Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout - Rogue Ales

scruffwhor

Illinois

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- A 22oz bomber, of course, poured a 1.5 finger head. I can't really use dark brown to describe it's color. It is really is just a black, not motor oil black but liquid bread black.

Smell- Everything one would imagine for a hand crafted stout. Mocha, roasted and smokey malts, witha little heavy cream.

Taste- A great mix of raosted and smokey malts, more smokey than roasted. With some vanilla cream mixed with black coffee.

Mouthfeel- A great creamy, slightly chewy palate leaving an almost burnt taste in my mouth.

Drinkability- My skinny ass needs more calories. So go beer for beer with Shakespeare.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2005 02:12:09 | More by scruffwhor

stcules

Italy

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Black. Brownish head, not very beautiful to see.
At the nose it is silk, softness, smoothness. Very smooth. Sweet, with roasted notes, and a lot of cocoa and chocolate. Very good.
The taste it is infinitely soft and smooth, with stout character, sweetness, but with a good bitterness that makes it very well balanced. Obviously again roasted and chocolate notes. Good.
Medium body.
Great drinkability.

Serving type: cask

08-28-2005 20:12:04 | More by stcules

TheLongBeachBum

California

4.7/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

“Blessings of Thy Heart, for Thou Brewest Good Ale”, Shakespeare.
It’s obvious to me that Shakespeare was writing about Rogue Ales all those years ago.

This is a very dark beer. An ebonyious, deep dark brown (it is not quite black on close scrutiny). A thick pouring, viscous fluid, from a 650ml “Bomber” Bottle – which so reminded me of Heavy Oil. The head has a tremendous capacity for voluminous expansion when first poured, and resembled a brown cylinder of Styrofoam, which then slowly subsided, and settled down to ¼” velvety smooth dark brown coaster type head. Not much lace at all, good because that would be a waste. Nose is dominated by Cocoa, with some lightly roasted malts and a feint, almost dark chocolaty, sweetness. Huge mouthfeel which does not disappoint at all, and adds great character to this Stout. This is no "wannabe" Stout; it is definitely up with the Big Boys. It is what I would refer to in England as an Extra Stout. Initial tastes are again cocoa, some coffee, heavier roasted malts and molasses. Dark fruits are hidden here – they appear as the beer warms. There is some lemon character as well in the middle – where do I get this? (Hops!??), I really don’t know! – but I do get it, so it’s reported. Finish is dry with more bitterness offsetting the earlier chocolate sweetness. A great lingering impudent finish. You know from the beginning that this beer is a Stout, it is resolute ‘start-to-finish’, and it does not disappoint at all. Fantastic!

Shakespeare also wrote;

"Never shame to hear what you have nobly done"
Coriolanus, Act ii, Sc.2

NICE ONE ROGUE!!!!

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2002 16:07:25 | More by TheLongBeachBum

ZAP

Minnesota

4.68/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

A true heavyweight...the creaminess of this is really something...thick, rich and creamy...nose is of darkened grains..chocolate and even some raw leather....midnight black with a scarlet black mixed lace...For a sweet stout this has some serious hopping...a real dry finish....up front is the darkened malt...dark chocoloate...some espresso notes...like I said a real dry finish.....kind of a mix between a sweet stout and a dry stout....It has the craminess and complexity of a sweet stout but the finish of a dry stout...whatever the case this a great stout...not for the light hearted...

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2002 16:55:42 | More by ZAP

jrallen34

Illinois

3.08/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

22oz bottle into a De Struise glass...Dark brown pout, light tan head, ok retention, not mcuh lacing...Aroma is way to light, a little chocolate comes through, light grass, and a little alcohol...Taste brings about more flavor, a good feeling to the beer, but the taste is not as sweet as I would expect for an oatmeal stout. The more it warms it becomes very bitter, way to bitter for a drinkable stout, alcohol comes through too much.

