Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

StonedTrippin

Colorado

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

one of my favorite stouts. pours dark dark browm almost black cascading from the nitro tap with a memorable creamy head. smells rich and dark malty, with notes of unsweetened cocoa and coffee. taste is a little bit bitter at the end, but not a hop bitterness as i know it to be, more like bittersweet chocolate. the mouthfeel is so creamy and smooth, full bodied and as drinkable as any stout in the game. a wonderful noontime drink after a hard night of drinking. rejuvenating and delightful

Serving type: nitro-tap

12-23-2011 23:36:39 | More by StonedTrippin

bishopdc0

Maine

3.6/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had a nitro version at a tap take over at Novare Res

Black, black color with a big tan head. The head is dense and creamy.

The aroma is mainly roasted malts, coffee and chocolate. It all ends with a metallic nitrogen that detracts.

The flavor is big flavors of chocolate and roasted coffee. it is a smooth flavor and the body of the additional oatmeal make a nice mouth.

The only detraction is the nitro, I bet it would be better on straight co2

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-22-2011 00:17:16 | More by bishopdc0

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

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

Served on-tap in an over-sized brandy snifter at The Cask Republic in New Haven, Conn.

A: Black body with a two-finger thick had of persistent, creamy tan foam that left nice sheets of lace and retained til the bottom of the brew. Bless the nitro-tap system!

S: Charred malts and an earthy, herbal hop bitterness sting the nose a bit. Some roasted, milk chocolaty characteristics leap into the aroma as well.

T: Bittwersweet, roasted black and specialty malts impart a chocolaty and bitter espresso flavor up front. A somewhat fruity, nutty malt center blends with an herbal, spicy hop profile before finishing out smooth, creamy and bitter with a lingering hint of semisweet, dark chocolate and nuttiness.

M: Full-bodied, slightly creamy and rather smooth given the use of oatmeal and its 6% ABV.

O: A fine after-dinner brew to sub-in for your coffee or espresso with dessert. Shakespeare would pair nicely with a chocolate torte or mousse, perhaps. But, it's just as fine on its own and perfect as a digestive at 6.1% ABV; not too heavy with enough robust character to put a cap on the evening.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-05-2011 05:24:20 | More by Gambrinus1184

BranfordBound

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On nitro-tap at Mikro last week.

Pours jet black with a solid nitro head that leaves abundant lacing. What else can be expected from a nitro-tap?

Mild aroma of roasted malts and some espresso.

Very flavorful, at first there is a touch of roasted malt, then just a little chocolate, but the coffee, oats, and roasted aftertaste make this stout stand out. Very robust for the ABV.

Creamy smooth and at the lower end of medium bodied.

I drank this one slowly as I enjoyed fish and chips, this is an excellent stout regardless of the nitro-tap and I hope to try the bottled version soon.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-12-2011 22:54:01 | More by BranfordBound

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nitro-tap at Prime 16 into a shaker pint.

A: Dark brown body with plenty of reddish highlights under two fingers of predictably creamy light-brown nitro foam. Similarly typical (and great) retention and lacing. Attractive.

S: Quite roasty, with plenty of milk + dark chocolate malt. A touch of coffee as well, but (unfortunately) lots of metallic sharpness. Not terrible, but not that good, either.

T: Good balance of caramel and chocolate sweetness, with dark chocolate roasty bitterness on the tail end. Dry finish. Tasty.

M: Medium bodied and creamy. Definitely doesn't hurt that it's nitro.

D: Quite easy to quaff.

Notes: Considering this is firmly in the Top 100, I was really expecting more. It's a tasty stout, sure, but the metallic aroma and general lack of complexity left me less than excited. I think I'll just move my one bomber from my cellar to my office as a piece of Shakespeare-iana.

Cheers!

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-21-2011 03:23:59 | More by woosterbill

DNICE555

Connecticut

4.45/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had on nitro tap at Prime 16 along with some very good burger and fries

Pretty much sticks to my original reiew minus the mouthfeel

A: Black body with some nice tan head.

S: Big roasted malts. Chocolate, hearty oatmeal, and a nice hop backbone to balance it out.

T: Roasted coffee oatmeal up front with some bitterness attached and a chocolatey finish.

