Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

DPMomutant

Missouri

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

I've been looking forward to finding this one...

Pours black as death with a small ruby/brown head. The head is creamy a dissipates fairly quickly but looks like some is trying to hang on to the side.

The smell is more noticeable than many beers I've had lately. Mostly like a mocha coffee smell, maybe a touch sweeter. A little toasty malt smell in there too.

The taste goes through many nice stages throughout the drink. The mild coffee taste starts in front and some candy sweetness in the back. The aftertaste really pays off with the chocolate and a bit more of the coffee. A wonderful taste.

This is a little more carbonated than most stouts. Might be the only thing even slightly wrong with this brew, and it isn't bad. It still goes down great and the taste doesn't hurt it.

Not much to say about drinkability. This bomber was great....and I so wish I had another. This has great taste without being too hard on your head. Great for sessions!

A couple of quick postscripts: 1) This is warming a bit and getting even better. 2) If you're in the KC area I found this at the south Gomer's, my first sighting of this great brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2004 05:45:46 | More by DPMomutant

beersarang

California

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Wow, This beer pours an incredible dark brown which is just a few shades short of black. The generous and rocky head is also a deep tan that I've rarely seen.

The aroma is that of coffee and toasted malts. You can smell the roasting malts and the citrusy character of the cascade hops.

Tastes so rich and so incredible malty. The roasted flavor covers the palate and rests in the back of the mouth. As the beer goes down the hop bitterness comes into play at equal strength. The malts are not overwhelmed by the hops, and the hops are not overwhelmed by the malts. This is a perfectly balanced beer, and tastes so smooth.

Goes down easy, the carbonation is appropriate for a stout, not too high at all. Feels wonderful in the mouth, this beer is thick, but not syrupy by any means.

Tastes great, smells great, and a joy to look at. I will buy this again and again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2005 21:48:27 | More by beersarang

waughbrew

Massachusetts

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Dark chocolate silk with just enough complexity to always be interesting yet not so intense so as to lose drinkability. This is THE session stout. Aroma is chocolate-covered black raspberries. The roastedness is strong but melds seamlessly with the other flavors of caramel and hops. Yes, the hops are there, just like we expect from Rogue, but they are not overly fruity. Their flavor adds earthiness and life to the aroma and a vinous depth to the flavor. Body is medium-thin, but the low carbonation stops it from feeling at all fizzy. Lingering bitterness and roasted acidity tantalize the taste buds for another sip. Oh yeah, this is nice.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2005 01:53:37 | More by waughbrew

karst

Missouri

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

OLIVIA What's a drunken man like, fool?
CLOWN Like a drowned man, a fool, and a madman: one draught above heat makes him a fool, the second mads him, and a third drowns him. "Twelfth Night" (1.5.127-30)

Ale (similar to but heavier than beer) was the drink of choice in Shakespeare's day. Everyone from the poorest farmer to the Queen herself drank the brew made from malt, and a mini brewery was an essential part of every household. Shakespeare's own father was an official ale taster in Stratford.

Rogue's Stout would have drowned the Bard's father with wonderful taste wrapped in a cloak of darkness topped with a rich chocolate brown head. Aroma does not do justice to a taste toasted bitterness, thick malt, and perfect mouthfeel! Each sip ends in wonderment about the balance. It nearly defies description and certainly will take you away into a general joy that will likely be shared by all at the table that share its pleasures.

“(I) Drink to the general joy of the whole table” Macbeth: Macbeth, III, iv

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2005 22:03:11 | More by karst

porter17

New Jersey

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A solid stout with a near black appearance and a chocolate smell sure to please any chocoholic. It doesn't stop there: the taste of chocolate is prevelent in the taste (though not as strong as the beer's brother: Rogue chocolate stout) . There is a light coffee and slightly more noticeable caramel overtone. A rich, thick mouthfeel, it is a beer that you can drink as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2006 03:17:51 | More by porter17

Orrshow

Alberta (Canada)

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance – Well…surprise, it’s black. The head is a nice milk chocolate color and is almost a touch frothy. Lacing on the glass is quite good.