A disappointing stout, not a worthy of an a- let alone being ranked as a top 100 beer based on these nutty rankings.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2010 02:10:24 | More by jrallen34

dirtylou

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

bomber bought at peace street market in Raleigh

appearance: dark brown, tan/brown foamy head that dissapears quickly and laces the rim

smell: toasted malts, moderate coffee aroma, slight chocolate, licorice is faint

taste: nice toasted malt taste...This is a delicious American Stout, perhaps the best I have ever had. Creamy chocolate, coffee roasts, slightly bitter finish, extraordinarily balanced

mouthfeel: creamy and smooth, light carbonation...impressive

drinkability: better than average

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2005 03:39:55 | More by dirtylou

cokes

Wisconsin

4.63/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

One of, if not THE most gorgeous beers I have ever had the pleasure of beholding. Pours ink black (not even anything peeking out around the edges) with a massive, mousse-like brown head.

Smells of mocha with hints of carmel and hops.

Taste hits you with some milk chocolate, smooth sweet oats (earthy as well), with a subtle coffee backdrop. Finish blasts you with a big acidic roastedness (like raw coffee bean...or huge expresso) mixed with the cascades. Very bitter on the finish. Balances out the early sweetness well.

Only qualm: the hops seem to pierce through the body at the finish..makes it seem less full-bodied than it really is. Dare I say, tone the trademark hoppiness down and this would be perfect. Just a minor complaint, still, damn fine. BTW: I like this baby warmed up to mellow the hops and bring out the most in the body.
This is a beer to drink and drink and drink and drink.....

The Bard would be proud of this.
Get thee to the brewery

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2002 21:07:30 | More by cokes

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.83/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Poured from the bottle(room temp) with a huge head that dimished some but stayed throughout. The colour is the perfect black that you'd expect from a stout.

The smell is of roasted malt but it's by no means a strong aroma.

The taste is of wonderful roasted malt with chocolate notes also well represented and that combination makes for a very drinkeable beer.

This is one hell of a great stout and is one of my favourite brews of *any* style. Find it. Buy it. Enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2005 00:17:12 | More by Bitterbill

Tone

Missouri

4.15/5  rDev -1%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a dark brown color. 2 inch head of a tan color. Great retention and great lacing. Smells of hops, sweet malt, slight roasted malt, and a hint of herbs. Fits the style of an American Stout. Mouth feel is smooth and slightly thick with an average carbonation level. Tastes of roasted malt, slight hop, yeast, and slight sweet malt. Overall, a great appearance that set the table for the rest of the beer, which is followed by a good blend, body, and mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2009 19:30:27 | More by Tone

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a Rogue bomber at a poker game, right after drinking Stone Russian Imperial Stout. The Rogue seemed flavorless after the Stone.

It looked really good (pitch black with dark tan foam) but the aroma and flavor seemed weak. I tasted burnt malt, not strong enough to be offensive. I can't really see why this is highly rated by so many people. I probably won't get it again.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2006 13:20:29 | More by TurdFurgison

francisweizen

Australia

4.55/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A near-perfect stout from rogue. Not quite an Imperial, if you ask me. This stout pours the blackest of black with a nice off-white foamy head. It gives off aromas of chocolate, coffee, hops, earth, malts and smoke. It tastes like a mixed bag of coffee and chocolate. With some hoppy, smokey, earthy flavors thrown into the mix for good measure. An excellent stout with a very full mouthfeel and a crazy drinkability. Perhaps, this is the most drinkable stout that I have ever had the pleasure to drink.

Perhaps my opinion of this beer would be a little higher if I did not sample it directly after having a Bell's Expedition stout. The blackest, strongest, Imperial Stout that ever walked the earth!

This is still an awesome drink...one of the best stouts ever!
Cheers to KleinG for this sample!,
F.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2003 11:54:23 | More by francisweizen

twiggamortis420

Texas

4.05/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Opaque black color. Frothy light brown head fades to a bubbly sheen and collar.

Whoa...I can smell this one from about 3 feet away! Milk chocolate, cocoa and latte coffee aromas. Roasty, toasty malty goodness with a healthy dose of grassy hops.

