Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

TheRealBigC

Nevada

4.18/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep black color with thick brown head. Smell of dark roasted malts predominantly. Taste is like a strong cup of french roast coffee - that level of roasty, bitter flavor. Surprisingly bitter and well-balanced by the hops. Pretty smooth and creamy feel too. Just what I expect from an oatmeal stout. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 17:01:13 | More by TheRealBigC

vfgccp

New York

4.15/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Midnight brown with cola highlights. Fine bubbled khaki head with great retention and lace.

S - Delicious fresh milled oats with sweet malt and a touch of bitter cocoa and milky sugar.

T - Huge oat profile balanced with dry, bitter dark chocolate. Lightly woody hop center with a kiss of lemon acidity. Chalky chard oats and dusty cocoa powder backend.

M - Medium/light frame. Nice carbonation. Nice smoothness.

O - An excellent example of the style. Delicious, raw oat flavor counter balanced with rich roasty cocoa and just enough brightness from the hops.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 01:14:53 | More by vfgccp

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 8/25/12

Appearance: Black, jet black at its core - pours with a creamy, beige head - fades quickly to a little ring, leaves a few spots of lacing

Smell: Roasted malts, lightly toasted grains, and oats - actually, lots of oats - dry chocolate, minimal sweetness, some burnt - very clean overall

Taste: Solid - great malt profile, roasty, lightly burnt - chocolate malts and some baker's chocolate - a moderate amount of bitterness - some coffee, and some creamy oats - clean

Mouthfeel: On the heavy side of medium, silky smooth thanks to the oats, nicely carbonated

Overall: Sets the bar

This is a well-rounded, well-balanced oatmeal stout. It certainly doesn't break any ground, and it's probably not going to blow anyone's mind, but it stays very true to the style. It's a great example of what all oatmeal stouts should be, and it's one of the most solid offerings I've had from Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 05:12:30 | More by angrybabboon

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color. The beer has a three finger tall creamy dark mocha head that slowly condenses and reduces to a thick film covering the entire surface of the beer with a medium sized thicker patch and a thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of dark roasted (almost burnt) malts and bittersweet chocolate. Just the tiniest hint of coffee.

T: Very similar to the smell, the taste of this beer has a strong dark roasted malt body that just borders on being roasted to the point of being burnt. There are moderate notes of bittersweet chocolate, light notes of coffee, and just a hint of citrus hop. There is a moderate to strong bitterness in this beer but it does not linger very long.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Smooth with just a hint of dryness in the finish.

O: I find the flavors and aromas of this beer though the bitterness does make it a little tough to drink. Very enjoyable and one I would have again but this is not a sessionable beer - between the bitterness and the dryness.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 19:50:20 | More by dbrauneis

Burlyn

2.83/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Black/Dark Brown with a super thick, creamy, and persistent latte head.

Smells malty sweet light coffee and a little hops

Tastes are malty and light coffee as well. Not as full in flavor as I hoped for. The funky acid taste towards the end was also unwelcome.

Very smooth and greasy. Ends dry. the taste of alcohol is faintly present.

Not as good as I was expecting it to be. The full and roundness of a great or even good beer just weren't there. Decent and palatable.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 17:38:35 | More by Burlyn

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.9/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bomber, a gift from a friend of mine, poured into pint glasses and shared with the wife.

A: Pours a very dark and opaque with an oily body, dark brown head and modest lacing.

S: Dark roasted malt, acrid burnt notes, anise & licorice, modest hopping, dark caramel, slight herbal oiliness.

T: Mostly dark malt with well-rounded hopping and earthy/herbal notes. As strong as it is there isn't a strong roast or coffee presence until a moderate bitter finish and aftertaste. Faint smoke and earthiness. Light tart cherry? Very faint alcohol burn.

MF: Moderate body with some slickness, light to medium carbonation.