Smell – Very nice and strong roasted malt smell to this one. I also sense bits of chocolate malt and coffee. Somewhere in there is can also detect some hops which give out a faint citrus aroma. All in all quite good.

Taste – Absolutely exceptional. Up front is so strong of roasted malts it crazy. The flavor of toasted coffee bean is to follow with equal strength. Chocolate is not as present, but can be detected if looked for. This beer then has a strong hop finish giving a nice soothing bitterness along with burnt wood feeling.

Mouthfeel – Thick and creamy just as it should be. Carbonation is not detectable, but the beer is not flat. Great.

Drinkability – Perfect.

As I got farther into this bottle I fell in love with this stout more and more. It is fantastic. Each sip was better right to the bitter end. Buy this now if you can, you won’t regret it.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2006 06:50:16 | More by Orrshow

TheFeintingGoat

New York

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The bottle says "ebony" and boy do they tell it like it is, dark and the day before creation this one is. A dirty, cola colored head as well that creates a union of the darkest proportions.
The smell is quite good, with cola, coffee, toffee, unsweetened chocolate and (i'll be damned) mud permeating throughout. The citric acid here is a bit too dominant as you get through the beer.
This beer is nice and salty on the front (which reminds me of coastal pacific waters) with the coffee/toffee and cream flavors coming out to play throughout the mouth. Hops are definitly evident, and this is the great, american thing about this beer. It's very bold, yet refined and able to hold itself with the rest of the world's stouts.
The mouthfeel is, quite honestly, perfect. It's lead-heavy, however it doesn't weigh you down, but controls you palette in the most elegant of ways. When you finish the beer the aftertaste moves toward a rennet on the back, like a fine, salty cheese. A nice cream stout moves to a chocolate orange to a fine cheese--you can't ask for much more.
It's drinkability it good, despite the fact that you can really only session one (tops two) of these at a time. The answer to that? One is all you need. 6% ABV didn't seem like alot until about 10 minutes after I finished it, when this issue was resolved for me. Very enjoyable, very drinkable, and very warming. It's the perfect drink if you want high flavor but the humbleness of your beverage to blend in to what else is going on around you (Food, friends, etc.). Not much wrong here, not much at all. Can't wait to try this gem on tap.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2006 05:12:03 | More by TheFeintingGoat

meechum

Georgia

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

I am a real beer novice. This being one of my very first gourmet brews. I may not have all the terminology down yet but I will try my best to give my impressions about this wonderful beer.

A - Poured very dark almost black very much like a melted chocolate syrup almost into a thick almost 2 inch head creamy brown head that lasted several minutes

S - The smell was aromatic with chocolate overtones and with a hint of spices and nutty smells (it was awesome)

T - Taste was very velvety and smooth had a wonderful chocolate up front and then moving to just a bit of the more bitter hoppy flavors I guess.

M - This was very creamy and smooth felt very full in the mouth was thick and very pleasant

D - I don't know what to say other than I enjoyed every sip of this wonderful beer

Like I said I'm new to this so I won't pretend to be an expert by any means but this was one of my first what I would call more obscure (at least to the average consumer) beers and it was a wonderful experience. I would highly recommend this beer any time

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2007 16:17:10 | More by meechum

tapman

Illinois

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a pitch black with a 2 finger + head. Excellent carbonation retention in this beer, I'm guessing from the amount of hops used as indicated by the label. Miss the nice cascade found in many stouts, but oh well, pretty darn beautiful.

For the aroma I get green olives (canned), coffee, bitter roasted oatmeal and barley, bitter baker's cocoa. There is a bright hoppiness under the malts and I can definitely taste the cascade hops (also indicated on the ingredients list). The tangy hops mixed with the bitter malts presents a range of flavor combinations not readily found in Russian Imperials or English stouts. Go America!

A really interesting and complex taste. I perceive canned olives once again, almost burnt whole grain toast, dark chocolate consisting of a cocoa ratio of 70% +, and a cinnamon/pepper combination that resembles both and tastes like neither, and coffee (though not espresso as is popular these days). I realize the roasted barley and the oats (though I get more barley than oat which I kinda like as oats are sometimes too astringently bitter for my personal taste), cascade hops, and underneath a bevy of different malts (crystal and chocolate, though to varying degrees).