M: Smooth full bodied mouth feel like the regular tap but insanely creamy. I prefer this one on regular tap but it was very interesting and I'm glad I had the opportunity to try on nitro.

D: Nice heavy stout that goes down easily because it is very well balanced.

Serving type: nitro-tap

02-16-2011 18:23:00 | More by DNICE555

Lerxst

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -23.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On nitro-tap at Kickbacks

A-Black as night with a inch and a half creamy khaki head that has good retention and leaves some nice lacing. Looks really good.

S-Understated and tame. Some roasted malt and hints of dark chocolate and coffee. Nose needs to be more prominent.

T-Bready malt, hints of chocolate and coffee as the nose suggested, a somewhat sour, astringent back end that isn't very pleasant.

M-Rich and creamy.

D-The sour and astringent back end really hurt the drinkability.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-08-2011 19:33:37 | More by Lerxst

rtepiak

Poland

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

Looks elegant out of a nitro. Nice and frothy. Creamy that fades but a head that leaves lace. Nose is subdued. Some dough and chocolate. Palate is a bit broader. Chocolate lace of carob, earth and tobacco. With a tad bit of licorice. Very mild leathery. Most say that it's an awesome example, but i've seen some equally if not more consistent english made.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-18-2010 05:01:24 | More by rtepiak

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

4.48/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Got to have this on Nitro at the Library for 3 dollar happy hour. Sweet!

A - Pours a jet black liquid. Very solid color for a stout. The layers of pillowing foam dance down the glass like a calm rainstorm in the night. Got Nitro is awesome.

S - Got some slight chocolate and coffee malt here. Not to big or too little in the smell. Slight oatmeal.

T - Full yet drinkable this stout starts with bittersweet chocolate, followed by a nice bitter oat like body and finishes with the sweet delicious taste of delicious coffee. No bitter finish to speak of.

M - Every sip is a treat coating the mouth. The pillow foam layers the sides of the glass well.

D - I will have to try this in bottle forum to see if it was just the nitro making this awesome but it really was an overall soild stout with really nothing off putting about it. Nice offering Rogue! I could drink this one all happy hour!

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-08-2010 01:05:56 | More by DrDemento456

CampusCrew

Florida

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

had this at the huge kickbacks dinner in Jacksonville, FL. I took some notes but mostly doing this from memory.
Appearance: black body and creamy head from nitro.
Smell: earthy, some vanilla
Taste: rich full bodied stout. soe mellow chocolate. love this beer!

Serving type: nitro-tap

08-17-2010 17:11:19 | More by CampusCrew

mynie

Indiana

5/5  rDev +19.6%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Last night, seeing this on tap for the very first time, I had no choice but to re-review the first beer I ever awarded a perfect score. Back in the day this was, like, *the* beer; you couldn't think much of yourself as a beer person until you had tried it. And now it's still a big deal, I guess. It's really impressive to see a lower-ABV beer getting an A on this site, especially when it's got over 1200 reviews. Even in this age of the mindless adulation of bigness, people still can't deny Shakespeare its due.

The Nitro pour doesn't detract from the appearance. It's still got a nice, big brown head and it is still as opaque as concept the of death.

Smell rough, burnt, dry, and yet also smooth like milk and sweet like chocolate syrup.

Tastes like a wonderful hybrid of an English dry stout and an American oatmeal, starting with burnt, bitter malt, moving into a long and lingering wave of dark and milk chocolates, and then ending on firm cascade hops that are spicy, dry, and flowery all at once.

Four years later, this is still perfect.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-01-2010 23:55:50 | More by mynie

arizcards

Arizona

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

Had a couple of pints at the Rogue Ale Public House in late March.

This beer poured black with a fine two finger head. Nose is of chocolate/coffee roasted malts. Taste is a delight, a perfect balance between the roasted chocolate malts and a generous portion of Cascade hops with hints of coffee. Mouthfeel medium bodied but is very creamy and lively. Overall drinkability is great. I have been dissapointed with the change in taste with beers on nitro-tap but this one did not dissapoint!