O: A decent oatmeal stout, not earth shattering but pleasant and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 15:34:48 | More by Scotchboy

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 22 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours dark and black with only a light light of reddish brown color at the bottom. Huge six fingers of deep tan head with decent retention. Leaves a lot of lacing around the glass.

Smell: Big aroma of deep roasted malts. Big hints of chocolate and oatmeal. Coffee, nuts, and a good amount of molasses and brown sugar. Hints of burnt caramel and toffee. Fairly sweet and creamy. Also a noticeable presence of earthy hops in the background.

Taste: Like the smell leads, very roasty and pretty sweet. Big taste of roasted malts with big notes of chocolate, oatmeal, coffee, cream, and nuts. A pretty sizable load of brown sugar and molasses adds to the sweetness. Some earthy hops add a little balancing bitterness in the finish. Very solid.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Very creamy and slick. Sweet and slightly sticky but not overly syrupy.

Overall: A very good oatmeal stout. One of the better American versions of the style. Good roasted flavors.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 06:38:21 | More by MattyG85

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

22 oz. bottle poured into a tumbler pint glass.

A: Pours a borderline pitch black color. The head is a huge four finger light mocha color with frustratingly high retention, a wonderfully creamy texture, and huge clumps of lacing on the glass.

S: Light oats, mild chocolate, and some solid roastiness. Nice, but a little weaker than I like.

T: At first, it's vaguely sweet, likely from the oats. There's little opening flavor here, it's mostly concentrated after the midtaste and finish, which is not only strong with roast (slightly acrid and excessively strong at times), it also tastes overhopped, to an extent. It's not a well melded hop profile as with Storm King, it's a 'clashing with the stout base' profile. At least the hops don't completely overpower the palate with grapefruit and pine; still, it's hardly a paragon of balance. Finally, enough sips will cause a slight lactic acid 'twang' to accumulate. I expected a lot more from this, but it's decent enough.

M: Creamy at first, before becoming prickly dry with a little lingering stickiness and low carbonation. Little to complain about here, Rogue got this part of the beer right. On the other hand, it's not as drinkable as it should be, but that's due to the unbalanced flavor profile more than anything.

O: I'm wondering if I served this too warm - but then I realized I had Samuel Smith's oatmeal stout at a similar temperature, and was far superior to this in just about every manner. I'd definitely try it again, just to confirm whether or not my fears are true. All in all, it's far from bad, just disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 20:11:49 | More by ThisWangsChung

PorterLambic

Florida

3.58/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I gotta watch my pour. I got huge head on this in a standard pint glass. Well, better luck next time.
Pours so deeply dark brown it might as well be called black. Dark tan head leaves good lace but drops a bit quick for my tastes, lasting maybe 2 minutes until remaining just a thickish island and ring.
Smell is toasted malt, wet newspaper, smoke, bittersweet chocolate with light coffee and hop notes. Decent balance.
Taste is toasty malt, wet newspaper, smoke, bittersweet chocolate and coffee. Balance is better. Gets ashy in the aftertaste and and some alcohol presence. None of the the sweetness expected from an oatmeal, either.
Medium bodied, light effervescence, slightly watery aspect. Drying to a slight extent. Needs more body and some sweetness. This isn't a good a beer as I had hoped, especially with the high rating it got. Oh well, one man's poison.... A good beer, but not great, imo. In fact, nearly every beer lower than this (#56 today) on the "Beers of Fame" list I prefer over this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2012 02:58:35 | More by PorterLambic

znichols

Wisconsin

3.68/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Dark, nearly straight black with a slight brown hue when held to the light. Eggshell head lasts quite a bit and creeps to the edge of the glass. Solid lacing, too. Good lookin' stout!

S- Deep roast on the nose with hints of earthy, piney hops and a coffee note as well. Smells decent but doesn't really jump out at you.

T- Good roasty flavor following the aroma. Dark cocoa and coffee with light hop flavor in the finish. Lasts quite a while. Again, a very nice flavor but nothing that really attacks the taste buds. Not really any booze detectable. Fairly dry. Pretty solid.