Mouthfeel is perfect, or as close as I've experienced. Hops give this brew excellent carbonation retention while thickening the beer enough to be velvety smooth. I also think that there is more roasted barley than oats in this one and if so, the malts contribute a much thinner body than usual for a heavy stout, which is balanced nicely by the hops. If there were more oats (keeping in mind this is my estimation) the mouthfeel would have been overwhelmingly syrupy.

A highly drinkable stout! I think what throws people off is the hoppiness which is unexpected in a stout. What these people aren't noticing is that this is an American Stout, so it makes sense for it to be different. I've had other cascade-hopped stouts (by Rock Bottom in Palos Park, Illinois and Goose Island in Chicago, Illinois) and this is by far the best. Its unexpected and balanced well. This brew gets so much better as it warms up so please try not to gulp it all down to hastily. A stout to make even the most earnest liberal climb on their roof and shout, "Go America!"

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2008 03:30:18 | More by tapman

erosier

Connecticut

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Black body with a very large and thick tan colored head. It has a very sweet roasted malt aroma with hints of hops and some chocolate, toffee and some coffee flavors as well. The taste delivers just that. It tastes of roasted malts along with a litte hop bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the stout which is followed by subtly sweet tastes of chocolate, toffee, and coffee. The moutfeel is excellent. It has a velvety smooth mouthfeel with the right amount of carbonation for this beer. It is an extremely drinkable beer and I would reccommend this one to anyone looking to taste how a stout should be made.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2008 14:42:47 | More by erosier

knoxtennessee

Tennessee

4.78/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Like most Rogues Ive had on tap my only complaint is the lack of carbonation.

The aroma is stunning. It has so many layers. Chocolate, coffee, citrus, melon, a hint of yeasty bready goodness, just to name a few.

The taste is possibly even more complex. I have this one anywhere from one to three times a week at my local taproom and it seems to vary a little with every keg. Most interesting of recent was the aftertaste of honeydew and a bit more roasted dryness in the finish. Lots of green grapefruity hops, cocoa, coffee, and sweet bread.

Obviously it's solid black.

It's nice and heavy in the mouth, on the pleasant side of sweet, not a lot of carbonation, but with a beer this heavy you don't want to many bubbles lest you get prematurly blotted. It has a long finish that you taste well into the night, even if you drink other beers after it.

I tend to get full after about two pints, but I can usually squeeze in a third.

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2010 19:41:00 | More by knoxtennessee

QXSTER1

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Full bodied stout that starts out with intense roasted malt and barley and finishes with subtle hop bitterness. One of the better stouts I've quaffed.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2001 18:02:53 | More by QXSTER1

cncbofh

Colorado

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It doesn't get any better than this. Poured dark as night, with a dark and creamy head. Smelled of chocolate and oatmeal and tasted the same. The tastes grew more complex throughout and ended incredibly mellow and smooth.

By far the best stout out there.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2003 10:43:04 | More by cncbofh

Reidrover

Oregon

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

MM ok my 200th review , I know it dont mean "jack" but its special to me.
Ok was skulking about my local Albertson today as the wife did the groceries..thought I would take a look at their walk in cooler ( with little hope of finding anything good) and LO and behold there it was one solitary bottle ..at the back 22 oz bomber grabbed it fast.back to wife smiling like a maniac!
OK its the usual high quality screen printed 22 oz bomber we have come to love from Rogue. Says "world stout champion" on the label
Well this beer is a work of art to behold ..completelly black even when held to the light..and a marvelous inch high chocolate coloured head..its dissapated to a lovelly lace..I really didnt want to touch this..maybe I will take a picture next time..hang it on my wall..perfect.
Wonderful aroma of all sorts of luscious dark stuff..chocolate, roasted oats,barley espressoo..it goes on and on
MMMMone wonderful tasting stout..its all of the above with added a creaminess..and a lovelly hop bitterness thats does not overwhelm but compliments ( odd for a stout but Rogue pulls it off).
Very smooth yet its challenging on the tongue.
For a big beer this is an excellent drinkable stout wow wee..I need more sir!

