Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

Siriusfisherman

Montana

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

Appearance: Dark, just like it should be, and a lovely cappuccino colored head. There was some nice lacing, but it disappeared after a while, but there was always a ring clinging to the glass. Just a delicious looking stout.

Smell: Right up front a lovely blend of roast barley, hop, and chocolate bitterness, followed by bready smoothness and a little tinge of yeast. More great stuff.

Taste: Just fantastic, the bitterness of this beer is done so well, and the oats give that classic smoothness and the roast barley helps you tame that chocolate character. Yet again, more great stuff.

Mouthfeel: This is the only place I have a bone to pick with these guys, the carbonation is a little to forward in my opinion. However, this is easily cured by giving the beer a couple swirls in the glass and allowing it to warm to room temperature. Also, as stated previously, the oats work wonders in the smoothness of this fine stout.

Overall: Maybe my favorite oatmeal stout, just a fantastic beer to have with a desert, or even as a desert by itself. The wide availability of this beer makes it even better, an absolute must have in the stout category. If you haven't had this, grab it the next time you go to the store.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 02:01:56 | More by Siriusfisherman

gatorguy

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep brown color, nearly black. has a light brown head, two fingers worth.

S - Coffee, chocolate, earthy oats

T - Well balanced stout here, all the flavors mesh great. Starts off with some coffee flavor, transitions to chocolate, then to the earthy oats. Hop bitterness is mild and compliments the brew well.

M - What you would expect for a stout, somewhat heavy but has good carbonation.

O - Excellent oatmeal stout, one that I will seek out more often.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2012 01:02:45 | More by gatorguy

shand

Florida

4.08/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a mug.

Funny how Rogue gets hated on all the time on BA, yet brews like this get very good reviews. One thing's for sure, this beers is a looker. It's a deep brown color with a large mocha head that leaves nice lace down the mug. The aroma is pretty stout-y, with plenty of roasted malts, coffee, chocolate, and a bit of grainy oat. The taste mostly follows this, with a nice amount of roasted malts dominating the show, with some roasty coffee and grainy oat on the finish. The mouthfeel is a bit thinner than I'd like, which seems to be par for the course for Rogue's stouts. The drinkability is quite good though. Overall, it's a solid stout that I think would be well-suited for six-packs. Let it hit warm up a bit, it really helps bring out it's flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 05:34:16 | More by shand

CrazyDavros

Australia

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours black with a large, lasting dark head.
Nose shows roasted malt, oatmeal, chocolate and soft coffee. Very appetising.
Same story with the flavours, roasted malt, faint chocolate and oats. Finishes with a roasty bitterness.
Nice soft carbonation.
Very easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2012 07:30:17 | More by CrazyDavros

ummswimmin

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I picked up this beer as part of my attempt to try all 100 beers of fame. I used to have it regularly while living in Oregon, and it is nice to pick up Oregon beers while living in New Jersey.

The look is a perfect example of a oatmeal stout. It is too dark to see through, and the single finger of foam is that proper tan color.

The smell is great. You get the coffee roast coming off the top. The flavor is a ton of coffee. The feel was a little light and the bitterness of the coffee is never really balanced.

Overall an amazing beer. Rogue isn't lying with the label on the bottle stating: World Stout Champion.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 21:00:39 | More by ummswimmin

cmq103

New Jersey

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

Poured from a 650 ML bottle into a Duvel Belgian Tulip glass

Appearance: Dark pour, not overly thick, got me a decent 1/4" head with a semi-aggressive pour. The light brown head diminished to be thin and spotty within a few minutes. Lacing started off sticky, but slipped away to almost nothing as my glass emptied.

Smell: I expected more to the nose but what I was able to get was roasted malts and oats, though mild for an oatmeal stout. Mild coffee and chocolate too. Not bad, but I expected a little more.

Taste: Roasted oats are present but not overwhelming. Impressive blend of oats, malt, coffee and chocolate. I'm surprised by the presence of a moderately bitter finish. I wasn't expecting that with an oatmeal stout. Hops are there, which I think brings out the bitterness with this beer. Lightly sweet finish with the bitterness wanting to stick around on the tongue for quite some time after my swallow. As the beer warms the favors are more pronounced. I would suggest letting this one breathe a few minutes to get closer to room temperature. I think the bitterness lessened as the beer warmed.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with mild carbonation. Dry, but at times, creamy texture. The bitterness is present more in this beer that in other oatmeal stouts I've had in the past.