M- Pretty creamy with a slight oily aspect. Moderate to low levels of carbonation. Really nice stout body.

O- This is a pretty quintessential Oatmeal Stout with a creamy, fairly thick body and good roasty flavor. Expect light coffee and cocoa with hints of earthy hops. Try it if available but don't kill yourself looking for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 04:06:48 | More by znichols

bigpapa1080

Alaska

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured almost obsidian black with a nice dark tan 2 finger head into a pint glass.

S - Malty with strong hints of chocolate. Despite being 69 IBUs it did not smell bitter whatsoever.

T - Malt with chocolate and oatmeal, similar to Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout.

M - Very creamy, feels like it should almost be a milkshake. Super smooth although not too heavy. Lingers on the palate for a bit after swallowing, but in a good way.

O - This is my new favorite stout, and to top Samuel Smiths and Alaskan is very good (to me at least). Would make a great ice cream beer float if that's your thing.

Note - I had mild sinus congestion when I wrote this, so some categories might be a bit off.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 05:53:16 | More by bigpapa1080

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

650ml bottle poured into 20oz nonic.

A - Pours with a gargantuan head of thick, dark-tan foam. Pitch black in the glass, and also when held up to the light. The head soon settles down to a creamy cap that leaves a web of sticky lacing.

S - Roasted malt and coffee bean, with strong cocoa tones and molasses. A nice balance of roasty and sweet going on here, with some chocolaty notes and brown sugar coming through noticeably. There's a mild woody character as well. Could use a bit more oomph here, as it comes across a tad timid.

T - Opens up with roasted malt, cocoa, and brown sugar upfront, and finishes with molasses, dry herbal hops, and more charred maltiness to balance the sweeter opening. The aftertaste is plunged into mild espresso astringency with herbal hops and roasted malt. It's got bite, but it's not too abrasive. In fact, this could use a little more flavor even. Overall, this is smooth, balanced, and well crafted, but could have ratcheted up the flavor a bit.

M - Not quite as mouth-filling as I was expecting. For a brew at 6.50% ABV this has definitely got some real size to it, there's no denying that, and it's probably in large part to the oats used in the brewing process. Carbonation is low, and the body is creamy, viscous, and smooth, with some stickiness to it.

D - A solid stout from a solid brewery. I know Rogue is a bit of an afterthought for many American BAs, but they're basically the only American craft brewery that ships a wide catalogue of beer up to Western Canada, and I'm thankful for that. While this doesn't pack the punch that a lot of bigger, imperial stouts do, it's still a dark, smooth, and drinkable beer, even on a hot summer afternoon.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 22:09:34 | More by Converge

mactrail

California

3.28/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Beautiful dark appearance in the glass with an impeccable beige head to match. Bone dry on the palate but a nice sudsy mouthfeel with great carbonation.

The first flavor is bitterness. Dark chocolate and not a hint of sweetness. Overpowering burnt malt taste. Dark, charred flavors, barely a hint of caramel or even burnt sugar.

It is kind of like a nitro pour, with the big creamy foam. It's just so bitter and strongly, severely flavored. From the 22 oz bottle, which cost $7 in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 06:02:55 | More by mactrail

TheSixthRing

California

4.88/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Appearance - Pours jet black, with light penetrating only the thinnest edges. Head is a light cocoa powder color, 2 fingers thick and excellent retention. Resulting lace is thick and sticky.

Smell - Darkly roasted malts. Chocolate and mocha. Faint notes of oat. I could live off this smell.

Taste - Perfectly roasted malt. Unsweetened chocolate and coffee, with notes of caramel and oat. A faint touch of smoke lurks below. Hops are bitter citrus, and compliment the malt complexities without flaw. Superb balance. Dark but refreshing. Finishes slightly bitter.

Mouthfeel - Full body. Beautiful, silky smooth and creamy.