4 words that best describe the flavor: fresh, roasty, malty and hoppy. I only have 2 minor complaints with this one, the noticeable astringency and it is a bit pricey. Aftertaste is long lingering and slightly bitter.

For me, this is a good stout, but not quite great. Easily quaffable and certainly will drink again, but the price tag limits this one to just a bomber or two per year for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2008 04:31:55 | More by twiggamortis420

nickfl

Florida

4.33/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - One and a half fingers of tan-brown head on top of an opaque, black body with no light showing through. The foam settles slowly an leaves nice lace.

S - Toffee and chocolate notes with some citrus hops, notes of orange and chicory. There is also a big, roasty espresso note that dominates the other flavors in the aroma.

T - Some chocolate and caramel malt up front, which are quickly replaced by a black coffee note of bitter, roasted malt. Some hop flavor comes out in the middle, it is mostly a resinous pine flavor that contradicts the more fruity hop notes in the aroma. Finishes with strong hop and malt bitterness, balance by moderate caramel and some bitter chocolate. Coffee and chocolate flavors linger in the finish with with a hint of tobacco.

M - Medium-thick, slightly oily body with moderate carbonation and a semi-dry finish.

D - Quite drinkable, this is a bit of a departure from many other American stouts. The roast character is aggressive, but complex and it benefits form the additions of the unusually assertive hops. Along with Sierra Nevada Stout, this seems the be the classic example of a sub genre of American stouts that display an aggressive hop character that one doesn't seem to see very much anymore. The idea of a big, palate crushing stout that doesn't reach into Imperial alcohol levels seems to have been lost on many breweries in the last few years; Shakespeare shows us the potential of such a brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2008 05:12:34 | More by nickfl

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Huge compact rich, dark head floats atop and opaque almost black beer leaving lacing.

S - Lemon-flowery, oats, hops, robust roasted malt and coffee aroma. Very good smelling!

T - Slight sitrus taste envelopes roasted malts and coffee beans. Slight bitterness is balanced very well by the sweetness of the malts. Slight tangyness.

M - Smooth with a refreshing crispness to it.

D - For an oatmeal stout it's surprisingly drinkable. I think the bitter/hops flavors offset the extreme malt and balance it well.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2009 14:55:42 | More by BeerFMAndy

tpd975

Florida

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

In the Stout mood as of late so I picked up this one again. It's a great brew I have consumed many times, so I figured I would finally knock out a review.

A: Pours black as night with a three finger khaki colored head which settles down to a beautiful ring just covering the top of the brew.

S: Nice and malty with hints of underlying chocolate.

T: Malt, oats, and caramel are the first thing to hit me. Then a nice warmth of chocolate comes thru with just a hint of charcoal in the finish.

M: I love the way this beer feels in the mouth. It’s really smooth, crisp and clean. Very nice.

D: You can drink this one by the pint or bomber. It's a really easy drinking stout.

Overall: It's a solid stout. It's not overly aggressive or lacking in any area, its very middle of the road. You might think that is not a good attribute to have for a beer but it actually it is. It is an easy drinking beer that does not overdue it or come up short in any area. It's a simple yet wonderful beer. We will call it simply wonderful. Along with Yeti it is quite possibly the easiest drinking stout on earth.

All that being said to achieve a better score, it needs to be a little more over the top >:{

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2007 18:00:47 | More by tpd975

FosterJM

California

3.85/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

282nd review on BA
bottle to pint

App- A very nice dark brown with a one finger head. Some good lacing was there as well.

Smell- Very grainy with some faint hops.

Taste- A great intro oatmeal stout. Clean flavors, well balanced and great with a meal. Soft on the front with a bitter chocolate after.

Mouth- An inviting medium/medium with the aforementioned bitter chocolate.