Overall: A pretty darn solid oatmeal stout, though my first "go to" would be Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout. I haven't been disappointed by any beer made by Rogue.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 00:47:03 | More by cmq103

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

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

First had: on nitro at Rogue, Portland, OR

Poured black with a starkly opposing creamy tan head. Gotta love nitro. Aroma was as expected: dark roasted malts, toasted grains, notes of coffee and cocoa, with promises of earthy hops. Taste followed the aroma: dark malts and grainy oatmeal, roast and toast, cocoa, some coffee bitterness, and a hint of earthy hops. Smooth, though not as full-bodied as expected from a oatmeal stout on nitro...about medium-bodied I suppose, but still smooth and easily downable.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-10-2012 21:06:56 | More by Rifugium

denver10

Colorado

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

This was already one of my favorite beers via the bomber. Then I tried this on tap and, WOW, it was only ridiculously better. The big downfalls from the bottle version (effervescence and somewhat thin body) were improved upon and what was already good was only better.

A: Nice, creamy dark brown body with a nice, brown head.

S: A rich, semi-sweet, and somewhat bitter aroma.

T: A beautiful combination of chocolate, sugars from the oats, roasted malts, and bitter coffeeness

M: Beautifully creamy and medium bodied.

O: Fantastic. Fantastic. Fantastic.

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-10-2012 00:25:54 | More by denver10

SolipsismalCat

Pennsylvania

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

Poured into a pint glass. Reviewed alongside Breckenridge Oatmeal Stout.

A: Dark brown/black with three-finger, tan, frothy head that lasted a long time. Really good lacing.

S: Some chocolate, oats and hops. Mild.

T: Moderate sweetness and light bitterness. Very roasted flavor. Oats, chocolate, and coffee. Finishes the same as it starts.

M: Medium to full bodied with soft carbonation. Very creamy and smooth.

O: This is an outstanding Oatmeal stout. Wonderful head, perfect roasted flavor and so creamy. I wish the nose was a bit more interesting. Overall, I liked this better than the Breckenridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2012 02:49:51 | More by SolipsismalCat

bruachan

Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

i usually don't go for the nitro and i've re-realized why. i know why places push kegs with nitro but, for pounding on the bar, pick a lesser beer to do it with

the top 20% arrived a khaki froth, neatly sequestered from the 80% of blackness below

the nitro seemed to lock in the flavors of this otherwise pungent brew. i bet the tight bubbles don't burst and release their empyreal scents like they ought. once i tip a few sips, the cloud parts and singed delicious permeates. wonderful roastyroast

similar experience with tasting the beer: it feels subdued and nitro has a definite flavor (or at least contributes to a distinct flavor). the beer's balance between sweetness and stouty astringency is superb, and hop flavors even play a fantastic part on the stage

suuuper smooth oatness (and someone would probably try to convince me the nitro contributes to this, too). one of the most drinkable stouts around

Serving type: nitro-tap

01-05-2012 13:02:43 | More by bruachan

match1112

Illinois

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

starting off the new year with a rogue breakfast, having this and the hazelnut. after hearing lots of good things about this one, i feel let down a bit. poured a dark brown with a half finger of mocha colored head that leaves very little lacing as the drink disappears. smell and taste are both the same with faint hints of roasted coffee, chocolate and the oats seem to be the last thing you experience. maybe it's just me, but i like the oats to play a more prominent roll. has a medium body with ok carbonation and a bad bitter finish. wish it was thick and chewy so i could enjoy the oats. this is just an ok oatmeal stout.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 17:06:39 | More by match1112

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

ChugginOil

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours black with a fingers worth of tan head. Not much lace.

The nose has some cocoa powder and chocolate malt balls.

The taste has a touch of coffee roast, some chocolate, and roasted malts.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with ample carbonation.

Overall, pretty good but wish the carbonation was a bit milder.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 07:20:44 | More by ChugginOil

runner440

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer is pretty great. Big roast notes in this oatmeal stout. It is ridiculously drinkable, and this bomber is disappearing before my eyes. There are big notes of roast and coffee with a bit of chocolate in the taste. This stout should always been in any stout lover's refrigerator.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 04:05:15 | More by runner440

lurpy1

Minnesota

2.48/5  rDev -40.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

My wife picked this one. She fell in love with Hazelnut Brown Nectar and now swears unconditionally by all things Rogue. As for me, my recent Rogue beers while not terrible, have been disappointing, so it's against my better judgement that we go forward with this one.