Overall - This is only like, my favorite beer ever. when I'm drinking a Shakespeare, I don't have a care in the world. Sensual qualities. Sexy smooth.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 03:11:22 | More by TheSixthRing

TheCondor

Missouri

4.4/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I have heard so much about this beer, I knew I had to try it out. Going in, I expected it to compete with Samuel Smith’s, which is a tall order by itself. But it says right on the bottle “world champion stout,” so the guys at Rogue are obviously not afraid of their beers being pitted against the best. Poured from the bottle into an oversized wine glass, a little was drank at refrigerator temperature but mostly allowed to warm for a bit before consuming. I was also eating Ghiradelli chocolate while drinking this.

Appearance – Poured as black as used motor oil and almost as thick, with a big pillowy three finger head that was just nothing short of dominating. Respectable lacing, nothing too wild. Just as an example, my wife (who doesn’t drink craft) was in the room, and I took the bottle cap and set it right on top of the head, which of course it stayed there. I then exclaimed to her that “that’s what a beers head is supposed to do!”

Smell – Chocolate, coffee, caramel, big malts. I could pick up the nose much better when it was at fridge temperature than I could after it warmed. The head of the brew really produced some fantastic aromas, so I would recommend trying the nose while you still have a head.

Taste – Excellent, nothing short of awesome. Coffee and a hint of caramel up front, followed by an intense malty backbone and the chocolate character. So well balanced as to be seamless in transition.

Mouthfeel – Same as the taste, excellence defined. A nice, bittering aftertaste, smooth and relaxed at the finish. Real nice and thick, but goes down so easily as to be frightening. Silky.

Overall – This is an outstanding beer. Superb in every category, easily sessionable at 6.1% ABV, smooth, silky, tastes great, everything about it is quality. While I have had Rogue beers before, this is my first review of one, and I hope to convey this beers outstanding qualities as best I can. I don’t know if I can make the call between this and Samuel Smith’s, the only reason I may call it for Samuel is strictly price. Where I am Smith’s is $4 a pint, Rogue is $8. Otherwise, those two beers are neck and neck. Highly recommended, expecially with some Ghiradelli or Godiva chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 01:16:21 | More by TheCondor

WesM63

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured into a Deschutes Tulip

A: Beautiful deep dark brown, almost black. Rocky mocha 2finger head with excellent lacing and head retention.

S: Chocolate, coffee and lots of malts.

T: Tiny bit of hops up front the all sweet roasted malts baby. Tiny coffee bitter finish.

M: Thick and creamy. Full body and moderate carbonation.

O: Rogue does it again. This is a perfect example of the style and always a treat. To bad its hard for me to find :/

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2012 02:57:41 | More by WesM63

BrownNut

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Black as midnight. Shining a bright flashlight into this does nothing. The light doesn't penetrate a full millimeter into that murk. Lovely textured tan head that lingers. Lots of lacing.

S - Mildly sweet caramelly earthy malt

T - Less sweet than some I've had, with a mature bit of char character that turns into a dry dark chocolaty bitter on the back of the tongue in the afterswallow and exhale and lingering aftertaste. Just a touch of tartness.

M - Just as satisfyingly thick and luscious as you want it to be. It's been a while since I had a nice thick beer and this hits the spot. So nice to pull on.

O - Mild like you'd expect, but with just enough subtle character to rescue it from being bland and put it into the nicely done category. I'd call it a mature oatmeal stout, like what they tried to do with the Arch Deluxe. It's hard for this style to score highly due to its innately mild and subdued character but this is pretty well done. I put this up there with Samuel Smith's.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2012 23:23:28 | More by BrownNut

TrappistJohnMD

Mississippi

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours black with tan one-fingered head in snifter. Tons of thick, sticky lacing. Head lingers for some time too.

Smell is heavy with chocolate and dark toasted malt. There is also a hoppy character to it as well.

Taste is heavily dark chocolate and roasted malt. Little bit of coffee and caramel. Lots of bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel is moderate carbonation. Medium bodied beer.