Drink- Good into stout. Soft and very drinkable. Well pairable as I had mentioned and did so with a nice sirloin. Brought out some nice flavors and sits nicely on the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2011 05:19:46 | More by FosterJM

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

Giant fist full head created off the pour. Head is tight like a rock with a fistfull cap like head and light brown colored. Falls fairly slowly, sitting on a dark walnut body. Not much else to say not much sticky lacing while drinking.

Good malt and mild cocoa off the nose, kind of has that oatmeal stout feel, that grainy husk thing going for it (similar to Samuel Smith). Feels a little dense. Things are looking up!

Taste at first is a bit bitter and a nice hop actually. Chocolate and malt feeling hits on the end with a nice roast that hints at cigarette tobacco. It's a bit wet though but also has a nice bitterness.

Overall I like my Oatmeal stouts just a tad thicker than this but you know I can't complain about this one right here, it will do no problem.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 02:34:03 | More by smakawhat

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.25/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle. Pours black with a thick light tan head that just keeps coming. Aroma of roasted malt. Flavor of sweet roasted malt. Body is somewhat light for a stout but it's decent. An alright stout. Not much going on flavor-wise.
Aroma: 7/10
Appearance: 4/5
Flavor: 6/10
Palate: 3/5
Overall: 14/20
3.4/5

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2008 02:59:36 | More by LilBeerDoctor

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
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

bluejacket74

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Served in a pint glass, the Shakespeare Stout pours a very, very dark brown with a tan head. Decent lacing with this beer. It smells like chocolate, roasted malt, coffee and a bit of hops. It tastes the same way to me, except that the coffee/bitter chocolate taste is strong, and it finishes with a bitter aftertaste. It's full bodied, and the mouthfeel is nice and creamy. The drinkability is high too, it's good and smooth. Another great beer from Rogue, I'd recommend it to any stout lovers out there.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2006 01:43:04 | More by bluejacket74

dgilks

Australia

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pitch black with a wonderful, creamy tan head. Very good head retention and lovely lacing on the glass. This is a very appetising beer.

S - Some fruitness and a touch of roast are present. The smell as a whole seems quite dull.

T - Stacks of rich, strong coffee, a hint of tobacco as well. Lots of roast malt and some earthy hops as well. Overall, there is a lot of strong, dark coffee here and it is very powerful.

M - A medium body is accompanied here by a vibrant, almost prickly carbonation. Definitely not a thick and rich stout on the mouthfeel front. It also has a lot of grip around the back of the throat.

D - This is packed with flavour and so much so that it is almost hard to drink. It is a beer that is worth drinking but one is most definitely enough.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2009 08:53:28 | More by dgilks

Brent

Kentucky

4.3/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Not as sweet as an English stout, nor as dry as an Irish. A unique middle ground.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2001 09:29:04 | More by Brent

StonedTrippin

Colorado

4.43/5  rDev +5.7%
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

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

650ml bomber poured into wine glass jan22 2010

A very dark pour with a large dense dark head that formed on top and stayed there for some time. the foam slowly fell to an island leaving a fair amount of lace along the way

S very bitter bakers chocolate with some mild coffee, raisins, and some licorice

T the bitter chocolate has a sweeter aspect in the mouth compared to the nose, I also pick up on some mild smoke I couldn't smell

M full bodied with a creamy feel due to the carbonation

D another good session beer from Rouge, not lacking in any areas and well worth trying with out doubt

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 19:40:20 | More by wordemupg

champ103

Texas

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: A great looking stout. Opaque black, no light gets through. A large foamy tan head forms to leave plenty of lace.
S: Plenty of rich malt and oats in the nose. At first smell I would say this is an oatmeal stout.
T: This is a very thick beer with plenty of dark roasted malt and tons of oats and chocolate.
M/D: A creamy and rich beer. Very smooth and easy to drink. A sipping beer only in the since that I want to saver everything.

I would say that this is miss labeled. This seems like an oatmeal stout in every way. Anyway, what ever it is labeled, this is a great stout. A beer that should not be missed.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2008 07:13:41 | More by champ103