After an attractive pour, this one falls off a cliff, with a imperceptible, musty, dog-in-a-swamp odor that wards off all normal beer smells. The taste hits all the right notes at first with grains and roasty malts, but it drowns in a sea of, uh, stank. There is a lot of unpleasant bitterness that makes finishing a pint a real chore. Mouthfeel isn't bad, but doesn't have the thick smoothness I expect in an Oatmeal Stout.

Dammitall, Rogues have gone from blah to outright bad on this one. This beer is borderline lousy. Hope I got a bad bottle. Last time I reviewed a Rogue beer I swear I was taking a Rogue hiatus. Apparently the hiatus ended, but that goes double this time.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 04:33:00 | More by lurpy1

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.88/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at the Hard Times Cafe in Springfield. My wife ordered one too and didn't like it. I got to experience TWO pints of this!

A: I'm on autopilot now with dark beers: Poured a very dark, chocolate brown color, with a very small head... too small perhaps, considering this on is only 6.1%.

S: Not much smell at all and it was almost as if no thought was put into this aspect. Still, I managed to dredge up a tinge of weak chocolate milk, roast, and yeast...Pacman yeast, that is....

T: It had a really nice cake batter-esque finish that reminded me much more of an Irish Dry stout rather than an oatmeal. Some mild chocolate notes, very little coffee, and the bitterness I got on the finish was primarily from the malt bill.

M: This one was fairly thick, but not slimey (something I often attribute to oatmeal stouts). The lacing was mildly splotchy.

O: This was one of my "starter" beers back when I was just getting used to craft brews, and to be honest, it wasn't as good as I remember it being. Still, I did just drink two pints of it with no effort whatsoever, so... there you have it...

NOTE: This is the EXACT same beer as the Chocolate Stout. The only difference is, with that one, Rogue uses a high grade (expensive) Belgian Chocolate.

Serving type: on-tap

12-20-2011 12:12:08 | More by Chaney

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Deep black with a few finger creamy tan head that settles to a ring of foam.

S - Roasted malt, chocolate, coffee, dark cocoa and light smoke.

T - Roasted malt, bittersweet chocolate, coffee and oats. The bittersweet chocolate lingers into the aftertaste.

M - Medium to full body, creamy and smooth.

D - Very smooth and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2011 01:29:38 | More by brewcrew76

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.38/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a standard pint glass. The beer is a coffee black in color, with a dark cream colored head that dissipates quickly. SOme light lacing. Smells of bitter chocolate, roasted malts, and vanilla. Tastes of bitter chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, and oats. The mouthfeel is very smooth and medium bodied.

Overall, this is an excellent stout. It's got several flavors that come through and it's a good session beer, that is if you want to pay the $6 per bomber ...

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 18:48:19 | More by JuicesFlowing

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Rogue : Shakespeare Stout

22oz bottle. Pours black as night with a mocha head. Aroma of chocolates, coffee and some alcohol. In the taste, more of the aforementioned chocolate, vanilla, roasted malts, coffee, char, espresso and very little booze or alcohol. The oats have made this beer silky smooth and goes down very nicely and easily. This bottle had some age on it, and was still very nice. Overall, a solid oatmeal stout with good flavors that went well together. Would be a fine dessert beer to pair with chocolate.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 02:39:35 | More by Stinkypuss

DaftCaskBC

British Columbia (Canada)

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

A: 1/4" light brown head over extremely dark brown / almost black liquid.

S: Coffee, chocolate, oats.

T: Bitter up front with toasted malt and coffee flavours which transitions to oats in the middle and a slight chocolate finish.

M: Medium to thin viscosity and a very high level of fine carbonation.

O: Another overrated and overpriced beer by Rogue. I expected more given the price tag, and I prefer Anderson Valley's Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout a lot more to this one.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 01:50:03 | More by DaftCaskBC

ncsutton

Minnesota

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

Serving Type - Bottle

A - Nice, very dark ebony color, a good thick head that last a good amount of time

S - Very robust, I'm getting chocolate and coffee smells

T - Great, can really taste the malts as well as the chocolate, it is overall very chocolatey which is good to me. I'm not really getting the oats but that's ok with this brew, very subtle on the hops

M - Very rich and creamy, extremely smooth

O - Overall a very solid brew, I personally like the chocolate taste of Stouts so this one was really good. Like i said earlier i never got the oats, but still very good.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 03:35:45 | More by ncsutton

jpro

South Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter... Another nice label / bottle design from Rogue - I’ve always enjoyed their artwork (as well as all the info they put on the bottle) -

A: Pours onyx and opaque; light brown head forms about half a finger of foam before quickly receding to a thin ring, leaving no lace.