Overall this was good. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 00:28:53 | More by TrappistJohnMD

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

4/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pour is black, with a nice off-white head.

Smell is dry, with what smells like a dark chocolate bitterness and some coffee but hops also come to mind.

Taste is slightly sweet, with a nice roasted malt presence. Chocolate, but with a dark fruit flavor reminiscent of a Belgian Quad or BBQ.

Finishes chewy and slightly bitter, but still very balanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 00:02:15 | More by VncentLIFE

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bomber from the Wegman's in Syracuse

Appearance - Black colour with a huge size fizzy and frothy brown head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for over 5 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, chocolate, coffee, smoke

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, chocolate, and a roasted/burnt flavour. There is also some light touches of dark fruit and a smokiness. It ends with a grainy chocolate aftertaste with some light bitterness.

Overall - Crazy drinkable and delicious. The beer has a fantastic balance and the appearance in the glass is near perfect. Another solid brew from Rogue that deserves its high reviews.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 17:06:52 | More by spinrsx

jtierney89

New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -45%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This bottle has close to a years worth of age on it if not a years age. Pours a deep deep brown, basically black, but from what I can tell from the pour is relatively clear. Decent brown head which recedes pretty quickly. Dark fruit especially figs on the nose along with anisette and faint touches of chocolate. Gonna give it a moment to breathe. With a little time the malt comes across really nicely on the nose as chocolate chip cookie dough. Some other not so pleasant scents still arise however.

Chewy mouthfeel with a deep roasted character. A little watery on the finish with subdued bitterness. Classic rogue crispness. Flavors include chocolate, licorice, anisette, coffee, alcohol and touches of nail polish. More so all over the place then layered. Clean finish though. Hap hazard flavors and a flimsy body unable to pull them all together. Not sure if it's the age or just the pac man yeast that has ruined beer. At least it's different than most of rogues other offerings i've had.

Drinkable but I dont see what all the hypes about.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2012 03:44:08 | More by jtierney89

BrianGaynor

4.6/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: pours thick, black as night with a light brown finger and a half head.

Smell: roasted malts and coffee! Not a very strong smell, though.

Taste: strong coffee and roasted malts. Very good taste. Alcohol taste lingers at the end.

Mouthfeel: thick in the mouth with a lot of carbonation

Overall: the more I drink the lower the score gets, unfortunately. The carbonation is off-putting to me. Still a great beer, though. I wouldn't hesitate to get it again.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 02:22:54 | More by BrianGaynor

DM1293

California

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Saw someone mention this in the forums and was curious. I had looked over Rogue's stuff, but wasn't willing to try it...this one said "Oatmeal Stout" and the last one I had was fairly good, so I gave this one a shot.

I love the full-bodied taste and the sweetness that undercuts the bitterness. Its not enough to cut it entirely, and it does sit on the palate and bite afterward. But really, this is strong, rich and smooth. The chocolate-y coffee notes are there, and thus make this beer definitely a new favorite of mine.

Serving type: bottle

02-27-2012 00:59:21 | More by DM1293

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.8/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from 750ml bottle into a snifter glass. Pours opaque black with a thin beige head. The nose lacked rich, creamy chocolate and oatmeal that I expected. Picked up more coffee and some green herb notes instead. The taste is of more chocolate, going into a burnt cocoa or even liquorice or charcoal. The palate medium bodied, there is a creamy texture in the middle section and a dry (unfortunately slightly astringent) finish. Expected more out of this one bc of its high rating. Not going to be on the bandwagon on this one. Sorry.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 22:47:51 | More by CuriousMonk

wac9

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

wonderful beer i think im out of my beer slump great taste nice on the tongue a beer worth drinking a beer worth looking for nothing else to say you neither like it or you dont drink and enjoy nothing more to say it black always good a mighty fine beer thats doesnt disappoint

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2012 03:05:41 | More by wac9