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2003 19:40:41 | More by Reidrover

ManekiNeko

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

22 oz. bomber served at cellarish temps in a pint glass.

Appearance: Black as ebon, surmounted by a light brown head of thick, rocky, and dense bubbles. A thick film of bubbles stuck around as I joyously drank the bottle.

Smell: Prunes, vanilla, fertile humus, faint whiffs of hops and oats. Dense and complex, far better than some imperial stouts that I've had.

Taste: Intense roasted malt flavors, like a nice cup of bitter dark espresso. Pruny dark chocolate malts underlying all this. Piney cascades on the finish.

Mouthfeel: Talk about yer "vim and vigor." The real reason those words had to be crossed off DFH's WWS was the BATF having one of these puppies. Big and hearty mouthfeel.

Drinkability: One burly-ass stout. A roid-ragin', VW-van bench-pressin' drink. I likey.

Other: I remember the first time I had Shakespeare Stout was in 1996 or thereabouts. I was in NYC on a choir tour and went with a lady friend who loved beer to a nice restaurant where we shared a bottle of this with our meal. We both took a whiff and were amazed. My first words were, "Smells like dirt, and I mean the fertile black stuff we get out in Iowa." This was meant as a complement, and is something I'll stand by.

Serving type: bottle

02-16-2004 16:16:04 | More by ManekiNeko

egajdzis

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Opaque, very dark brown color, with a tan head that quickly diminished and it left no lacing. Aroma of roasted malts, and light oats. Had a very creamy, roasted/coffee flavor. I heard from a friend that this was an oatmeal stout, I wasn't able to tell?

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2004 23:24:52 | More by egajdzis

OhioBulldog

Ohio

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I was highly anticipating this beer as i am a big fan of porters and stouts and this seemed to have very top ratings.

This beer pours black as night with a nig big tan brown head, and bubbles creeping up the side of my brandy snifter. The aroma is very much of deep roasted malts, coffee, chocolate and some hops. The taste is huge. Wonderful rich thick roasted malts, a hint of chocolaty sweetness, and a little bitter hop kick to finish and balance it all off. The beer is garganguan and its rich creamy body coats the mouth as it is swallowed, yet very suprisinly it is very drinkble as it leaves me begging for more.

This stout is all that i anticipated and more, fantastic job by Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2004 22:26:16 | More by OhioBulldog

blitheringidiot

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

***300th Beer review***

Label Lore: Double labeled 12 oz’er. With a “World Stout Champion” stamp.

Huge gargantuan head pour that left two inches of brew foam from four inches of foam in me pint. As more brew pours, a volcano like brown shape is left in the head. Well, five minutes later this thing is poured. Poerfection in appearance, all the way, without a doubt. Pours as black brown as used motor oil from a ’71 Buick.

Scents of malts hit me from here. Citrous hints, most likely due to this behemoth pour.

First Swigs: Deep chocolate cake, dark chocolate and baker’s chocolate. A citrous lemon lime peel hop (cascade?) Background fronts the finish that quickly lingers off to sweet astringent citrous and pancake batter.

About as full bodied as full bodied gets. Foamy frothy filliong.

Last Swigs: Lime citrous, & dark chocolate. Hmmm…better than that sounds. Thanks to BA Buckeyenation for the bottle. Wish there were more to compare. Reminds me much-ly of Victory Storm King. #2 in style currently with 398 reviews. More than any other. This is debateably the best damn beer availible period due to at least some availibility factors. Damn good!

Beer is good. Happy beering.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2004 05:40:22 | More by blitheringidiot

koolk

Australia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

US Trip Aug-Nov 04

A very deep almost jet black colour with a dark brown/tan head. Good slow carbonation.

This is without a doubt one of the best smelling stouts I've ever come across. Rich chocolate and coffee malt aromas mingle beautifully with some piney hops, that also have some tight floral notes to them as well.

The palate is insainly espresso and burnt/toast flavours, with a strong hoppy kick in the back. Brilliant mouthfeel with a roundness that counters the almost tart dryness of this brew. A top notch stout worth pondering existence over. Drink slowly and enjoy.