S: Mmmmm... a great aroma on this stout... sweet, black malts; some light notes of dark fruit; coffee; molasses; dark chocolate; a hint of oats way in the back - it doesn’t have the aroma indicative of other oatmeal stouts... maybe the complexity conceals the oat character.

T: A lot of roasty flavors; some burnt smore and a touch of smoke on the finish; chocolate and molasses sweetness give way to a fairly hoppy finish. Again, I don’t pick up on the oats as much with this beer, but its pretty dern good.

M: Bah! Medium bodied and high carbonation... really doesn’t seem like this beer should be so “light." I wish it had a bit more feel.

D/O: A smooth drinking stout! Lots of character - way beyond the oats, and pretty drinkable. My only complaint is the lackluster mouthfeel... everything else is great!

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 02:11:56 | More by jpro

weizenbob

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

This 22 ounce bomber was purchased at Jimmie Garant's in Alpena, MI for $6.99. It was served at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and poured into a tulip glass. The pour yields two fingers of foamy tan head. Retention is good. Lacing follows the path of the sip but recedes quickly. The brew is very dark, but a small amount of carbonation can be seen through the glass.

The aroma is pleasantly complex, with reference points of chocolate and cream. Fruity cherry notes linger close behind. There is an unusual scent far in the background that reminds me of Elmer's glue, though it's not a big detractor from the whole.

The flavor pops with robustly roasted malts that are at once charcoalesque and earthy without crossing beyond the boundaries of good taste. Brown sugary sweetness ensues. Alcohol is just noticeable enough. Hop bitterness is mild. The flavor is somewhat lacking in complexity but the simple strengths of this stout are more than enough to please.

The mouthfeel is surprisingly light bodied and thin, extraordinarily so for a supposed oatmeal stout. On one hand it is surprisingly refreshing. On the other hand, I expect a certain mouthfeel from an oatmeal stout. This beer is critically lacking in that category. Carbonation is ample, but comes off a bit stinging amidst the lack of body. As I continue drinking I find that I enjoy it more, but I would be experiencing even greater enjoyment if it had a nice full bodied oatmeal stout feel.

All of this leads me to some conflicting feelings about Shakespeare stout. Sometimes a brewer's intent is to challenge a drinker's perceptions of a particular style. I don't know if that was the case here, but the feel of this beer is a bit of a hindrance right out of the gate. In spite of the pleasant look and aroma and fantastic flavor, it is difficult to get over how limp it feels in the mouth. At $3.81 per 12 ounce serving, it doesn't represent a particularly great value. I enjoyed this enough to dust the bomber without a problem. However, I can't imagine that I will seek this out on a regular basis. For me this is a once-a-year beer.

The Two-Schlitz Scale: (reference my profile for an explanation)
I give a Schlitz for this stout, which is fitting enough given that both beers have the same mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 04:17:07 | More by weizenbob

nitro0292

New York

4.03/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber poured into a nonic. Pitch black body upon which sits a khaki creme head that sticks around until the end leaving sticky, chunky lacing all the way down.

Smell is of roasted malts and bitter chocolate. A slight backdrop of coffee soaked hops.

Taste is more of the same, but with stronger overtones. Fairly dry finish with notable astringency from the dark malts. Just a touch of yeast on the finish from the bottle re-fermentation.

Mouthfeel is solid, goes down very easy. Could perhaps use a touch less carbonation.

This is a solid oatmeal stout. Not sure it is one of the best, however.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2011 03:21:17 | More by nitro0292

BeersCriteria

Texas

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

A- Pours a solid black with a light brown head

S- Roasted Malts, chocolate and espresso

T- I like this a little more than the Rogue Chocolate stout. The difference b/t the two is that I find this beer to be more roasted. In the Chocolate stout all you taste is chocolate but in the Shakespeare stout you can taste the chocolate as well as some good sweet coffee with a nutty backbone.

Food Pairing- I made beer braised chicken with this and it was really good.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2011 17:40:33 | More by BeersCriteria