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-11-2010 00:23:26 | More by arizcards

taxguyjase

New Mexico

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Apparently, Burt Reynolds is paying Shakespeare at a liquor store near you. Having about 30 minutes to kill before heading to the Oakland Airport, so ended up swinging into the Rogue Ale Public Room in San Francisco for a quick brew. They had a great selection on draft (probably 40% Rogue ales, 59% other microbrews, 1% the King of Beers). I ended up going with the Shakespeare Stout, as it sounded very dramatic.

I love nitrous beers - they have this amazing waterfall effect as the head settles. Just fun to watch and take in as the beer works its mojo. The beer's head was a nice creamy tan color and featured some light coffee/mocha scents. The beer itself was really smooth. The coffee and chocolate taste was light (just like the smell), but flavorful. No aftertaste on this one - just a great stout. WAY better than a Guiness, I'd get this one again. Too bad there isn't a Rogue place here in ABQ...curses.

Appearance - 5.0/5.0 - love the waterfall effect of the nitrous, tan creamy head - very full
Taste - 4.5/5.0 - silky smooth - coffee and light chocolate taste
Feel - 4.0/5.0 - no aftertaste, extremely smooth in mouth
Smell - 4.0/5.0 - very light with coffee/mocha accents
Drinkability - 4.5/5.0 - way better than a Guiness - very tasty, smooth - I will be repeating this beer.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-02-2009 18:01:53 | More by taxguyjase

Kendo

New York

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

Got it off the nitro-tap at the Blue Tusk in Syracuse, 5-27-09.

A: Body is black with a cascading, slow-rising 1-finger, tight tan head that retains well. Good rings and even curtains of lace. Nice presentation.

S: Not terribly strong in the nose -- a bit of coffee, roasted malt and a hint of chocolate.

T: First impression is chocolate, followed by roasted coffee beans. A slight burnt charcoal bitterness lingers into the aftertaste over the chocolate, providing nice balance to each sip.

M: Medium-bodied, but feels lighter on the palate due to the creamy nitro feel.

D: Very good.

Notes: I don't often review a beer twice simply because I had it via a different delivery (e.g. bottle vs. on-tap), but the experience on the nitro-tap was significantly different and so I made an exception in this case. Viewing my bottle review, I see that I felt the nitro tap added to the experience, resulting in some bumped-up scores for this one. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-28-2009 14:50:24 | More by Kendo

mhewes

Colorado

4.97/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A : Poured a dark brown with an incredibly creamy tan head. Lots of lacing

S : Roasted malts, coffee, chocolate

T : Good creamy flavor that's just full of roasted malts. Good coffee flavor in there also. A nice bitter chocolate on the finish to round things out

M : Creamy, full-bodied

D : A great stout on nitro. One of the easiest drinking ones I have ever had.

Serving type: nitro-tap

09-03-2008 21:10:46 | More by mhewes

johnmichaelsen

Oregon

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

Had this at the PDX rogue alehouse.

The beer pouts a beautiful dark black color with outstanding head retention and sticky lacing. The beer is very roasty on the nose with coffee, licorise and light sweet malt. The beer is very impressive on the palate, with a soft creamy mouthfeel. There beer starts out somewhat sweet, but then the hops come on strong and the beer finishes with good bitterness/dryness. The finish is long and smooth, and is quite delicious.

A very fine beer from Rogue. Surprisingly fresh and delicious here at the airport.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-29-2008 18:34:01 | More by johnmichaelsen

rye726

Colorado

4.28/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Dark Brown near black with a creamy tan head.

Aromas of black and roasted malts with subtle candy and floral hop characters.

A nice balance of roasted and sweet malts with some delicate hop bitterness.

A thick brew that passes smoothly over the palate. Great pub stout to wash down some grub.

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-03-2008 19:37:26 | More by rye726

BigJTrucker

Oregon

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

Had this brew on-nitro today at the Eugene City Brewery. Paired VERY well with my Reuben. Poured a very dark color, thick creamy tan head. Smell is of nicely toasted malt, slightly of coffee. Not an overpowering aroma powerhouse, but all together well balanced. Tastes nice and roasted, just a bit coffee flavor to go along with the nice malt body. Very creamy mouthfeel. Man, this went down so easy. Please sir may I have another!

