tasting chocolate and caramel notes add some needed sweetness. Things end with a deeply satisfying espresso finish that lingers long and lovingly on the palate, mixing with other bitter notes of roast and hops to impart a feel that just sticks in the mouth. The mouthfeel is full and creamy, with a nice prickle to it as well, and an underlying slicker feel that carries a lot of that thicker and chewy sweetness. All around great feel that when coupled with the lower ABV, really ramps the drinkibility of this up.

I REALLY loved this out of the growler last summer and it was a real treat to actually get to try it on tap as well during this trip to Willibrew. I'm actually going to rate this just a touch lower than I did the growler, basically because the brilliance of the espresso character in this needs a couple of pints to really work it's magic on you, something that my growler experience provided. Man, what a great coffee beer!
May 29, 2009
Pony Espresso Stout from Willimantic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 93 out of 100 with 24 ratings