This was my last bottle of Rogue on my trip and boy was she a killer, the pick of the lot of the Rogue stable which is saying alot as these guys were one of my favourite overall breweries during my stay (and who knows, if I tried more of their brews they might be outright first)

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2004 09:16:34 | More by koolk

Quaffer

Nevada

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

04/24/06

It's been over three years since my last review of this beer (which was my first experience with it) and I have to admit that it is one of the few beers that I feel exactly the same about that I did then. Actually, I am probably more impressed with it now that I was then. The quintessential stout, in my opinion. Perfectly roasted, hopped, mouth-filling, and delicious. If you can buy some, you had better do it! If you can't get it, trade away your life for some. Well . . . that might be a bit extreme, but you get the point.

22 oz. bottle

Appearance: I thought that I had seen black beers before, but this one takes the prize. Even when help up to a window, not a photon of light passed through, not even around the edges. The head itself was darker than the color of many beers that I drink. It held on for a long time and left a lot of lace. This was a beatiful beer.

Smell: This beer had a classic stout aroma, dominated by roasted malts and coffee.

Mouthfeel: Very smooth and full. Not perfect, but very good.

Taste: This beer was huge. It was exactly what a stout should be. Roasted, slightly smokey, with bitter chocolate and coffee flavors. A classic stout, easily a benchmark for me to compare others to.

This was my first tasting of this beer and I was very impressed. I can't wait to pick up some more.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2006 04:11:10 | More by Quaffer

jmbranum

Oklahoma

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I really like Stouts, but I must say that this may be my favorite.

Beautiful dark, dark black brew with a glorious dark tan fluffy head. Except for the edges, the beer is completely opaque.

Smooth mouth feel. Maybe it could use even more smoothness but that's flyspecking there.

Glorious dark toasty aroma and flavor that is to die for. Coffee, dark chocolate, and lots of toasted malt. If you let the beer linger in your mouth you can pick up a fair bit of unexpected hops (well I say that, Rogue really is known for hops, but it is a bit unusual for a stout). However the hops are not overpowering (as some of the other Rogue offerings) and really fit well with the style.

A superb dry stout. Highly recommended. The best of the Rogue beers I've had to date, and probably the best Stout I've had (but I change my mind on that pretty often).

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2007 06:06:32 | More by jmbranum

mwearl

North Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my most favorite beers. Ebony in color with fairly small head. Wonderfully bitter after taste. Not a high gravity beer, but I must rate the "feeling" of this beer as exceptional. Just as drinkable as a Guiness yet much more complex and distinct. I am a huge Rogue fan, so I may be biased, but if you like Stouts, this is probably the best domestic you will find.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 03:36:59 | More by mwearl

augusta

Georgia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Dark Brown, light head
Smell - Chocolaty
Taste - Nice Chocolaty after taste
Mouth Feel - Nice full taste, not too heavy
Drinkability - I'll definitely be buying this again
This is a great beer, The way it should be. Buy It. Drink It. Enjoy It. Best I've had yet.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2007 21:39:30 | More by augusta

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a nice dark brown almost black color with a thick, frothy coffe-colored head. Roasted malty aroma with chocolate, oatmel, toffee notes. Dark chocolate roasted maltiness with hints of burnt toast, caramel, nut and toffee. Very quaffable and sweet with slight dry finish.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2008 07:47:53 | More by corby112

mightymoksha

Florida

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in pint glass.

Pours an oily black, with a rich, sticky beige head. Head retains very well and covers the glass all the way down. Beautiful.

Aroma is complex, featuring hints of cacao, milk chocolate, dark roasted coffee and toffee.

Outrageously smooth, a rich, roasted malt sweetness is balanced perfectly with a mild bitterness. Notes of cacao and dark roasted coffee are the most prominent. Smokey and toffee/butterscotch notes are also present. Semi-dry, smokey, coffee-esque finish. Delicious.

Again, outrageously smooth on the palate. A hearty body and creamy mouthfeel make this one a treat.

Delicious and moderate alcohol content. That, along with my devotion to delicious black coffee, I find it to be extremely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2009 04:30:02 | More by mightymoksha