Serving type: nitro-tap

04-26-2007 02:27:09 | More by BigJTrucker

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +6%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Once upon a time Rogue brewed its masterful ales in Ashland, OR, home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Ashland is a small town with about six Shakespeare theaters and it seems as though every waitress and bartender is an actor of some stripe. The flood of ’96 washed out Rogue’s Ashland operation and the brewery expanded into its present location in Newport. But the Shakespeare theme has endured and Shakespeare Stout is a Rogue milestone.

Everything good you’ve ever heard about this beer is true. It is black as night, full-bodied and opaque, and has a luxurious chewy mouthfeel. The aroma is dry – faint though fragrant. The lace is flawless, and the taste is creamy and dry with a delicate brush of mocha. The finish lingers like a church bell in the mist.

I drank this at the Rogue Public House in Newport and found it to be a world class stout, mellow enough for sessions. A true champion.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-28-2004 22:01:42 | More by RedDiamond

dwarbi

New York

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

Pours a dark brown head which provides very good lacing. Solid black beer. It has a pleasant aroma -- mostly of wood. It also has a wicker-sweet smell. Tastes malty and creamy. Delicious and thick like a full meal. A very good Irish Stout. Clean aftertaste, too.

Serving type: nitro-tap

05-29-2003 20:13:49 | More by dwarbi

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

Pours almost as black as black can get. Big four-fingered light brown head left two chunky rows of foamy lace drapery rings. Looks outstanding.

Malty, oaty, a little salty. Good roastiness with a mild chocolate note. Hints of charred grain and espresso. Needs a bit more earthiness. Could dry it up to something more amazing.

The hops show up in the flavor with some off-setting pine and rugged earthiness. Chocolate dried out to a dusty cocoa and the burnt espresso note comes through more. Bitterness contributed by the malts, too. A little salinity in the finish works nicely, also. Finishes up with ghosts of char-roast and mintiness.

Medium to full-bodied with a slight powdery feel. Carbonation is medium or maybe medium-light. Alcohol not in-play.

Great oatmeal stout. Been too long between revisits. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 14:05:55 | More by thecheapies

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a deep black with browns around the edges and two full finger of dark khaki colored head. The foam is really light and frothy and takes forever to settles. Big lacing left on the glass as it drinks.

S: The nose is malt, wheat, milk chocolate, slight caramel and a touch of vanilla. This beer smells nice.

T: It starts out sweet and fluffy with a good bit of milk chocolate, malt, and caramel. The beer get s a bit roasty in the middle, and the roast and sweet mix well in the finish.

M: Medium bodied beer. It's flavorful, but light on the palate. It's smooth and moves well from first sip to the finish. Nothing lingers for too long after the beer is gone.

O: Nice beer. I'm actually impressed with this beer. The flavors are nice, it drinks well, and it's not too filling. Very drinkable. I'd buy this again if I was in the mood for it.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 17:12:48 | More by trxxpaxxs

beergoot

Colorado

4.23/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A black abyss poured into a glass! Impenetrably black and crowned with a thick, chunky tan head; lacing galore. Rich, roasted malt grain aromas with a light, flowery, nearly citrus-like background scent. Deep roasted malt flavors; charred bread crust; bitter chocolate; soothing combination of hop bitterness with a slight alcohol presence. Rich, smooth mouthfeel; sugary sweet with a touch of dryness.

Big, black, and beautiful! I don't drink too many Rogue beers, but this oatmeal stout packs a lot of sensory delights. Must get more...

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 21:14:21 | More by beergoot

kshizzle101

Washington

4.24/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 22oz bomber into pint glass

A - Black in color with a 3 inch tan head, very thick

S - creamy chocolate scent, some roasted malts

T - chocolate up front, malts linger for awhile, a strange but pleasant taste which must be from the oats

M - thick and creamy, a little stickiness. perfect carb

Overall - great oatmeal stout. rogue usually comes through big time with their stouts and porters and this one does not let down.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 03:12:53 | More by kshizzle101

DS31

New Jersey

2.86/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

The color was quite dark and the moderate head was a beautiful tan color. I was looking forward to this one after reading some of the very good reviews. However, this brew had a bitter aftertaste that I could not get away from. Perhaps I got an off bottle and will make another try..

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2013 22:45:36 | More by DS31